Why purpose fades at the peak of success

Purpose often fades at the peak of success because the goal that organized years of effort has been reached, and external markers like money, titles and recognition stop producing meaning once they are secured. Research links a weak sense of purpose to worse health, and McKinsey found that 70% of US workers define their purpose largely through work. Rebuilding purpose starts with honest reflection, relationships and, when needed, professional care.

Key takeaways

• McKinsey's 2021 survey of 1,021 US workers found that 70% say work largely defines their sense of purpose, and only 18% get as much purpose from work as they want.

• Executives were nearly three times as likely as other employees to rely on work for purpose, according to McKinsey, which makes a career peak or exit a direct threat to meaning.

• A University of Michigan study in JAMA Network Open (2019) found that adults over 50 with the lowest purpose scores had a hazard ratio of 2.43 for death from any cause compared with those with the highest scores.

• Wharton researcher Matthew Killingsworth found in PNAS (2021) that people who equated money with success were less happy, even though income kept rising alongside well-being.

• The Harvard Study of Adult Development, running since 1938, concluded that close relationships, more than money or fame, keep people happy across a lifetime.

• Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2026 report found that 45% of managers felt a lot of daily stress in 2025 and only 40% were thriving.

What does it mean when purpose fades at the peak of success?

Purpose fading at the peak of success is the experience of reaching a long-pursued goal (a promotion, an exit, a record year, public recognition) and feeling flat, restless or empty instead of fulfilled. The person still functions well and may look enviable from outside. Inside, the question "what is all this for?" grows louder precisely when there is no obvious next mountain to climb.

What is purpose, in practical terms?

Purpose in life is a stable sense that your days are directed toward something you value beyond immediate reward. Psychologists measure purpose with tools like the Ryff and Keyes Scales of Psychological Well-being, which the University of Michigan team used in its 2019 JAMA Network Open study of 6,985 adults over 50. Purpose differs from motivation: motivation pushes you toward a target, while purpose explains why the target deserves your life.

Purpose also differs from success. Success is a result that other people can see and count. Ricardo Levy, chairman of Catalytica Energy Systems, put the distinction plainly in a Harvard Business School Working Knowledge panel: "Success is a metric; you never have enough. But only you can define fulfillment."

Is a loss of purpose the same as burnout or depression?

A loss of purpose is not a diagnosis, and it is not automatically burnout or depression, but it can overlap with both. Burnout is linked to chronic work stress and exhaustion. Depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), involves symptoms such as persistent sad or empty mood and loss of interest or pleasure most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks.

The World Health Organization estimates that 322 million people live with depression, and that "loss of pleasure or interest in activities" is a core feature of a depressive episode. When emptiness after success comes with these signs, the first step is a doctor or a mental health professional, not a spiritual practice alone.

Why does reaching the top so often empty the sense of meaning?

Reaching the top empties meaning when work has carried most of a person's purpose and the work itself stops asking for growth. McKinsey's 2021 survey of 1,021 US workers found that 85% of executives and upper management say they live their purpose at work, compared with 15% of frontline employees. That concentration is a strength while the climb lasts and a vulnerability when it ends.

The first mechanism is dependence. McKinsey found that executives were nearly three times as likely as other employees to rely on work for purpose. When the company is sold, the title is reached or the role becomes routine, the main source of meaning shrinks overnight, and there is often nothing equally strong to replace it.

The second mechanism is that external rewards keep their price but lose their power. Matthew Killingsworth, senior fellow at the Wharton School, analyzed 1,725,994 real-time reports from 33,391 employed US adults and found that well-being kept rising with income. He also found that people who equated money with success were less happy, and that higher earners worked longer hours and felt more pressed for time. In his words, "people probably overemphasize money when they think about how well their life is going."

The third mechanism is isolation. Leaders at the top often have fewer peers to confide in. An RHR International survey of 100 CEOs reported by Fortune in 2012 found that 41% experienced loneliness in their jobs. Thomas Saporito, chairman and CEO of RHR International, said "The notion that it's lonely at the top is not just a trite phrase."

