What's it like to have ambition and goals?

[Plissken]

How does it feel like to have a certain goal in life that you work for? And not because you have to, but you truly want it? I don't care to have a high paying job, do anything important, or be famous. I've never had a goal to work towards and it seems like everyone else does. Now I feel left behind. People always say to look for a career in what you like to do, but the problem is I like to do nothing. I can never think of an answer.

 

[Kinetik]

I know what you mean. I just want to eek out a comfortable existence - I have no desire for all the other bells and whistles of life. I also have no aspirations in terms of starting of family or anything like that. As long as I can get by easily and live on my own terms with as much isolation as I want, I'll be happy. What's causing me to be miserable is in fact not that I can't fit in with society, but that I can't be on my own when I want to be. That seems to be one of the key differences I experience with people on this site.

 

[sabbath92001]

How does it feel like to have a certain goal in life that you work for? And not because you have to, but you truly want it? I don't care to have a high paying job, do anything important, or be famous. I've never had a goal to work towards and it seems like everyone else does. Now I feel left behind. People always say to look for a career in what you like to do, but the problem is I like to do nothing. I can never think of an answer.

Seems your goal might be to find a goal, so you already have a goal. A goal can be as simple as submitting a post or as difficult as obtaining a PhD. But I know what you mean. I've been doing ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) for almost two years now and I still haven't done the goals part of it. My goal for now is really to just stabilize my life, since SAD screwed it up for 20+ years. Maybe once things normalize I'll be able to dream of the future and set goals for myself.

 

[boston12]

well my goal in life is to get help then get better and eventually be happy! and when i accomplished that i really really want to help people suffering like us!

 

[Moonie]

I don't think you necessarily have to know what you want to do. Remember that song by Baz Lurhmann (sp?) Everyone's Free To Wear Sunscreen?

"Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't."

It's so true! And even if you get into a career/goal, you might find out later that it's not what you truly wanted. There are older people in some of my college courses, the reason why they decided to go to school now are all various ( now have the money, change of career goals, self-exploration).

The key is to just live life and experience new things.. Try to improve the things about yourself you want to impove, learn a new skill/hobby, do something you normally wouldn't. etc.

 

[Asmo213]

I know exactly how you feel Plissken. I have pretty much given up on having goals because I know I will most likely fail. Any ambitions I gained when I was still in high school pretty much went out the window because of my freaking anxiety. I just couldn't keep up with the other "normal" people in the real world. Now I almost feel disconnected from other people around my age. It's like I missed out on a part of my life because I got so nervous all the time. *sigh* The only goal I try to hold on to now is getting over my SP. I know if and when I can do this...the rest will come easy...

 

[scatmantom]

My goal is to work hard and get a good degree. Then I want to get a good job so that I can buy my own place. Ive got no goals in terms of a social life or in terms of relationships. I think I'd rather have the relationships than the career, but im hoping that I might end up with both :lol:

 

[phobicmom]

sabbath92001......absolutely right!! Your goal can be as simple as submitting a post or as difficult as obtaining a PhD. It all depends on you and what it is you want to do or what you want to put forth to do. It's not what screwed up life that matters, but what we want to do to fix that that matters, no? So go forward and do what is good for you, for that is what will help sustain you through your life's challenges.

Best of luck to you...

 

[Jack-B]

Any goal you set yourself or the destination you see yourself getting to is ultimately experienced by your mind.

When you have an intention or goal, it is born in your mind. What world do you want to create for yourself? How you intend for that to happen or come about again will be experienced by your mind.

So if you constantly think, "i will never attain my goal or never be where i want to be", then you will create a world for yourself which seems to confirm your belief. Through not knowing you set yourself a goal to fail and when you see that goal fulfilled, it only strengthens that belief.

Self confidence or self belief functions in a similar way. If you think you are a failure, its like your goals are to see you fail but when you believe in yourself, you create in your mind a more positive view, where even if you fail in the external world, you still succeed within.

Intentions and the results/experiences of those intentions share the same source, the mind.

Jack