Lack of dreams - long term ambition

Participant said:
Yes you've got it, I'm applying the concepts of capitalism to them equally as they do to workers, i.e. screwing them as hard as possible.

The difference is that most workers think they are capitalist because they give everything to their company for very little reward.
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You are getting it mixed up, capitalism is like natural selection, those companies you refer to are the ones who stagnate, decline and go bankrupt, exactly due to capitalism being reality.

If you go to communism, the company that exploits its workers CANNOT go bankrupt, its not possible, and so eventually, all of them become like that.

The only downside about capitalism, is that a large % of people in the world are useless, and as each person will have wealth, roughly to their worth, with a bit of RNG thrown in, a lot of people will be in poverty.
 
I haven't read the replies of the OP.

But, IMO, regrets are not only part of life, it's what makes us. I only wish I subscribed to this mantra 20 odd years ago.

The OP mentions a career. Back then, I thought I had one. That employer, HM Forces, drove me out. I left the mob in 2010, during a recession and managed to find a crap job and keep a roof over our heads.

Fast forward to now. The Mrs and I are more than comfortable salary wise. And I'm earning way more that the military would be paying me if I'd stay in. But judging by the other forum members who are ex-mil, that seems to be the norm, minus the danger.
 
platinum87 said:
You are getting it mixed up, capitalism is like natural selection, those companies you refer to are the ones who stagnate, decline and go bankrupt, exactly due to capitalism being reality.

If you go to communism, the company that exploits its workers CANNOT go bankrupt, its not possible, and so eventually, all of them become like that.

The only downside about capitalism, is that a large % of people in the world are useless, and as each person will have wealth, roughly to their worth, with a bit of RNG thrown in, a lot of people will be in poverty.
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ffs how does everyone have the monies?
 
Richard_16v said:
For years I strived to reach a point in my career, after nearly 20 years of slow progression I've pretty much got there, now I have realised that things aren't as good as I had hoped. Now it's dawned on me that I no-longer have a 'dream' that I can work towards, which can be a depressing thought.

What tips do people have to reset their goals/ambitions/dreams? Do you just stick to short term, or try and plan long term? Focus on career, or look to have a dream in a totally different area?
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Life's a journey, not a destination.
 
A career can be very satisfying and as something that takes up a lot of your waking hours should be as enjoyable as possible.

Most people are stuck doing things that they do not like but I personally did enjoy work and the return was almost secondary to the satisfaction I gained from doing a good job.
 
Don't make your dreams career oriented. Though I'd say find a job that you enjoy, a company that appreciates you.

I take up new hobbies to push myself and get myself out of my comfort zone. I don't have to master them or be the best at them but just improve myself. It could be sport related, intellectual (studying), or just trying new recipes in the kitchen

I thought skydiving was going to be my "thing" hence my name on the forum all those years ago. But then realised it wasn't going to fulfill me although I loved it.

Cars.... Bikes... Travel... Women... Buying a property... Doing post grad studies... Getting promotions... Earning more money....

All that Stuff to me was just life experiences...

It only dawned on me in my 40s and with kids that my dream is to give them the best life and experiences I can. Seeing them learn, be happy and develop and grow.

In parallel to that as I said I took up new hobbies, made new friends to get some new stimuli in my life. That to me is quite fulfilling.

For example the martial art I started I pushed myself to do a comp. I achieved a silver medal. I'm never going to be a world champ or really good at it, but it's another string to my bow of experiences.

Mentoring young engineers is something I do, and I find it fulfilling as I see them on their path of improving and getting qualified etc...

I guess it doesn't sound super ambitious, but I don't want or care to be a CEO or get an honour (I'd reject it anyway), I just want to give everything a go, be kind, and try and leave a bit of a positive legacy behind wherever I go or by whatever I do.

Hard something I read a while back:
None of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies.
Awards tarnish ...
Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
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Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
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1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
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2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
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3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
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4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
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Easier?
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money ... or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most.
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If I can be in one of those categories then that's good enough for me. I'd rather be a humble individual that the person with all the accolades.
 
I get the point of the post entirely.

My dream will (I've realised) never be work.
If I won millions? I'd quit work tomorrow.

Maybe I'd do some volunteer work but career ladder has never driven me.