Indicator	Figure	Year	Source
US workers who say work largely defines their purpose	70%	2020 survey	McKinsey & Company
Executives and upper management living their purpose at work	85% (vs 15% frontline)	2020 survey	McKinsey & Company
Workers who get as much purpose from work as they want	18%	2020 survey	McKinsey & Company
CEOs who reported loneliness in their jobs	41% of 100 CEOs	2012	RHR International via Fortune
C-suite seriously considering quitting for better well-being	Nearly 70%	2022	Deloitte
Managers with a lot of daily stress	45%	2025 data	Gallup
Managers thriving in their overall lives	40%	2025 data	Gallup

Source: McKinsey & Company (2021), Fortune (2012), Deloitte Insights (2022) and Gallup State of the Global Workplace 2026.

Why does a sense of purpose matter for health, relationships and leadership?

A sense of purpose matters because it is associated with physical health, not only with mood. In the University of Michigan study published in JAMA Network Open on 24 May 2019, adults over 50 with the lowest purpose scores had a hazard ratio of 2.43 for all-cause mortality compared with those with the highest scores, after adjusting for sociodemographic, health and psychological factors. For heart, circulatory and blood conditions, the hazard ratio was 2.66.

The study tracked 776 deaths between 2006 and 2010 among 6,985 participants of the Health and Retirement Study. The design is observational, so it shows an association, not proof that purpose causes longer life. Even so, the size of the association is large enough that purpose deserves the same attention as sleep, exercise and stress.

Purpose also shapes relationships. The Harvard Study of Adult Development began in 1938 with 268 Harvard sophomores and later added 456 Boston inner-city residents. Its central finding, reported by the Harvard Gazette in 2017, is that close relationships, more than money or fame, keep people happy, and that relationship satisfaction at age 50 predicted physical health better than cholesterol levels. Robert Waldinger, psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and director of the study, summarized it this way: "Loneliness kills. It's as powerful as smoking or alcoholism."

For leaders, purpose is also a performance issue. McKinsey reports that employees whose purpose is fulfilled at work report well-being and work outcomes two to five times higher than unfulfilled peers. A leader who has lost purpose often transmits that flatness to the team, even while hitting every target.

The table below helps separate a normal season of reflection from signs that need professional care.

What you notice	Likely meaning	Who to see first	How urgent
Flatness after a big goal, but sleep, appetite and pleasure intact	A season of reflection after achievement	Trusted people, a coach or a spiritual guide	Not urgent; reflect within weeks
Exhaustion, cynicism about work, feeling less effective	Possible burnout linked to chronic work stress	Doctor or mental health professional	Book an appointment soon
Empty mood or loss of pleasure most days for two weeks or more	Possible depression (NIMH criteria)	Doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist	Seek care promptly
Hopelessness, thoughts of death or suicide	Crisis	Call or text 988 (US), 911 or local emergency services	Immediately
Using alcohol, work or spending to numb the emptiness	Coping that can deepen the problem	Doctor or addiction specialist	Seek care promptly

Source: own elaboration based on NIMH (Depression), WHO (Depression fact sheet, 2026) and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

How do successful people usually try to fix the emptiness, and where does it fail?

Successful people usually try to fix emptiness with the same tools that built their success: a new goal, more work, more control. These tools are excellent for climbing and poor for answering questions of meaning. The pattern is familiar to anyone who has watched a founder start a third company within months of selling the second, or an executive accept a bigger role without asking whether they want it.

Tony Schwartz, president of LGE Performance Systems, described in the HBS Working Knowledge panel that he remained dissatisfied despite the financial success of co-writing a bestselling business book, and that he later went looking for his own primary values. His story shows the core problem: the next prize is chosen before the person knows what the prize is supposed to give them.

The most common responses, and why they fall short:

• Setting an even bigger target repeats the same cycle, because a new goal restores direction for a while but leaves the question "why does this matter?" unanswered.

• Working longer hours numbs the emptiness, but Killingsworth's PNAS data show that higher earners already work longer hours and feel more pressed for time.

• Buying experiences or possessions gives short relief, yet people who equate money with success report lower happiness in the same Wharton research.

