Why Success Doesn't Feel Like Success | Simon Alexander Ong

<p><strong>What happens when you finally achieve the life you&#39;ve been working towards... and something still feels missing?</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Build the career. Reach the goals. Tick every box.</p><p><br></p><p>And still find yourself wondering why success doesn&#39;t feel the way you thought it would.</p><p><br></p><p>How does that happen? </p><p><br></p><p>And how do you know whether you&#39;re building a life that&#39;s truly yours — or simply becoming successful at someoneelse&#39;s definition of success?</p><p><br></p><p>Simon Alexander Ong is the bestselling author of <em>Energize</em>, an award-winning coach, and an internationally sought-after keynote speaker whose work on energy, leadership, and purpose has built a global following.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>This isn&#39;t a conversation about becoming more productive. It&#39;s about asking whether the version of success you&#39;ve been chasing is actually your own.</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Together, we explore what happens after success — when everything looks right on paper, but something doesn&#39;t quite feel right inside. We talk about the difference between achievement and fulfillment, the stories we inherit about what success should look like, and the quieter questions that often emerge only after we&#39;ve reached the goals we once believedwould make us happy.</p><p><br></p><p>We also get into a story involving Richard Branson that Simon rarely tells — and a strange decision-making exercise he still uses before making hard choices, involving a room that doesn&#39;t exist and six people, some living, some dead.</p><p><br></p><p>🎙️ <strong>In this episode:</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>Why success doesn&#39;t always feel the way we expect it to</li><li>The subtle difference between achievement and fulfillment</li><li>How to tell whether you&#39;re pursuing your own ambitions — or someone else&#39;s</li><li>Why two people can work equally hard and experience work completely differently</li><li>The four dimensions of energy that shape how we live and lead</li><li>The role courage plays in changing the direction of your life</li><li>A simple exercise Simon returns to whenever he&#39;s facing one of life&#39;s biggest decisions</li></ul><p><br></p><p>⏱️ <strong>Chapters:</strong></p><p><br></p><p>00:00 Trailer</p><p>01:15 From Investment Banking to Finding Purpose</p><p>03:20 &quot;On Paper, I Had It All&quot;</p><p>06:00 The Signs You&#39;re Living the Wrong Life</p><p>10:00 The Four Types of Burnout</p><p>15:45 Why Purpose Gives You Energy</p><p>20:14 Create an Environment That Makes Success Inevitable</p><p>28:30 Journaling &amp; Closing the Loop</p><p>33:50 The Loneliness of Reinventing Yourself</p><p>36:20 The Imaginary Room with Six Mentors</p><p>38:02 Stop Saying &quot;Should&quot;</p><p>42:45 The Wormhole Effect</p><p>43:35 Richard Branson, a Paper Airplane &amp; Courage</p><p>46:15 Ambition Without Losing Your Peace</p><p>53:00 Is Hustle Culture Doing More Harm Than Good?</p><p>58:00 Recharge Yourself Like Your Devices</p><p>1:01:15 Plan Tomorrow the Night Before</p><p>1:04:40 Can You Have Energy Without Purpose? </p><p>1:08:40 Where to Follow Simon</p><p> </p><p>🔗 <strong>Follow Simon&#39;s work:</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.simonalexanderong.com/">https://www.simonalexanderong.com/</a></p><p>Instagram: @simonalexanderong</p><p>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonalexanderong/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonalexanderong/</a></p><p><br></p><p>Simon’s best-selling book Energize: </p><p><a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/321571/energize-by-ong-simon-alexander/9780241502761">https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/321571/energize-by-ong-simon-alexander/9780241502761</a> </p><p><br></p><p>📺 <strong>Watch more episodes:</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Catch The Upswing is a podcast for people building meaningful things in a rapidly changing world. Honest conversations with leaders, founders, investors, and cha