This article appears as part of Casey Weade's Weekend Reading for Retirees series. Every Friday, Casey highlights four hand-picked articles on trending retirement topics and delivers them straight to your email inbox. Get on the list here.

Here, blogger and early retiree Aaron lists the biggest lessons that led him to satisfaction. A few include:

📌 Life satisfaction does not come from scoring well in every test, nor the metrics you might think mean you’re successful: If you utilize scoring well in the test of money with material items, how do you know when enough is enough? As Aaron says, …”apart from a certain baseline (e.g. food, health, relationships), every other test is really optional.”

📌 Comparison is the thief of joy: We are all competitive in nature, but learning to live more for your own approval is key.

📌 Internal motivation is your superpower: Score your life according to your own expectation, not anyone else’s.

📌 Different isn’t always good, and some fundamental truths exist for a reason: Pave your own path, but know in the grand scheme of life, concepts like practicing gratitude and maintaining a strong sense of purpose for maximized happiness still hold true.

📌 Balancing growth and satisfaction is important: While a little stress can lead to growth, too much can be negative for your health. A balanced life of work, play and meaningful pursuits is much more sustainable over the long run.

Your “why” is your compass: Enjoyment of life cannot come from the win or the achievement. Your sense of happiness and fulfillment needs to stem from your engagement in the process.