• Withdrawing from relationships to protect a busy schedule deepens isolation, which the Harvard Study of Adult Development links to worse health over decades.

• Ignoring physical and emotional symptoms delays care, even though the WHO states that effective treatments for depression exist, including psychological treatment and medicines.

• Searching for a single dramatic answer (a sudden move, a radical career change) can work, but without reflection it often relocates the same emptiness to a new setting.

Pew Research Center's 2023 survey of 11,201 US adults found that 70% describe themselves as spiritual in some way and 64% look inward or center themselves at least a few times a month. Many successful people sense that the answer involves something deeper than strategy, yet few give that inner work the same discipline they give their business.

How can you rebuild purpose after success, step by step?

Rebuilding purpose after success is a process, not a single decision. The steps below combine evidence from health research with the reflective practices many people use alongside professional care. Treat them as a sequence for the next three to six months, not a weekend exercise.

1. Check your health first. Book a visit with your doctor and, if you notice low mood, loss of pleasure, sleep changes or thoughts of death, with a mental health professional. NIMH notes that depression symptoms lasting two weeks or more deserve evaluation, and crisis support is available by calling or texting 988 in the US.

2. Name what the old goal gave you. Write down what the climb actually provided: challenge, status, belonging, security, the feeling of being needed. This list shows which needs are now unmet, which is more useful than asking "what should I do next?"

3. Separate success from fulfillment. Use Ricardo Levy's distinction: success is a metric, and fulfillment is something only you can define. Write one paragraph describing a good ordinary day five years from now without mentioning money, titles or company size.

4. Reinvest in close relationships. The Harvard Study of Adult Development, running since 1938, found that relationships predict long and happy lives better than wealth or fame. Schedule time with family and friends with the same seriousness as board meetings.

5. Create regular quiet time. NCCIH reports that a 2018 analysis of 142 study groups with more than 12,000 participants found mindfulness approaches better than no treatment for anxiety and depression. Even 15 minutes of daily silence, prayer or meditation gives the deeper questions room to surface.

6. Test purpose through small experiments. Before selling the house or launching a foundation, try mentoring, teaching, volunteering or a creative project for a few weeks. Notice which activities leave you energized and which feel like more of the same.

7. Seek a guide outside your professional circle. A therapist, a coach or a spiritual guide can ask questions that colleagues and family cannot. The right person helps you hear your own answer instead of supplying one.

8. Decide, then review. Choose one direction for the next season and set a date to review it. Purpose grows through lived commitment, and a review date keeps a new path from becoming another automatic climb.

Which kind of support fits when purpose fades: therapy, coaching or spiritual guidance?

The right support depends on what is behind the emptiness. When symptoms suggest depression or burnout, medical and psychological care come first. When health is stable and the question is direction, a coach or a spiritual guide can help. Many people combine two forms of support, as long as the complementary one never replaces treatment.

Type of support	Best for	What it does not do	Evidence base
Doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist	Depression, anxiety, burnout symptoms, crisis	Does not usually explore spiritual meaning in depth	Strong; WHO and NIMH describe effective treatments
Executive or career coach	Next career move, goals, skills, transitions	Does not treat mental health conditions	Mixed; depends on method and coach
Mindfulness or meditation practice	Stress, attention, space for reflection	Does not replace conventional care, per NCCIH	Promising but often preliminary
Spiritual or holistic guidance	Questions of meaning, values, life direction	Does not diagnose or treat disease	Limited scientific evidence; value is personal and reflective
Peer group or close relationships	Belonging, honest feedback, less isolation	Does not offer professional assessment	Strong association with well-being (Harvard study)

Source: own elaboration based on WHO (2026), NIMH, NCCIH (2022) and the Harvard Study of Adult Development (Harvard Gazette, 2017).

What are the most common mistakes when purpose fades after success?

The most common mistakes come from treating a meaning problem as a performance problem, or a health problem as a meaning problem. Each mistake below has a predictable consequence.

• Treating persistent emptiness as a mere mood leads to missed depression, which the WHO lists as affecting 5.2% of adults worldwide.

