I can very much relate to the sentiment in this post, so would like to add some related thoughts. I think it’s nearly impossible not to strive for anything more in life, simply because we are so geared towards always learning and improving and wouldn’t be happy otherwise. Now, this doesn’t necessarily translate to always strive beyond one’s limits and expect nothing less than stellar greatness—this sounds more like perfectionism to me. Instead I prefer to think of it as slow and deliberate progress (or at least variety) in different aspects in life, eg:
Career: If you have a perfectly good job but you feel like you have stopped learning, maybe try a different role within the company or change sector? Changing jobs every 2-3 years is a good way to keep learning (see the S-curve theory of learning)
Hobbies: Pick up a hobby that has a lot of potential to let you grow over time. Try increasing the difficulty, eg. if you like cooking try more elaborate recipes, or pick up something new like sailing or scuba diving and get new qualifications. I like to call this one’s “life-career” because its something that we should be prepared to do over a long period in time and be consistent in practicing it.
Family and friends: I think there’s always ways to deepen connections with those around us and have more meaningful conversations. Practice initiating conversations with strangers, introducing people to each other, organise dinner parties etc. I can recommend the book The Art of Gathering for how to do this.
In short, strive for variety and improve life in a variety of ways, which doesn’t require one to become the next Elon Musk.
I can very much relate to the sentiment in this post, so would like to add some related thoughts. I think it’s nearly impossible not to strive for anything more in life, simply because we are so geared towards always learning and improving and wouldn’t be happy otherwise. Now, this doesn’t necessarily translate to always strive beyond one’s limits and expect nothing less than stellar greatness—this sounds more like perfectionism to me. Instead I prefer to think of it as slow and deliberate progress (or at least variety) in different aspects in life, eg:
Career: If you have a perfectly good job but you feel like you have stopped learning, maybe try a different role within the company or change sector? Changing jobs every 2-3 years is a good way to keep learning (see the S-curve theory of learning)
Hobbies: Pick up a hobby that has a lot of potential to let you grow over time. Try increasing the difficulty, eg. if you like cooking try more elaborate recipes, or pick up something new like sailing or scuba diving and get new qualifications. I like to call this one’s “life-career” because its something that we should be prepared to do over a long period in time and be consistent in practicing it.
Family and friends: I think there’s always ways to deepen connections with those around us and have more meaningful conversations. Practice initiating conversations with strangers, introducing people to each other, organise dinner parties etc. I can recommend the book The Art of Gathering for how to do this.
In short, strive for variety and improve life in a variety of ways, which doesn’t require one to become the next Elon Musk.