Despite impressive titles and career success, it’s easy to feel unfulfilled and disconnected. I’ve experienced it firsthand. I once believed that achievement alone would lead to happiness, but stress and burnout told me a different story. However, I refused to give up the journey, and found the path to lasting well-being—one that now fuels our mission at HAPPINESS SQUAD to help you find true joy and purpose.
In this article, I’ll break down the five key lessons I’ve learned from my experience that will change the way you approach success and happiness.
“When you face an obstacle, you don’t give up. You pick yourself up and you try harder.”
– Ashish Kothari
Inner fulfillment over External success
In my early years, I had a high-achieving upbringing, where I developed a strong drive for success and perfection. While these values initially guided my life, ultimately, it led to internal disconnection. Despite my success in consulting and corporate roles, I struggled with internal stress and anxiety, leading me to question my life’s direction.
If you’re feeling the same, take a moment to reflect: do your achievements bring you real satisfaction? Set aside time to ask if your goals align with your values and deeper purpose.
Adopt a growth mindset
When you ignore stress, it deepens disconnection and drives burnout. It’s crucial to recognize the common stress triggers in our lives—whether they’re rooted in our work environment or daily routines. Take a moment and assess these factors and find small, practical ways to address them. This can make a profound difference.
Seeing the urgent need for mental health and well-being support, I launched Happiness Squad to make science-backed well-being practices accessible to everyone. My mission is clear: I help people shift from relentless hustle to a mindset of intentional and meaningful growth.
Finding purpose through daily well-being practices
My struggle with stress and anxiety due to that constant urge to overachieve opened the door to meditation, coaching, and personal development. These practices didn’t just help me manage the challenges—I found greater self-awareness and a deeper sense of purpose that I hadn’t experienced before. They became a foundation for reconnecting with what truly mattered to me.
If you’re seeking more balance and meaning, I encourage you to start small. Try exploring well-being practices that resonate with you, whether it’s meditation, coaching, or diving into self-help books. Committing to these small, daily practices can bring about incredible growth and awareness over time.
Use data and real-time insights to drive change
I’ve come to see the importance of using real-time insights to drive meaningful change. For me, it’s not just about setting well-being goals but regularly assessing where I am on that journey. Taking time to check in—whether through journaling, wellness apps, or simple reflection—helps me stay aware of my progress and make adjustments as needed.
If we approach well-being with the same attention to data as we do in business, we can make intentional shifts that create lasting impact in our organizations as well.
Build a strong support network
I’ve learned that a strong support network is essential for well-being. Surrounding ourselves with supportive people makes the journey to resilience and happiness much more manageable. For me, that meant connecting with like-minded individuals, whether through well-being groups at work, deepening personal relationships, or finding mentors who inspire me.
Resilience isn’t something we build alone; having a community by your side makes all the difference.
Conclusion
Remember that real change takes time. Sustainable change isn’t linear. Give yourself permission to grow gradually. Setbacks are normal, and consistency is key. Commit to small, actionable steps over time, and celebrate incremental wins. A happier and healthier, more fulfilled life isn’t achieved through constant hustle but through intentional, inner transformation.
Break free from multitasking, constant connectivity, and endless meetings to reclaim your energy, focus, and happiness. Ashish Kothari, Founder of HAPPINESS SQUAD, shares how small changes in your habits can inspire a thriving life and workplace.
Learn more about Ashish at his LinkedIn.
Listen to the podcast with Ashish below.
Access and subscribe to all of the episodes of the Happiness Squad Podcast here.
Visit the REWIRE Program powered up by the HAPPINESS SQUAD Community and experience your shift within your 30-day risk-free trial today. Cultivate your Self-Awareness, Gratitude, Purpose, Community, and personal growth more through the 9 Hardwired for Happiness practices. Integrate simple and proven micro-practices grounded in the science of happiness and neuroscience of habit formation in 5 minutes a day.
Make Happiness Your Competitive Edge.