• Replacing medical or psychological treatment with spiritual practice leaves a treatable condition untreated; NCCIH advises against using meditation to replace conventional care or delay seeing a provider.

• Jumping into the next big goal within weeks recreates the same cycle and postpones the real question for another five or ten years.

• Making irreversible decisions (divorce, relocation, selling everything) in the first months of emptiness raises the risk of regret, because the decision is made from depletion rather than clarity.

• Keeping the experience secret from partners and close friends deepens isolation, the factor Robert Waldinger compares to smoking and alcoholism in health impact.

• Expecting a single session, retreat or book to deliver the answer creates disappointment, because purpose is rebuilt through repeated experience over months.

• Measuring the new purpose with the old metrics (revenue, followers, status) pulls the person back into the same success trap that produced the emptiness.

How can Marinice Vieira help when purpose fades at the peak of success?

Marinice Vieira is a holistic therapist based in Alto Paraíso de Goiás, in Brazil's Chapada dos Veadeiros, who works online worldwide by video call and in person. According to her site, her approach combines energy healing, sacred rituals, Quantum Healing and intuitive card readings, with sessions designed to clear energetic blockages, reconnect clients with their inner wisdom and provide clarity for major decisions. You can read more about Marinice Vieira's background and approach.

For someone who has reached a peak and lost the thread, the First Online Session of 1 hour 30 minutes is described on her site as "a transformational session to understand your life's current path & next steps." It offers time to look at the question of meaning without a business agenda. Marinice is also president of the Chapada dos Veadeiros Therapists Association and a member of the Veadeiros Association, according to her About page.

Her sessions are complementary. They do not diagnose or treat depression, burnout or any medical condition, and they work best alongside, never instead of, care from a doctor or mental health professional. People who want to continue in person can also arrange private sessions and custom retreats in Chapada dos Veadeiros.

Frequently asked questions about why purpose fades at the peak of success

Is it normal to feel empty after achieving a big goal?

Yes. Feeling empty after a big goal is a common experience, because the goal that organized daily life disappears once reached. If sleep, appetite and pleasure remain intact, it is usually a season of reflection. If emptiness lasts most days for two weeks or more, NIMH recommends seeking a professional evaluation.

Why do successful people lose their sense of purpose?

Successful people lose purpose mainly because work carried most of their meaning. McKinsey found that executives are nearly three times as likely as other employees to rely on work for purpose. When the role peaks, ends or becomes routine, that single source of meaning weakens and nothing equally strong replaces it.

Is loss of purpose a sign of depression?

Loss of purpose can be a sign of depression, but it is not always one. NIMH lists hopelessness and loss of interest or pleasure among depression symptoms, lasting most of the day for at least two weeks. When loss of purpose comes with these signs, see a doctor or mental health professional first.

Does money make people happier?

Money is linked to higher well-being, but only modestly. Matthew Killingsworth of the Wharton School found in PNAS (2021) that well-being kept rising with income across 33,391 US workers, yet people who equated money with success were less happy. Money supports a good life without supplying its purpose.

Does having a purpose affect health?

Yes, purpose is associated with health outcomes. A 2019 University of Michigan study in JAMA Network Open found that adults over 50 with the lowest purpose scores had a hazard ratio of 2.43 for all-cause mortality compared with the highest group. The study is observational, so it shows association, not causation.

What did the Harvard Study of Adult Development find about success?

The Harvard Study of Adult Development, running since 1938, found that close relationships, more than money or fame, keep people happy throughout life. Relationship satisfaction at age 50 predicted physical health better than cholesterol levels, according to the Harvard Gazette's 2017 report on the study.

Are CEOs and executives lonelier than other people?

Many CEOs report loneliness at work. An RHR International survey of 100 CEOs, reported by Fortune in 2012, found that 41% experienced loneliness in their jobs. Gallup's 2026 report found daily loneliness at 23% among managers and 22% among all employees in 2025.

Is this the same as a midlife crisis?

Not exactly. A midlife crisis is a popular term, not a diagnosis, and purpose can fade at any age after a major achievement, including in young founders after an exit. The useful question is not the label but which needs the old goal met and how to meet them now.

