The Golden Cage Creator Checklist: Why Ticking All the Boxes Leaves High-Achievers Feeling Empty

The Golden Cage Creator Checklist: Why Ticking All the Boxes Leaves High-Achievers Feeling Empty

In the field of positive psychology, we’re concerned with the journey to flourishing—a state of optimal well-being and human functioning. We see this journey as a unique path for everyone, recognizing that we all start from a different baseline. While positive psychology acknowledges the "dark side" of positive experiences—like the hedonic treadmill, chasing fleeting wins, or mid-career crisis—our ultimate goal is to help you build a life that's genuinely meaningful. Where your uniqueness is shining, not shadowed.

We use the PERMAH model as a guide: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment, and Health. We're not just aiming for a +10 on every scale; we're helping you find your unique balance and build a life that feels real, joyful and true to you.

There is no one-size-fits-all ritual to flourishing. We work together to find your unique passcode to a life that feels like it's being lived. Not to perfection but with all the components that you value.

This is especially true for those I call Golden Cage Creators. You've mastered the art of achievement, often from a young age, by following the checklist you didn't create. Got the grades, landed the job and hit the milestones society tells you matter. If you’re honest with yourself, have you ever felt a profound emptiness after a major win, wondering "is this all there is?"

This feeling is a symptom of the Checklist. You’ve been so concerned with completing the external metrics that you haven't stopped to consider if they align with your own intrinsic desires. This is why I focused my research and coaching philosophy of Self Determination Theory (A theory of personality and motivation) Because, of course, I did exactly the same thing!

The Golden Cage Creator Checklist: A Blueprint for Your Freedom

The Golden Cage Creator Checklist isn't just another online quiz; it's a powerful tool to help you understand your unique journey from success to significance. In the field of Positive Psychology, we recognize that true flourishing isn't just about achieving goals—it's about finding deep, sustainable meaning. This checklist is based on that very principle.

The Science Behind the Checklist

This isn't a random collection of questions. The Golden Cage Creator Checklist is built upon insights from decades of research in Positive Psychology, particularly the work of pioneering figures like Martin Seligman and others who have studied concepts like hedonic adaptation and eudaimonic wellbeing.

• Hedonic Adaptation: We've all felt it. The thrill of a promotion or a major purchase fades quickly, and we return to our baseline level of happiness. The checklist helps you identify where you might be caught on this "hedonic treadmill," constantly chasing the next high.

  
  

• Eudaimonic Wellbeing: This is the key to lasting fulfillment. It's about a life rich in purpose, meaning, and personal growth. The checklist is designed to help you see if your current path is leading you toward this more sustainable form of happiness or if you're stuck in a cycle of striving.

  
  

• The PERMAH Model: The checklist is also rooted in the PERMAH model of flourishing—Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment, and Health. The questions are designed to provide a snapshot of where you stand in each of these areas, revealing potential imbalances that coaching can help you address.

  
  

My Journey: From Wayfinding to Finding My Way

For 20 years, as a Wayfinding and Workplace consultant, I specialized in designing blueprints that helped people and organizations navigate complex physical spaces. But my work also gave me a front-row seat to the human paradox of success: leaders who were at the top of their game but felt profoundly lost inside. I saw the signs of the Golden Cage Creator in my clients, and eventually, in myself. I had all the metrics of a successful life, but my "blueprint" was based on external expectations, not internal fulfillment. The key to my own freedom was realizing that the same strategic, design-oriented mind I used for my clients could be used to build a new life for myself.

This personal journey is why I understand the subtle compulsions and mechanisms of the Golden Cage Creator. It's why I'm so passionate about helping you. I've walked the path from a life of professional achievement to a life of personal significance, and I've learned that you don't have to choose between the two.

Why Take the Checklist?

The Golden Cage Creator Checklist is your first step toward charting your own path. Based on your results, it will help you understand if your current journey is a momentary detour, a longer-term pattern, or a full-blown existential crisis that requires a significant pivot.

The results will give you a clear, objective starting point, which we can then use to determine the most appropriate coaching journey for you—be it a short, focused series of sessions or a more in-depth program.

