Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
For over twenty years, I have been fortunate to work with dozens CEO, and high net worth individuals to help them meet business and personal/lifestyle goals — in part by creating legacy projects that deliver lasting impact.
One of the most important things I've learned through this work is that there is a marked difference between happiness and fulfillment, and that knowing the difference is critical to personal and business success.
Because while happiness is important, it's often short-lived—whether it's in the wake of a major sale, solid third-quarter results, or after receiving a promotion. It makes you feel good, as it should, but in the long run, it tends not to change anything meaningful in how we live our lives every day. It's like a dopamine rush – it tends to go away as quickly as it arrived.
In contrast, fulfillment is the result of prolonged commitment to a task, project, goal, or dream. More often it is the result of a commitment to something bigger than oneself, such as family, a cause or community. Fulfillment is basically lasting and deep happiness.
Of course, we understand that happiness is fleeting and that fulfillment should be our long-term goal. However, for most of us, the goal still comes first. As a result of the wrong focus, countless millions end up stressed, unhealthy, and suffering from debilitating mental illnesses like depression and addiction.
So how do we break the cycle of chasing short-term gratification versus long-term fulfillment?
Connected: The Biggest Pitfall of Entrepreneurship: Happiness ≠ Achievement
Step 1. Work on yourself
It may sound simple, but the underlying truth is that fulfillment is impossible unless you first take care of your body and mind. Focusing on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being is the foundation for all other achievements.
A good place to start is with diet and exercise. This doesn't mean you have to live like an athlete training for the Olympics: small adjustments can go a long way toward creating big changes, both physically and psychologically.
When it comes to diet, I like a simple phrase in Michael Pollen's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, “Eat (real) food, not much, mostly plants.” In other words, go easy on processed or fast foods, as well as meat, and go for lots of vegetables and fruits instead. Just following that irregular instruction will do wonders.
When it comes to training, every bit helps, and the mantra “Use it or lose it” is a great one to keep in mind. A 2013 study found that, without regular exercise, we lose 1% to 2% per year in lean body mass and 1.5% to 5% per year in overall strength after we turn 40.
If you don't exercise at the moment, start slowly. Even simple walks have significant benefits. or Harvard Report 2023 found that walking just 20 minutes a day, five days a week, provides significant health benefits, including cutting the incidence of obesity in half, reducing joint pain, lowering cancer risks and boosting immune health. Workers who were active in this basic way took 43% fewer sick days than those who were sedentary.
No matter how busy we are, everyone should be able to find 100 minutes a week to walk.
Connected: 7 Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Should Train
Step 2. Look outside
To me, a striking similarity among the multitude of self-improvement theories, seminars, and training available today is that they tend to focus on introspection. But finding a purpose greater than ourselves is even more vital. Personal change is part of the process, of course, but the ultimate goal—the real purpose in life—must be something bigger. This kind of outside view will also help with Step 1, because science tells us that interacting and connecting with others is critical on many levels.
of The polyvagal theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, details in part that we have a basic human need to connect meaningfully with others. It emphasizes the importance of social connection in regulating nervous system responses and promoting emotional well-being.
Similarly, the US Surgeon General DECLARING in 2023, loneliness – a widespread phenomenon far more widespread than both the pandemic and the isolation that comes from living in a digital world – poses health risks as deadly as smoking, and its effects are equivalent to drinking 15 cigarettes per day.
But what constitutes a relationship that produces well-being? In practice, it can be as simple as going for coffee with an elderly neighbor and stretching into coaching a youth sports team, joining a book club, or volunteering at a community center. These are simple, tangible actions that put you in the company of real people — far more spiritually fulfilling than social media or Zoom calls.
Step 3. Redefine what success means
A common Western construct is that happiness comes from success. The problem is that, in my opinion, our definition of success is wrong. We generally equate it with wealth, fame and power. Further, we are conditioned to think that more is better: more money, more wealth, and more attention, but I have seen firsthand that some of the wealthiest and most “successful” people are among the least fulfilled. They have checked all the boxes of conventional notions of achievement, but remain hopeless.
or 2018 study found that a staggering 49% of CEOs report struggling with a mental health condition (compared to just under 23% of the US adult population as a whole) and that most report feeling overwhelmed and fight both fatigue and constant stress.
Connected: How to reframe your inner dialogue for greater fulfillment in both work and life
Chasing short-term happiness in the form of money, possessions, and social media status creates a vicious cycle of not having enough, which leads to more stress and more unhappiness. Instead, look inward to improve yourself physically and emotionally so that you have the ability to look outward. You will then become a better leader, friend, coach and parent – and create a self-perpetuating cycle of improvement.