When the Goalpost Keeps Moving: The Pressure to Always Do More

You know that feeling when you finally get the thing you’ve been working toward?

Like, the moment you’ve been grinding for. Sacrificing sleep, skipping brunches, holding your breath until the finish line.

And then you get it.

The promotion. The acceptance letter. The booking. The yes.

And instead of celebrating it? You’re already calculating what’s next. Plotting the next play. Pushing the goalpost just a little further.

Whew.

That’s been me.

More times than I’d like to admit.

It’s like my brain doesn’t know how to be still in success. Like the moment I achieve something, my mind whispers, "Okay... but now what?"

I’ve caught myself there—sitting with a win in my hands and already trying to outdo it.

The Chase That Never Ends

We don’t just chase goals—we chase the feeling of being worthy of them.

We chase proof. Proof that we’re doing enough. Proof that we’re not wasting time. Proof that the sacrifices meant something.

But what happens when we never stop to receive what we’ve worked for? What happens when we live in a constant loop of striving, achieving, and immediately striving again?

It’s like running on a treadmill that’s always one speed too fast. You don’t fall, but you never quite catch your breath.

And let’s be real—this isn’t just about ambition. This is about survival.

For a lot of us—especially first-gens, immigrants, and people of color—“doing more” isn’t a flex. It’s a response. To expectation. To pressure. To legacy.

We don’t want to just succeed. We want to make it all worth it. The sacrifices. The prayers. The belief that it would pay off.

When You Always Move the Goalpost

Here’s the thing about constantly shifting your own finish line: you never get to feel finished.

You never get to feel full.

And that’s the quickest way to burn out while still appearing "successful."

Because you can accomplish everything on your list and still feel like you’re behind. Still feel like you haven’t done enough. Still feel like you need to prove something.

But what if you didn’t?

What If You Didn’t Move It This Time?

What if this time, you let yourself feel the win? What if you stayed in the joy just a little longer? What if you didn’t immediately plan the next five things before you even celebrated this one?

What if, instead of asking, "What’s next?" you asked, "What’s now?"

Because here’s the truth: you don’t need to earn your rest. You don’t need to hustle to prove you’re still worthy. And you don’t have to keep running to be valuable.

You can pause. You can be proud. You can breathe.

You are allowed to enjoy what you’ve built.

This Is the Work Too

Celebrating is part of the work. Being present is part of the work. Letting yourself be human is part of the work.

So if you’ve been moving the goalpost on yourself, this is your reminder to stop. To stand still. To let the win catch up to you.

You’ve done enough. You are enough. And the goal was never to chase forever. It was to build a life that feels like yours.

‘Cause wah fi yuh, cyaan un fi yuh.

~Meisha