It’s time to move from a life of constant striving to one of intentional thriving. This checklist is your blueprint; the results are your new map. Let's start designing your path to freedom.

Take a moment to reflect on your achievements and the feelings they left you with.

The Golden Cage Creator's "Meaningful Milestones" Tracker

For each of the potential achievements below, please check the box if it applies to you. Then, briefly reflect on the feeling you had once the goal was met.

1. Career & Accomplishment

• [ ] Secured a prestigious job title or promotion.

• [ ] Hit a major income milestone.

• [ ] Led a successful project that won acclaim or recognition.

• [ ] Built a company or a team from the ground up.

Feelings You Might Identify With: "I felt a momentary high, but it quickly faded. I was already thinking about the next goal." "The promotion was what I wanted, but the added responsibility just made me feel more drained." "I'm proud of what I did, but it doesn't feel like my ultimate legacy."

2. Education & Intellect

• [ ] Graduated with honors from a top-tier university.

• [ ] Earned an advanced degree or certification.

• [ ] Mastered a difficult skill or complex body of knowledge.

  
  

Feelings You Might Identify With: "I worked so hard, but the moment I finished, I felt a kind of listless deflation." "I did it because it was the 'smart' thing to do, not because it was what I was passionate about." "My intellect is my greatest strength, but it's not bringing me joy anymore."

3. Relationships & Social

• [ ] Secured a relationship or marriage that "looks good" on paper.

• [ ] Gained a social following or network of powerful contacts.

• [ ] Maintained a perfect image for your family or social circle.

Feelings You Might Identify With: "My relationships are good, but I feel misunderstood or like I can't be my true self." "I have a lot of contacts, but I feel lonely and isolated." "I'm constantly worried about how things appear to others, which makes it hard to just relax."

4. Health & Well-being

• [ ] Adhered to a strict diet or fitness regimen to achieve a perfect physique.

• [ ] Successfully managed a public image of having it all together.

• [ ] Followed every expert-recommended self-care ritual.

  
  

Feelings You Might Identify With: "I'm in great shape, but my body feels like a project, not a home." "I'm constantly exhausted but feel guilty for wanting to rest or slow down." "I'm doing all the 'right' things, but I still feel anxious and unfulfilled."

Your Results

Now, tally your score by counting the number of boxes you checked. Then, find your results below.

Score: 1-5 Checks Result: The Cautious Creator You've had a taste of the Checklist Life, but the feeling of emptiness is still new to you. You're at a critical turning point where you can either continue down the well-trodden path or begin to intentionally design a more fulfilling one. Your cage is still being built, and you have a unique opportunity to stop and chart a new course.

Recommendation: A 3-Month Coaching Journey to strategically explore your core values and desires, redefine your purpose, and create a custom blueprint for a life that truly excites you.

Score: 6-10 Checks Result: The Trapped Architect You've successfully built a considerable portion of your golden cage. You've achieved a great deal, but the disconnect between your external success and internal fulfillment is a persistent source of tension. You have a deep, unshakeable intuition that there's more to life, and you're ready to make a significant change.

Recommendation: A 6-Month Coaching Journey to go deep into the strategic deconstruction of the patterns and beliefs that built your cage. We'll work to navigate the fears of reinvention and build a sustainable path to lasting freedom.

Score: 11+ Checks Result: The Master Creator You have mastered the art of the Checklist Life, achieving a staggering amount of success. However, your golden cage is now fully built, and the feeling of emptiness is no longer a quiet whisper—it's a persistent, undeniable reality. You know it's time for radical personal reinvention, and you're ready to use your immense creative power to do the most challenging work of your life: set yourself free.

Recommendation: A comprehensive 1-to-1 Coaching Program (duration to be determined, but typically 6+ months) to architect a complete pivot. We will leverage your strategic genius to build an entirely new life, grounded in true purpose, autonomy, and profound fulfillment.

NOTE: I use different scales and measures of Wellbeing from Positive Psychology where appropriate. If you would like a deeper and much more specific dive into your reality and experience of the challenges of a Golden Cage Creator, please book a 2 hour Clearing Session with me here and we can establish if you wish to continue based on our progress. Sometimes time and space is all we need to shift our perspective.