The hedonic treadmill, also known as hedonic adaptation, is the observed tendency of humans to quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative events or life changes.[1] According to this theory, as a person makes more money, expectations and desires rise in tandem, which results in no permanent gain in happiness.

Actually, it’s more important how you feel about what you do for a living and how you spend your money that produces happiness. So, working toward spending your time doing what you love is actually what scientists believe will really give you more happiness. Researchers have found that monotonous, repetitive chores and, unfulfilling activities eat away at your sense of happiness. If you hate doing laundry, drop it off at the laundromat or if you hate cleaning pay someone to clean your house.  At the end of life, people don’t really think about how a better car or designer purse would have made life better. Money buys happiness only when you spend that money on something that will make you feel good but, if you spend all your time doing something you hate to buy things you think will make up for it, then you are on a wheel going nowhere. There is not enough balance in that but, the balance for happiness should be directed at doing what is meaningful and gives you a sense of purpose,  something you enjoy doing and less directed at buying things that you think may bring you happiness.