[mikekchar]

My father was a chemistry professor. I always used to go into the lab with him on the weekends when I was a kid. I'd play with spent punch cards, or build things with the carbon-model "tinker toys" while he was working. One day I asked him if he would ever win the Nobel prize.

He said, "No. To win the Nobel prize you have to dedicate your life to your work. I'm too busy for that." I asked him what was more important than winning the Nobel prize. He replied (without a pause), "Being a dad."

It always stuck with me and given that I always respected my dad, but never did the same things that he did, I never had kids (much to his displeasure). But I will never do anything like winning the Nobel prize either, because I'm also too busy.... with whatever it is that I do :-)

If you like what you are doing and believe in it, then that's enough. Really, that's more than enough. But if you are thinking, "You know I'm not so keen on how I spend my time here," then you are in the exceptionally lucky position of not being too busy to do something else! You don't have to commit, just go with the flow.

[am1988]

That is purpose to your life though.

I spend most of my time watching TV and playing games. That's a lack of purpose.

[mikekchar]

Not trying to criticise you, and if I get annoying, please tell me. Your statement is a judgement. Does that judgement come from you, or from somewhere else? I have friends who have chosen to pursue TV and games as their life's purpose. That sounds pretty geeky, but they are totally happy with their choice.

Again, from my point of view, it's totally fine if you feel that what you are currently doing is not what you want to be doing. But it makes one wonder, "What do you want to be doing". I don't mean, "What do you want to accomplish in the end" (or more to the point, "What do I want to have done"). I literally mean: "What do you want to do?" - like today.

Accomplishments sound awesome. It's tempting to think, "If I did something important, I'd feel satisfied". But it's my experience that people who do impressive things like this are not actually satisfied with the accomplishment. It's not the having, it's the doing that's important to them. As soon as one thing is "done", then it's useless and time to move on to something else.

Some people like to have goals -- targets to shoot for. But some people don't like goals. It's not a bad thing. I don't actually know where this saying comes from (I think it might be Buddhist), but it's pretty old: If you keep one eye on the goal, you only have one eye for the path. Especially if the terrain is rough, or you feel afraid, or uncertain, it's totally fine to concentrate on your path (IMHO). Following that path, you will certainly go somewhere, even if you don't know ahead of time where that somewhere is.

I hope that gives a different perspective, even if it's not helpful :-)

[am1988]

> Does that judgement come from you

yes, and it applies to me.