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Re:Ask HN: How do you organize/track your personal goals? by thesimon on Sunday July 22, 2018 @11:54AM (#17587319)
Semi-Related: How do you come up with long-term-goals? Owning a car in the Bay is worthless, real estate is too expensive. Traveling the world is nice, but it might get boring after some years.

I kinda like my work and my life, but I feel like I should have a big future goal.

Re:Ask HN: How do you organize/track your personal goals? by rohitb91 on Sunday July 22, 2018 @12:36PM (#17587579)
Get married? Have kids? Reach a higher position? Join your dream company? Climb Everest? Do 10 pullups? Learn french? Help kids in Africa? Donate a million dollars? Tip someone a hundred that needs it? Donate 100 books to a library? Fly an aircraft over the Atlantic? Write a book? Get famous on social media?

Whatever you want

Re:Ask HN: How do you organize/track your personal goals? by awb on Sunday July 22, 2018 @12:10PM (#17587406)
I've heard to pieces of advice:

1. Pick an unobtainable goal. I had a big goal that I achieved and the sense of diretionlessness was real. Some people say it's better to have a goal you can never finish like "meet as many artists as you can" or "end hunger" as it'll continue to be your guidepost in life.

2. Enjoy the process. If you're working just to get to your goal and you achieve it, you'll have a few moments of bliss when you do and then it will fade. If you enjoy the process itself rather than just the end result then you can experience bliss more often.

Re:Ask HN: How do you organize/track your personal goals? by xeromal on Sunday July 22, 2018 @12:02PM (#17587361)
I can see what you mean and you won't have that itch scratched until you find what drives you. I'm an outdoorsman myself, but a few goals I have are building a rally car initially purchased under $1000. You would be able to teach yourself some mechanics without breaking the bank. That skill will transfer to many things. I can't stress the kind of debugging it takes to work on a car. It's debugging code in hard mode because to 'test' your code you have to buy a part. Forces you to really think about things.

You could also start hiking taller and taller mountains. 14k or higher is where it starts getting fun. The mountains get as high as you want.

Learn how to ride a motorcycle. Super useful if you live in CA. A lot of people think its too dangerous, but honestly a little danger is good for the bones. We put ourselves in too many bubbles. The long-term goal could be to ride down Baja.

Have you tried to pick up cooking? Make advances recipes? You could have a goal of cooking for a huge party and everyone being amazed at the food.

Re:Ask HN: How do you organize/track your personal goals? by jrowley on Sunday July 22, 2018 @01:19PM (#17587755)
Owning a car in the bay allows you to get to some of the best hiking / running trails in the world! Get a car, then get outside! (or just do whatever makes your happy :)
Re:Ask HN: How do you organize/track your personal goals? by kowdermeister on Sunday July 22, 2018 @12:06PM (#17587380)
That should be the real question. All else is just a consequence of being motivated enough to achieve that particular goal.

You are probably fine already, but if you feel that you want more, I would suggest to get some inspiration from a new paradigm you never did before.

I've seen this lately, and while he did come up with rather random looking goals, it seems it doesn't matter what they are if you devote yourself fully to them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQMbvJNRpLE

Re:Ask HN: How do you organize/track your personal goals? by smckk on Sunday July 22, 2018 @11:59AM (#17587338)
Re:Ask HN: How do you organize/track your personal goals? by ssivark on Sunday July 22, 2018 @11:03PM (#17590294)
I have a couple of book suggestions that might help you start exploring the question for yourself:

1. Man's search for meaning, by Victor Frankl

2. Ambition, by Gilbert Brim

Re:Ask HN: How do you organize/track your personal goals? by egypturnash on Sunday July 22, 2018 @02:56PM (#17588219)
If you want to take a mystical angle on it, start reading stuff about one's True Will.
Re:Ask HN: How do you organize/track your personal goals? by monch on Monday July 23, 2018 @12:13AM (#17590531)
Sounds interesting, can you point me to a little more?
Re:Ask HN: How do you organize/track your personal goals? by egypturnash on Tuesday July 24, 2018 @03:05AM (#17598722)
I’m too lazy to do more than drop you in at the deep end: http://www.thelemapedia.org/index.php/True_Will