Have you ever heard the voice of the Not-Good-Enough whispering to your ear about all the things you haven’t achieved, the talent you lack, the things you don’t have or the things you haven’t done?

I don’t hear that voice very often these days but I have been thinking about it and wondering why our world seems to be so obsessed with merit and achievement. It’s a rather exhausting way of going about life.

That voice, is the voice of a meritocratic society that we could very well live without.

The Illusion of Meritocracy

Meritocracy. The dictionary defines meritocracy as a political, social, or economic system where power, influence, and rewards are assigned solely on the basis of ability and achievement—not on background, privilege, or irrelevant personal traits. In other words, in a meritocracy people succeed based on how talented, hardworking and qualified they are.

At first glance, that might seem reasonable. Work hard, develop your talents and you’ll be rewarded, you’ll succeed. But here’s the problem: in the world we live in not everybody has equal opportunities to develop their talents and not all talents are valued equally. Also, by measuring an individual’s worth by way of performance our personal worth becomes conditional and reliant on external factors, which places our sense of self on a rather shaky ground.

Why I Reject the Achievement Treadmill

Once we internalise this achievement mindset, we step onto a hamster wheel of competition and overwork that leaves us exhausted. No matter how much we achieve, there’s always another milestone, another accolade, another way to prove ourselves. It drains us and leaves us with no time to rest, reflect or simply enjoy life.

No wonder people are burning out. No wonder anxiety and depression are rampant. Who can truly thrive in a system where we constantly have to prove ourselves?

A Different Way to Live

I didn’t always feel this way. I have chased success and have felt the need to prove myself just as badly as anyone else. That’s the narrative we learn from the world around us. But at some point, I took a step back and saw the absurdity of it all. Yanis Varoufakis said it best:

“All systems of domination work by enveloping us in their narrative and superstitions in such a way that we cannot see beyond them. Taking a step or two back, finding a way to inspect them from the outside, allows us a glimpse of how imperfect, how ludicrous, they are. Securing this glimpse keeps you in touch with reality.”

That glimpse changed everything for me. I realised I could opt out.

Living a Simple Life

Learning to simplify my life has taught me that worth isn’t something we earn—it’s something we already have. We don’t need to prove ourselves. We don’t need titles, awards or fancy jobs to be valuable members of our communities. We all have gifts to give to the world, and whatever they are, however big or small, they are valuable and they are enough. We are enough.

These are the things I now practice. I learn the things I learn and work on the things I work on because I’m curious, I’m interested and I care, not because I’m after recognition. I rest because I respect my body and mind, not because I’ve “earned” a break. I fail, make mistakes and try again—not because failure is a lesson in resilience, but because it’s simply part of life. And when I spend time with people, I’m present and feel joy, not the anxiety of being measured and judged.

Can you feel how much lighter it is here?