I’ve hit every financial milestone, yet I feel empty – am I sacrificing real happiness for more digits?

For some people who’ve grown addicted to pursuing wealth and the euphoric feeling that often comes with the chase, it can be really tough to find a similar degree of satisfaction with other things in life. Indeed, obsessing over wealth, investments, net worth, and work can have a pretty amazing side effect: a fatter retirement fund and enough financial freedom to do as one’s heart desires. That said, it’s important to remember that money is a tool and not the end goal itself.

When it comes to things like the net worth of one’s nest egg, it’s all too easy to raise the bar and move the goal posts. For many financial overachievers, the “money doesn’t buy happiness” phrase applies. And while these words are easy to dismiss if you haven’t yet hit your own financial milestones (it’s proven that money can buy happiness for those who are under financial stress and anxiety), I do think that after accumulating a certain figure in the bank that the phrase begins to ring true, perhaps like never before.

Feeling “empty” with $14 million banked? But how?

In this piece, we’ll look at a specific case involving a Reddit user who “feels empty” after hitting every major financial milestone. They’re wondering how they can achieve “real” happiness that doesn’t involve raising the bar again, only to feel the same sense of emptiness later on.

Indeed, tying one’s worth and happiness to money can be a dangerous game, especially as the winds of recession (or Trump recession) roll in and one’s nest egg stands to take a hit, either due to rising unemployment, re-heated inflation, or a continuously tanking stock market. In the face of such sudden financial setbacks, one may lose more than just a few figures in the bank account; they may also lose a sense of identity and self-worth.

Add endless comparisons with colleagues, bosses, or those on social media into the equation, and it’s easy to feel like one doesn’t have enough. Sure, a $14 million net worth is profoundly impressive. But if your colleague brags about having far more than that, it can be easy to feel like you need to keep raising the bar in perpetuity, as one misses out on the invaluable experiences that bring about genuine happiness.

At the end of the day, there’s always a bigger fish. And it’s better not to play the game of comparisons if one seeks fulfillment rather than emptiness.

It’s time to view money as a tool, not as a measure of one’s worth.

It’s a wise idea to view money as a means to an end rather than the end goal itself. Money comes in, money goes out. But either way, the Reddit user should seek to rediscover things they value more than money and focus on these areas now that they have achieved — and surpassed — all their financial objectives.

As such, it’s important to know when to draw a line in the sand so one can pursue real happiness rather than the dopamine hit to be had from adding a few more dollars to the pile. For a father of four children who has more than enough a family could ever need ($14 million in net worth), our Reddit user doesn’t need to look too far to find joy and fulfillment.

In most pieces responding to Reddit posts, I encourage contacting a financial advisor or wealth planner. But in this piece, I think some counselling is a must, as the individual looks to sever their sense of meaning and value from how much money is coming in. Despite their exceptional financial accomplishments, they do not have a healthy relationship with money.

For such an individual, the happiness equation is less about cash inflows minus cash outflows, and perhaps more about “smiles minus frowns” — a far better equation that Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak uses to measure his happiness.

The bottom line

For anyone who can relate to our Reddit user, perhaps it’s time to keep tabs on all the things that make you smile. Oftentimes, more money can mean more frowns. As such, it’s essential to diversify your sources of smiles so that you can avoid the type of rude awakening our Reddit user is experiencing now. They’re experiencing emptiness when they should be reaching peak joy.

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