Do you ever feel that, unless you achieve the things you think you should be achieving, you'll cease to exist? That you'll fade away, become invisible, fail to be a fully-realised human? If so, you're in good company. For many of us, living a fulfilling life is inextricably linked with achievement, striving, productivity, winning.I'm not here to tell you not to care about achievement. But I am going to tell you that you're wrong if you think that the only life worth living is a life that prioritises achievement. And not only do I have Aristotle in my corner to back me up, but there's some fascinating recent research on what Gen Z care about that ought to be a wake-up call for anyone who thinks that if they're not achieving, they're failing. Do the Values Bridge survey <a href='https://www.suzywelch.com/products/'>here</a> (registration required to view summary of results, payment required to view full results).Find my Core Values exercise <a href='https://www.academicimperfectionist.com/resources/core-values'>here</a> (no sign-up or payment required - I'm not that fancy)References:Suzy Welch, '<a href='https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2025/07/17/ceo-one-stunning-data-point-explains-the-gen-z-stare-why-its-going-to-backfire-on-them.html'>CEO: One stunning data point explains the "Gen Z stare"—and why it's going to backfire on them</a>', CBNC, 17 July 2025.Melissa De Witte, '<a href='https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2022/01/know-gen-z'>What to know about Gen Z</a>' (interview with Dr Roberta Katz), Stanford Report, 3 January 2022.André Dua et al., '<a href='https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-gen-z'>What is Gen Z?</a>', McKinsey & Company, 28 August 2024.

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#115: Who cares about achievement?

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