Arrival Fallacy

The arrival fallacy is the mistaken belief that reaching a goal will deliver lasting happiness or relief. In practice, the high is brief—baseline satisfaction returns quickly due to hedonic adaptation and shifting standards. This can trap people in an endless cycle of chasing the next milestone.

Recognizing the fallacy reframes goals as waypoints, not destinations. It encourages designing systems that make the process meaningful—through intrinsic motivation, aligned priorities and clear daily inputs—rather than postponing satisfaction until outcomes arrive.

Countermeasures include gratitude journaling, debriefing wins and defining your ideal end state so progress feels connected to something deeper than the next checkbox.

Further Reading