[notoppings]

An example a person bases there whole life and all it's choices on attaining a goal it gives them drive and perseverance maybe a person who wants to become a doctor or break some record whatever the goal. Once attained, what happens to the drive that defined their existence.

I've seen those people who peaked early, they sit and talk about how it was they don't think about how it will be. In sports especially but also in academia a brilliant discovery and then nothing. Did they lose their drive or do they just choose to sit on their accomplishments. I've seen writers create a great novel and follow it up with trash, then others who choose never to write again. Is it because they know they can never top what they did or is it because they choose to go out at the top of their game?

How about you, do you fail to attempt a thing for fear of success? If you have reached your goal, did you set new ones? or did you lose your drive? Does a person change upon reaching a goal? Does part of the old personality still exist?

[changos]

That's complicated. I read about it and it was called "argument of life" (vida argumentada, Nacidos para triunfar, Análisis transaccional y teoría Gestalt). On the book they covered this, people living to get somewhere or to achieve something. For most of them it was the end of life... but having extra extra miles to walk but not knowing what to do with their time and energies.

There are sport people, artists and whatever more. But is more common that we think: marriage is a goal for many (the tales end up with marriage, and don't tell the rest), also, kids. Thats another stone on the way to jump... what to do when they grow (the empty nest).

	How about you, do you fail to attempt a thing for *fear of success?*

I fail for stupid
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. I don't fear success nor try to achieve it. The healthy concept of success is getting to where you want to be, not what others consider success. But I get the point. I haven't failed for that reason, I think some things must be made. Sonner or later, wanting or not you have to do it.

I fit into the many descriptions of the intj... I enjoy getting there, not the prize. I won some and didn't go to the ceremony as I don't consider it important.

	If you have reached your goal, did you set new ones?

Yes, its almost automatic., In fact I a list of goals is constantly in formation. Some things are waiting to be achieved.

	did you lose your drive?

I loose it very quickly. That's why I enjoy my job, its moslty developing, creating and others do the manteinance.

As for whats inside the ** above, I was concerned about one thing only. Buying a house alone being single. It was before having my last girlfriend. I concerned about not getting the anxiety of getting someone. Also (when I had the girl) concerned about nor rushing or feeling any pressure of putting the pieces together and loosing perspective if the relation was not working. Didn't work... but it is a goal not to fall into a unhealthy - sick relationship no matter what age I have. I try to keep "relationship" off the list of goals, but on the "part of life".

	Does a person change upon reaching a goal?

I think it does. You are more calm because there is one less think on your list. Also, aknowledging that reaching a goal doesn't mean everything... an old guy can tell about how he killed a lion with his hands when he was 20... that was when HE WAS 20. So, some goals are momentary only. You won't be able of doing that again perhaps, or worse, it is useless except for the experience.

	Does part of the old personality still exist?

I think yes. When you are "action human" you dream and pursuit your goals and dreams, thats constant, being the opposite of the ones that dream but never get hands to work.

[Monte314]

No. It creates new goals.

But it does take away the feelings of urgency and uncertainty.

[Krazy P]

This is a very good question and one that I have wrestled with a lot recently. I was the consummate goal setter, setting short, intermediate, long term and life goals in a variety of domains of my life (family, educational, financial, spiritual, emotional) at a relatively early age.

Since I have achieved all of them much earlier than planned, the setting of new ones has been a struggle - especially setting new long term goals.

[True Rune]

For me, achieving a goal is only one step to the next goal I set for myself. I've thought about this before, one could think of "avengers" you often see in Anime and Videogames, what will they do when they exact their revenge? I say we should always have a plan B to go with our goals. Then again, I'm still closer to the bottom.

[Bioplasmoid]

In my own case, I can offer a very minor example. I recently had an extended personal document sorting session. I must have spent at least 6 hours 'classifying' 2 or 3 document boxes into category piles. I ended up with a huge bag of paper rubbish for the trash, and a decent system of organisation. This process of 'classifying' for me is not just putting things in boxes(all puns aside) but in fact a kind of memory review session, where I find myself quickly distracted by new thoughts that arise from the links between items of information, whether they are utility bills or handwritten notes on things to look up online.

The reward for allowing myself to become so distracted is a better sense of intuition and a feeling of peace, after I have seen the bigger picture contained within the mess.

For years I have tended to put off all forms of housework or tidying till the very last minute. It occurred to me a couple of days ago, how much I did actually enjoy the sorting process, because I was not under a time constraint as such. But I felt somewhat let down, immediately after the bulk of the mess had been sorted to perfection and either thrown out or put into a new location, and ordered position.