I've managed to aquire some hobbies and fortunately one is travel, or more.. Explore. And the world is to big to complete it.

I love seeing/feeling/being in new places. My friends think I'm crazy. Spending money to go to what they would consider horrible situations (going to lofoten in February kayaking in 0c temps for example). But I love the memory it leaves and the achievement. I guess others get this achievement from work... I never have.

So really.. That's one of my dreams to keep travelling as long as I can. I don't want to complete it.. Because often completing a hobby is the worst thing. But I want to look back on my death bed and think.. "I did all that. I didn't waste it"

A completable dream for me is to emigrate to NZ (or similar) and although that is completable it would open up a whole new area to explore. So I'm trying to explore this part of the world before (if) I get to NZ.


Edit.
Explore is (I've figured in the last few years) what I am. It's what drives me.
New, exciting, different, challenge. Would be words to describe it.
Even on my bike.. Its not so much doing a bigger drop. Although I love it.. Its going somewhere new. A new path. New scenery. The feeling of cold/hot air. Smells. Touching surfaces.

after covid I have a strong memory of being on my kayak, on the sea, at 10pm, when it was 40c that day, people were fire spinning, have bbq on the shore and all my friends and mostly else was moaning.
And it was sheer bliss. Pure serenity. That's what I live for.
 
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mid_gen said:
Having only a career goal is pretty sad if you think about it, and ultimately unfulfilling.

Number one goal should be staying healthy, because everything else (especially career) counts for diddly if you're dead or incapacitated.

None of my personal goals are career goals, haven't been for a long time. They're all life goals, sports, travel, self improvement, home.

Job should be a side note, something that doesn't drive you mad or wreck your health but pays enough to do all the fun things in life.
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And you're going to retire at some point.. Which if your only goal etc is career.. You're going to be lost afterwards. Happens all to often. My Gfs parents.. My step dad. Without work they seem to just flounder around.
 
Hagar said:
A career can be very satisfying and as something that takes up a lot of your waking hours should be as enjoyable as possible.

Most people are stuck doing things that they do not like but I personally did enjoy work and the return was almost secondary to the satisfaction I gained from doing a good job.
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Fair play and I agree with your comments about having a career that's as enjoyable as possible.

What did you do as a job that you liked so much?
 
Richard_16v said:
For years I strived to reach a point in my career, after nearly 20 years of slow progression I've pretty much got there, now I have realised that things aren't as good as I had hoped. Now it's dawned on me that I no-longer have a 'dream' that I can work towards, which can be a depressing thought.

What tips do people have to reset their goals/ambitions/dreams? Do you just stick to short term, or try and plan long term? Focus on career, or look to have a dream in a totally different area?
Click to expand...
I've never had to goal of having a career.

Just a job that doesn't give me hassle.

All I want is to be able to live to the standard I am happy with and do the things I want to do.

Might be worth shifting you focus on what you want in life.
 
Nitefly said:
We ideally need ‘unfulfillable’, long term nurturing projects where we are always on a journey and there is no ‘end game’ - because they will keep giving.
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Restoring/modifying/upgrading old cars does this perfectly for me, whether me/my bank balance like it or not haha, you can rest assured whenever you think "oh that's fixed/oh I've got some money to actually spend on myself..." the car hears you and breaks something new :D:cry:
 
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I have zero work aspirations, I suppose I'm lucky that my job affords me a reasonably comfortable life but more importantly quite a bit of time off. I've been there 6 years and i remember keenly in the interview being asked what my career aspirations were and telling them to get this job and then I'm done. Work, to me, is to be tolerated to allow me to do the things I actually want to. The job itself is ok, nowhere near as 'satisfying' as that that I had before it but the time off sold it to me.
 
413x said:
And you're going to retire at some point.. Which if your only goal etc is career.. You're going to be lost afterwards. Happens all to often. My Gfs parents.. My step dad. Without work they seem to just flounder around.
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I have noticed so many people say on these forums about retiring or retiring early. Like its their life goal:confused: But have they honestly sat down and thought about it what would they do for so many years during retirement!?!

Most people I know who have retired or retired early ended up going back to work or was too sick (due to age) to go back to work and missed it because they was bored after a year.
 
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