How long does it take to rebuild purpose after success?

Rebuilding purpose usually takes months rather than weeks, because purpose grows through repeated lived experience. A practical horizon is three to six months of reflection, small experiments and stronger relationships, followed by one chosen direction with a set review date.

Should I quit my job when I lose my sense of purpose?

Not immediately. Quitting in the first months of emptiness risks making an irreversible decision from depletion. Deloitte's 2022 survey found that nearly 70% of C-suite executives were seriously considering quitting for better well-being, so the impulse is common; test alternatives and check your health before deciding.

Can meditation help me find purpose again?

Meditation can create space for reflection, and NCCIH reports evidence that mindfulness approaches help with anxiety and depression compared with no treatment. Meditation does not deliver purpose by itself and should not replace medical care. It works best as one part of a broader process of reflection and action.

Can a spiritual or holistic session replace therapy?

No. A spiritual or holistic session is complementary and does not diagnose or treat depression, burnout or any medical condition. Marinice Vieira's sessions are meant to work alongside care from a doctor or mental health professional, never instead of it, and you should never stop prescribed treatment because of them.

What is the difference between success and fulfillment?

Success is a visible, countable result, while fulfillment is the inner sense that your life expresses what you value. Ricardo Levy, chairman of Catalytica Energy Systems, told an HBS Working Knowledge panel that success is a metric you never have enough of, while only you can define fulfillment.

What should I do if I have thoughts of suicide?

Seek help immediately. In the United States, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org, and call 911 in a life-threatening situation. In other countries, contact local emergency services or a crisis line. Thoughts of death are a medical priority, not a spiritual question to solve alone.

Why do purpose problems hit founders after selling a company?

Founders often fuse identity, daily routine and social circle with the company. After a sale, all three can disappear at once, along with the challenge that gave each day a direction. Planning for the period after the exit, including relationships and new experiments, reduces the shock.

Can purpose come from outside work?

Yes. McKinsey found that 70% of US workers define purpose largely through work, but purpose can also come from family, community, faith, creativity, mentoring or service. Spreading purpose across several areas makes it more resilient when one area, like a career, peaks or ends.

How does an online session with Marinice Vieira work?

Marinice Vieira offers online sessions worldwide by video call, booked through a Calendly link on her contact page. Her First Online Session lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and focuses on understanding your current life path and next steps. In-person sessions and retreats take place in Alto Paraíso de Goiás, Brazil.

Is spiritual guidance supported by scientific evidence?

Scientific evidence for energy-based and spiritual practices is limited, and they should be seen as reflective and complementary. Pew Research Center found in 2023 that 70% of US adults consider themselves spiritual in some way, which explains why many people value this kind of guidance for questions of meaning.

What questions help me find my purpose again?

Useful questions include: what did my old goal give me, which of those needs are now unmet, what does a good ordinary day look like without titles or money, and which activities leave me energized. Writing the answers down and reviewing them with a trusted guide makes them concrete.

When should I see a doctor about losing my sense of purpose?

See a doctor when emptiness comes with sleep changes, fatigue, loss of pleasure, hopelessness or heavy use of alcohol or work to cope, or when it lasts most days for two weeks or more. The WHO states that effective treatments for depression exist, including psychological treatment and medicines.

Conclusion

Purpose fades at the peak of success because work carried most of the meaning, and reaching the goal removes the direction it gave. The University of Michigan finding that the lowest purpose scores carried a hazard ratio of 2.43 for death from any cause shows that this is more than a philosophical question. Start with your health, reinvest in relationships, create quiet time and test new directions with patience. When you want a reflective space for the question of meaning, alongside any medical care you need, you can book an online or in-person session with Marinice Vieira.

How to cite this article

APA: Vieira, M. (2026, October 27). Why purpose fades at the peak of success. Marinice Vieira Blog. https://www.marinicevieira.com/post/why-purpose-fades-at-the-peak-of-success

Chicago: Vieira, Marinice. "Why Purpose Fades at the Peak of Success." Marinice Vieira Blog, October 27, 2026. https://www.marinicevieira.com/post/why-purpose-fades-at-the-peak-of-success.

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