It’s a question I revisit every few years.

Most folk have dreams/aspirations/ideals/goals etc but few seem to accept they are driven in life whether it be personally, professionally or something specific like biking.

Following a few recent threads, I was just wondering whether folk on STW are the person they wanted to be and, more importantly, what was it that made them choose the path they’re on?

Like a lot of people, I just drift along, making it up as I go, never had a “path”.

the fear of tapeworms

One of my chauffeurs mostly (when I’m not on the yacht)

😐

Career no real plan, just want to do the best I can each day, and look for new opportunities every so often.

Whereas with my cycling it’s more structured, I have some definite goals, and it’s those that keep me training and pushing myself.

Desperation, mainly…. 😥

Pies

No career, no motivation, no drive or ambition. No, really….

If a lightbulb goes in my house it probably stays like that until the wife gives me a kick up the arse to sort it out. I really am that lazy.

It might sound trite, but i have a drive to try and be better at stuff i enjoy.

I used to be driven to be the best at what I did within the business.

Now I am driven by the fact that I’m feeding three other people and have a mahoosive mortgage.

Safe to say, they were simpler times. I also had disposable income.

‘What’s next?’

The idea that one day I’m going to die, and there’s a chance that before I do, I might realise all the stuff I wish I’d done, and haven’t.

driven? what’s that???

Do what i enjoy, being brutal no one will remember you 100 years after your dead so what is the point if you aren’t comfortable with yourself?

I’m not really sure what motivates me, the pursuit of happiness and keeping others happy at a guess, I know it’s not money.
I do suffer from a lack of motivation and action.

What drives me…?

– The need to look after my family
– Love. I care about a lot of people and humanity in general
– Trying to be a better person each day
– Doing a good job, whatever my job might be at the time
– Trying to give more than I take

Pies

A wise choice

–

Doing a good job, whatever my job might be at the time

This

Plus learning more about stuff – doesnt matter what – i like to read – take stuff to bits , build stuff and learn new skills even if they aint relevent to anything i normally do.

Mania.

Time. Or lack thereof.

I constantly feel like I’m running out so I never really stop. I don’t sleep much, I never sit around doing nothing,always have about five it six tthings on the go at once, always have a plan fir the next few things.

It’s shit.

Learning new things.

Improving things

Trying to improve at the things I enjoy.

Money doesn’t drive me, although I’d drive a selection of classic cars and motorbikes in/to interesting places if I had a lot of it.

I try to never waste a day because you wont get it back.

Money wise i just value the security it brings. mainly i hate materialism and consumerism but knowing i have enough to survive on if work collapsed or if someone I knew needed an expensive operation.

Love

My 20 year old son – usually drives me up the wall!

Just to enjoy life and to make sure that the most important person in my life my wife never has to worry too much about things.certainly not work tho. Simply a means to an end.

I really struggle with motivation. I swing wildly from “over-excited, super positive do everything right now” all the way to, “I just want to lay here quietly for several weeks”, in the space of a couple of hours.

I used to be motivated by the prospect of creating nice things for people, but I’ve been knocked back so many times now I just want something to do that I don’t loathe. Essentially, I used to want to make other people happy, now I don’t give a ****. Brilliant.

Really though, all I want is a van to disappear off in. A van and enough money to eat/pay for petrol. That would be sweeeeeet.

EDIT: Oh, and I really want to be able to play Satellite of Love on piano, so that too, to some extent.

The wife usually, so I can have a drink.

Cancer in my neck earlier in the year, gave me the kick I needed to get back into riding and worry less about work.

Double post. 😳

Tasty pies, a bit of mania, a wish to know more and see things differently, to document this, and to stay loose, free, healthy and happy.

Nothing. I just drift along.

some nice pureish cocaine

I just want to one day sit down with a cuppa and realise there’s no more jobs to do. The house is tidy,grass cut and the shop is all ship shape.
It will never happen but I can dream!
Ps I think if I didn’t have something to do I’d get bored.

what is this “pies” ?

Fear of mediocre drives me.

luke – Member
I’m not really sure what motivates me,

This, up to a point. Sadly, I think I’ve found a mojo for road riding late in life (41, not too late there’s always the vets categories) and I do regret slightly not having continued it from my teenage years and be better/have done a few events and races before now. Thats boosted my satisifaction of MTB’ing too.

But mostly, I’ll appreciate my wife, kids and house when I get home tonight whilst sipping a beer, and mentally say, “yeah I’m happy with that, and I want to make it better”.

Better in a non fantasy way I mean, I’ve no dreams/forseeable capability of earning millions and moving them all to <enter your fantasy location here>, but doing the best I can for thier health/education and general soundings to give them all as much of a pleasant lifestyle as I’m able.

Wanting to do the best for my 2 kids, keeping a good work life balance so I get to see them while still having the financial security to give them what they need. This includes looking after my health and making sure I am around to see them for many years to come.

That and trying not to take life too seriously, things don’t often work out as you plan so there is an element of making it up as you go along and adapting.

Wanting to do the best for my 2 kids, keeping a good work life balance so I get to see them while still having the financial security to give them what they need. This includes looking after my health and making sure I am around to see them for many years to come.

That and trying not to take life too seriously, things don’t often work out as you plan so there is an element of making it up as you go along and adapting.

I think this is where I am these days. It used to be money/status/material stuff but earning plenty is no good if you don’t have the time or energy to enjoy it.

10 years on it seems to be more about happiness and, to a degree, security.

5 or so years ago it was career. However, I’m comfortable and have realised that I can live without the stress and don’t need the money.

I’d say now it is seeking out of new and interesting experiences. I’m a scientist and have always loved “exploration”. Either the physical such as going somewhere new or the more academic such as learning or discovering.

I fear drifting along through life so always like to have a new goal, challenge or project on the horizon.

+ lots for yunki

“The will to extend oneself for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s personal* growth”

* The actual definition as scribed by M Scott Peck actually says “spiritual”, but this is STW and I’m aware how much fear that word strikes here, so let’s go for ‘personal’ for general acceptance 😉