The Endless Cycle | #74

By Armaan Athwal

Today's Overview:

• Humans are wired to strive for something, achieve it, get bored, and soon want something else

• Choosing the right things to chase

• Quote of the day

The Human Motivation Cycle

You ever notice how human motivation runs in a loop? Not some grand complex phenomenon, just a simple predictable cycle that plays out over and over again.

You get bored. So you want something. And once you want it, you convince yourself that life is incomplete until you have it. That thing, whether it's a new skill, a new job, a relationship, money, or just some new experience, becomes the next milestone. The thing that will finally make you feel satisfied.

Then comes the grind. You push yourself, struggle through the effort, make sacrifices, and tell yourself that once you arrive at that destination, things will feel different. And maybe they do, for a little while. But the moment you get that thing? The satisfaction is short-lived. The feeling of completeness fades. And soon, boredom sets in again. The cycle resets. You find something else to chase.

It's easy to see this as a flaw, like we’re all just hamsters on a wheel, doomed to an endless chase. But if you step back, this mechanism isn’t a glitch, it’s the driving force behind everything humans have ever built. It’s why civilizations rise, why people innovate, why athletes push for new records, why we’re never quite content sitting still. The problem isn't the loop itself, it’s when you don’t understand it.

Most people go through life reacting to this cycle without realizing they're in it. They mistake fleeting desires for ultimate goals, chase things without questioning why, and end up stuck in a pattern of craving and temporary relief. But when you see the loop for what it is, you can start using it instead of being used by it.

You can choose your pursuits more intentionally. You can recognize that the thrill of the chase is part of the process, not just a means to an end. You can make sure you’re running toward things that actually matter to you, not just things that temporarily fill the gap boredom leaves behind.

Because if you’re going to be caught in this loop either way, you might as well make it a good one.

Quote of the Day

“Don't aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself.” - Viktor E. Frankl