This week, we have spent time with small business owners and startups - people brimming with ambition and a vision to create brilliant, bespoke experiences through their businesses. These are not cookie-cutter enterprises; they’re driven by passion, artistry, and a deep desire to deliver something meaningful. Yet, we’re increasingly noticing the business owners we’re working with are trapped in the relentless grip of ‘hustle’. They’re constantly challenged by the pressure to do more, to expand faster, to keep pushing without pause. It’s exhausting. In these conversations, we’ve asked a powerful and deceptively simple question: ‘What feeds your soul?’ It’s a question that demands reflection beyond profit margins and growth strategies. Ambition is important - but whose terms are you building on? Are you chasing someone else’s version of success, or are you shaping a vision of richness and ambition that aligns with your values and your life? The Problem with More Psychologists have long studied the phenomenon of how quickly we adapt to material gains. You’ve probably experienced it yourself: after a big purchase, you feel a rush of excitement. But within days or weeks, that excitement fades. The new car, the luxury watch, or even a business milestone, all begin to feel ordinary. This phenomenon is known as hedonic adaptation, and it can be one of the most insidious traps in business and life. For instance, we probably feel elated after securing a major client but soon find that excitement replaced by new stressors as the business puts pressure on for yet another win. The constant push for ‘more’ never truly satisfies because the goalposts keep moving. Hedonic adaptation happens because our minds normalise both positive and negative circumstances. Once something becomes part of our daily life, our expectations shift, and the novelty wears off. This explains why career achievements, like promotions or hitting revenue targets, may bring fleeting joy but quickly give way to new pressures and desires. The cycle continues unless we take steps to break free. It’s not just expectation shifts that contribute to this treadmill effect. Our tendency to compare ourselves to others erodes appreciation for what we already have. It’s easy to feel dissatisfied when success is measured against someone else’s highlight reel. You know the ones: ‘I make six figures a month and you can too.’ These messages creep into our mindset, subtly planting the idea that if we’re not there yet, we’re somehow falling short. Thankfully there is there are ways to slow the treadmill and shift focus back to what really matters. Gratitude, practised regularly, is a powerful tool. It reorients our minds to appreciate what we have instead of what we’re missing. Similarly, focusing on experiences rather than possessions can create more lasting joy. Unlike material things, experiences become more meaningful over time as they shape our memories and identity. Pursuing goals that are intrinsic, tied to personal growth or connection rather than external validation, also helps break the cycle. Mindfulness, too, plays a role by bringing awareness to the present moment, grounding us in appreciation and reducing the relentless chase for ‘more’. Reconsidering Richness and the Journey So, what does richness mean if not in terms of wealth or accolades? For some of us, it’s time - time to be present with family, time to create without deadlines looming, time to savour life. For others, it’s the quality of experiences: supporting brands that reflect their values, building a business that nurtures rather than drains, spending energy on meaningful connections instead of grow at any cost. This isn’t just a personal issue. We’re seeing this pattern magnified on the world stage. Billionaires like Elon Musk seem trapped in an endless loop of ambition, unable to rest despite having achieved more than most people can even imagine. Space, social media platforms, AI - it’s as if ruling the world isn’t enough anymore. The same mindset infects business culture everywhere: the idea that success means never stopping, is fundamentally flawed. So, when will it stop? When will we finally breathe and say, “Enough is enough”? When will we allow ourselves to dream a vision that is not about domination or endless expansion, but about creating something that’s fulfilling and sustainable? It’s crucial to recognise that the journey itself is just as important as the goal. Often, we become so focused on achieving milestones that we forget to enjoy and learn from the process. Reflecting on the journey allows us to appreciate growth, resilience, and the relationships we build along the way. Celebrating milestones, such as completing a significant project or receiving positive client feedback, can provide renewed motivation and a sense of accomplishment. There’s richness in these moments that hustle culture tends to overlook.