As my birthday approaches, I contemplate the various versions of myself that exist across time. In other words, how do I compare my current self to myself at 10yo, 20yo, 40yo, etc.

Interestingly enough, the most significant change is not in my own identity, but rather in my interpretation of what it means to be successful. Achievements often serve as a heuristic for measuring success, asking what have you accomplished in life so far. However, there seems to be a major flaw in this model: who are you living your life for?

The saddest form of success can be attributed to individuals who achieve goals that are not their own. In the near term, pursuing the aspirations of the average person may win social status points, but in the long run, it leads to certain regret.

When I think about my 80-year-old self, I wonder which accomplishments would make him most proud. Perhaps I write this to affirm myself, but the purpose of life should not be to maximise social status; rather, it should be to become aligned with your deepest core values.

On the surface, it might sound bombastic to become aligned with your values; however, there is a deeper truth that is worth exploring: It’s really hard to change what you want.

An analogy would be an individual trying to find the highest mountain to climb. Attempting to maximise the social points of those around you, you maximise the local maxima. The higher and higher you climb, you may notice that this is not the global maxima. In that moment, you must decide for yourself whether you have the conviction to walk back down.

That said, it’s really hard to walk back down.