[grecy]

> It honestly feels like the goalposts keep moving

That's a really great quote and I'm happy to see the honesty. This gets to the heart of the matter.

You're stuck playing "keep up with the Jones'", which by very definition you can not win.

You need to define your own goalposts, then they won't move, and you can actually get there.

What makes you happy? How do you want to spend your limited time on this earth? What do you want to contribute to the world?

Make those things your "goalposts", not money, and you'll be much, much happier and better off.

[sliverstorm]

I think goalposts move by nature, even when you set them yourself. Once upon a time, my goalposts were "graduate college". Then they were, "get a good job". Then they were, "get healthy". Then, "build social circles".

These are moving goalposts. But without them, I would stagnate and achieve little.

[grecy]

Absolutely.

The key to this is you said "my" goalposts.

As long as you're living your life aiming for goalposts you set, they can be achievable. The problems arise when you try to achieve someone elses goal posts.

[kevingadd]

This is a fair point of view, and I kind of agree with it, but you overlook a very important question: Is he setting all the goalposts?

If the 'goalposts' are 'live in a studio apartment, pay for health/dental care, have heat and light and hot water', and the costs of THAT keep going up, what is he supposed to do about that? Will he be happier and better off if he gets an inferior health plan to save money? Obviously not.

[grecy]

> If the 'goalposts' are 'live in a studio apartment, pay for health/dental care, have heat and light and hot water', and the costs of THAT keep going up, what is he supposed to do about that?

That's a very good point. If the world changes under your feet and makes it impossible to live with the quality of life you had or were aiming to have, I think your only option is to adjust your internal thinking so that you don't become unhappy.