Focusing on direction in life rather than achievements can lead to greater fulfillment, according to the author.

After accomplishing something significant, you may become preoccupied with how to surpass it rather than feeling content.

The pursuit of constant achievement, followed by satisfaction and then the search for the next accomplishment, is commonly referred to as the hedonic treadmill. Despite the belief that amassing achievements like infinity stones can lead to happiness, it is not the case, according to Tami Muller, a happiness trainer and positive psychology coach.

Instead of focusing on the destination and where we think we'll end up, directional living involves concentrating on the direction of our life that we're going in, as Megan Hellerer, a career coach and author of a book on the topic, explains.

The five phases of transitioning from Hellerer's concept of underfulfilling overachieving, or UFOA, to directional living are:

5 phases of 'Directional Living'

1. Recognize

To break free from the hedonic treadmill, you must first recognize that you are on it.

Hellerer says, "I'm an underfulfilled overachiever who has been living [destinationally] because that's how I was taught."

She observes that the objective of reaching a particular destination is generally encouraged in most career fields.

2. Align

By becoming aware of your fixation on a specific goal, you can adopt a directional approach to living, according to Hellerer.

The alignment phase is focused on comprehending and recognizing your own inner navigation system's messages, rather than those of others.

"She argues that fulfillment can be attained through both achievement and success, but the true path to fulfillment lies in alignment, which can only be found from within oneself."

Hellerer emphasizes that figuring out which behaviors bring you fulfillment is a personal journey that requires self-listening.

"Finding the work and life that is uniquely suited to you is crucial for having the most impact, influence, income, personal fulfillment, and meaning."

3. Release

Instead of comparing alignment to "getting warmer," you'll know it's time to release something when it feels like you're getting colder.

"The release phase involves assessing your life and determining what does not bring you joy, what is cold, and what hinders you, and finding ways to eliminate or reduce those aspects in your life," she explains.

In this phase, you can achieve alignment by quitting your job or ending a relationship, or by making smaller changes.

The key is to recognize that you don't need to drastically change your entire life. Instead, small, incremental changes can be made, but it's essential to be honest with yourself about what's not working in your life.

4. Orient

Figuring out our big direction, or purpose, is crucial in aligning with what lights us up inside and releasing what doesn't.

Without knowing the exact destination, figuring out the direction you're heading in is the ongoing verb, she says.

Hellerer's most popular client is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. When working with AOC, "the direction we figured out for her was public service, but we didn't need to know, [and] we didn't have any idea, she was going to run for office," she says.

AOC's public service could have been as a community organizer or Chief of Staff, or both, but the end goal was more important than the specific path.

"It's not necessary to have a precise destination in order for a general direction to provide structure and prevent aimless wandering during a trip."

5. Iterate

Iteration is the final phase of directional living, which involves being receptive to changes and making adjustments as needed while staying focused on your ultimate goal.

"Hellerer believes that nobody launches a product expecting it to be perfect. He uses the example of iPhones constantly receiving updates to illustrate this point. He suggests that we should approach our lives and careers in the same way, accepting that they will evolve over time."

In your final stage of directional living, you must continually align and release as necessary. This necessitates asking yourself:

• Am I getting warmer or colder?
• Is this directionally right, or directionally wrong?

She says, "I'm currently trying to determine the next step that will advance the plot, even though I'm not entirely sure where it will lead."

To obtain the correct solution, you must take a step and gather more information, then iterate on that. Your role is not to possess the answers; rather, you cannot know them, and you are not expected to.

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