Introducing WIA Syndrome: Why You Can’t Just “Be Happy”

Steph Curry and Ayesha Curry

The complexity of success often plays out in the public eye. We recently saw this when Ayesha Curry openly shared her personal struggle with feeling insecure and jealous due to the high-profile attention her husband, Steph Curry, receives. While she has her own thriving career, family, and objective success, this deeply relatable experience highlights a universal truth: objective achievement does not guarantee internal satisfaction.

With a Bachelor’s in Psychology, a Master’s in HR and Business, and a Professional Life Coach certification, I bring nearly 20 years of experience from the trenches of human behavior, as a leader in Human Resources and executive teams, and Professional Performance Coach. I’ve seen countless high-achievers, from executives to entrepreneurs, achieve the very definition of success (the dream job, the secure finances, the great relationship) only to struggle with a profound, gnawing sense of emptiness.

They don't know why they're unhappy, but the restlessness is constant. They want it all, and when they get it, they immediately move the goalposts.

I call this condition WIA Syndrome: The Want It All Syndrome.

WIA Syndrome describes the state of being perpetually unsatisfied, regardless of how objectively good one's circumstances are. It is the existential treadmill that keeps high-achievers running without ever feeling like they've arrived. While this isn't a formal clinical diagnosis (psychologists often link these feelings to maladaptive perfectionism or chronic dysphoria), it is a powerful lens through which to label the modern, paralyzing struggle I see daily: the inability to internalize and appreciate success.

The Data-Backed Cost of the Unending Pursuit

WIA Syndrome is more than just ambition; it's a relentless internal critic that robs you of present contentment. The quantitative data on chronic dissatisfaction and its psychological cousins confirms just how widespread and costly this feeling of emptiness is, particularly among high-capacity individuals:

• Financial Plateau: According to Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman’s research, the correlation between increased income and increased daily emotional well-being effectively plateaus once basic needs are met, typically around $75,000 (adjusted for location). This data shows that more money does not equate to infinite happiness, a core fallacy WIA sufferers chase.

  
  

• Burnout Epidemic: Maladaptive perfectionism, a core psychological driver of WIA, is a significant contributor to burnout. A recent Gallup study indicated that a staggering 77% of employees report experiencing burnout at their current job, confirming that the relentless, unsatisfied drive for "more and better" is damaging our professional lives.

  
  

• Depression Link: Studies consistently show that this chronic dissatisfaction is a precursor to more severe mental health challenges. Perfectionism itself is strongly associated with a higher risk of developing anxiety and depression, highlighting the danger of ignoring this pervasive restlessness.

WIA Syndrome is the personal-level version of this systemic disengagement: you’re present, but your mind is always hunting for the next, "better" thing, ensuring you never fully commit to or enjoy the reality you’ve built.

How WIA Syndrome Manifests in Life

Here’s how WIA Syndrome shows up in both your personal and professional domains, turning achievement into anxiety:

1. The Professional Treadmill: The Endless Job Hunt

You land a prestigious role with a significant title bump. For three months, you’re energized. Then, the feeling fades. Instead of focusing on optimizing your current impact, you begin secretly updating your resume, comparing your salary to niche industry benchmarks, and spending hours on LinkedIn exploring roles that are only marginally "higher." You confuse a new title (a transactional fix) with a new sense of fulfillment (an internal shift). As a leader, you constantly redesign your team structure or strategy, never allowing enough time for one plan to yield results before moving onto the next "perfect" system.

This is the "arrival fallacy" at work. As comedian and actor Jim Carrey once famously said about his immense wealth and success, "I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer."

2. The Personal Drain: The Upgrade Habit & Comparison Anxiety

In your personal life, WIA often manifests as the "Upgrade Habit." You buy the dream home, but immediately start identifying its flaws: it needs a bigger yard, a better kitchen, or a different neighborhood. The focus shifts from the internal joy of having to the external anxiety of acquiring the next, elusive piece of the puzzle.

This anxiety can profoundly affect relationships, too. Even when partnered with an objectively successful individual, like a successful athlete or entrepreneur, the WIA mindset can trigger profound feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, or chronic insecurity, because the external "perfection" of the relationship still leaves the internal need for validation unsatisfied. This internal struggle, driven by a deep sense of not having enough attention or external status, is a classic manifestation of WIA Syndrome, turning shared success into personal suffering. You are forever chasing the 100% ideal, which ensures the current, objectively good 85% is constantly devalued.

Navigating the Want It All Trap

The core lesson in overcoming WIA Syndrome is realizing that satisfaction is a practice, not a destination. It requires rewiring the relationship between achievement and internal peace.

If you recognize WIA in yourself or someone you care about, here are three immediate steps you can take:

1. Stop Comparing Up, Start Comparing Against: WIA is fueled by comparison to external ideals. Instead, compare your current self and circumstances against your past self. Did you handle a difficult meeting better than you would have a year ago? Did you achieve a goal you set six months ago? Focus on capacity growth, not status attainment.

   
   

2. Practice Intentional Completion: Instead of constantly starting new projects or seeking the next big thing, commit to finishing a small, non-career-related project (e.g., fully organizing one room, mastering one dish). This trains the mind to experience the finality and satisfaction of completion, which WIA actively denies you.

   
   

3. Define Enough: WIA Syndrome thrives on vague, limitless goals. Work to define what "enough" looks like for you in terms of workload, savings, or material possessions. Once you hit that threshold, create a non-negotiable pause where you simply enjoy the space you've created before setting a new, intentional goal.

Ready to Build a Life of True Satisfaction?

The underlying human is the same across personal and professional domains. As a Performance Coach, my work is centered on transforming the internal metrics that drive your success. We’ll shift your focus from the exhausting pursuit of the elusive "All" to the deliberate, sustainable achievement of a life that feels aligned, committed, and truly fulfilling.

If you’re ready to step off the treadmill of chronic dissatisfaction and start leading a life of intentional impact, book a FREE Consultation today to explore personalized performance coaching.

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