Now here is my main point - I left a small pile of about 20 a4 sheets of paper and several scraps of paper (with notes on them), in the location that the large pile had been in before. At the time I put this down to boredom. But in retrospect I am absolutely certain that I did this subconsciously in order to have some further sorting to look forward to, and thereby avoid being in an absolute "finished" state, even though the junk mail,bills,and notes never do actually stop in reality...

[publicdonkey]

Though it doesn't address your question directly and precisely, I highly recommend the book Happier, by Tal Ben-Shahar.

It's based on the course Tal-Shahar teaches at Harvard, which the jacket claims to be the single most-popular course taught at the university.

INTJ's will appreciate Tal-Shahar's functional categorization of "rat racers" - people who defer happiness and/or tell themselves they'll be happy once they attain a goal or set of goals; "hedonists" who 'live for the moment' and base their happiness on transitory experiences; and "nihilists" who are, well, nihilists.

No big spoiler here in revealing the book suggests an integration and balance of priorities. Tal-Shahar makes his points in ways that appeal to both logic and instinct. It's hard NOT to appreciate what he has to say. Sure, it's a self-help book, but trust me it's not one to file on the "new-age-roll-your-eyes" shelf...

[DRG]

Perhaps I'm like the described writer who stops writing because they think they cannot improve on past work. In sequence my (successful) careers have been in computer programming, television production, web design, interaction design, project management, system engineering, and now computer security. I've always considered my switches to be out of frustration of reaching the ceiling of those around me and a craving to take on new things.

I am dealing with a lack of what I would call true drive. I have accomplished almost all of the goals I had in my life and a few that I didn't think I would need. It is difficult to keep myself challenged and to see the point of achieving any future goals. Part of this is due to depression that I constantly fight. Lately it feels like I'm just killing time.

For jobs a common metric is salary. I blew that goal away years ago. (I'm not greedy so don't think I have a yacht or a beach front home.) I half heartedly said my next goal was to double my salary. I never saw the point in having more money as I had all the comforts I needed. So instead recently I took a pay cut for my current job in an attempt to find happiness, or at least happier. The problem is I'm not sure what would make me happier.

[zibber]

	Originally Posted by Krazy P To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Since I have achieved all of them much earlier than planned, the setting of new ones has been a struggle - especially setting new long term goals.

That's the thing with setting goals; what you're really doing is constantly postponing satisfaction/contentment. Now, you're so used to chasing goals that you're a bit uneasy when they're all done and there's nothing to chase. Isn't the ultimate goal of goals to fulfill each possible goal?

You use the word "struggle", indicating that you can't really come up with goals but feel that you should. Have you asked yourself why? Apparently there are no urgent goals for you now, or else they'd show themselves (or so I'd reason if I were interested in goals).

[AJB]

	Originally Posted by Monte314 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	No. It creates new goals. But it does take away the feelings of urgency and uncertainty.

	Originally Posted by Ishida To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	For me, achieving a goal is only one step to the next goal I set for myself. I've thought about this before, one could think of "avengers" you often see in Anime and Videogames, what will they do when they exact their revenge? I say we should always have a plan B to go with our goals. Then again, I'm still closer to the bottom.

You both pretty much covered the way I handle goals. I always have a list of goals that are in constant rotation and growth.

Once I complete / obtain a set goal I usually, like Monte stated, loose the feeling of urgency that has built around it. I also, take a certain amount of time to enjoy the result of said goal.

Most of the time, while enjoying the accomplishment, I am made aware of another desire and set another goal to achieve -- that or I look back to my list and start working on another one.

Either way, the list is always evolving / growing. I'm not sure it will ever end for me.

[punkyplatypus]

With video games it does. When I beat a video game, I don't go back to it. However, if I play a video game up to the final boss fight then I'm able to play the game multiple times over. I'll change profiles & strategies and walk every inch of a map & complete every side quest. I'm not sure why this is so. Perhaps it has to do with set goals and fixed outcomes.

In real life, things are a bit more complicated. Goals and their importance change too much for me to consider myself a success after achieving them. As a freshman in high school, getting my diploma was a big deal. As a junior & a senior I was more focused on college, and as a college student now I'm more focused on internships & job opportunities than my degree. My goals tend to become less important objectives for my new goals. I wouldn't say that my drive diminishes, but rather is refocused on these new goals and how to achieve them.

[ssrprotege]

Uh, I am trying to struggle against this problem. After I got into a college of my choice, well, I kinda lost my drive and I don't study as much as I should study. I know I have to be more diligent, but my mind wouldn't follow. It's actually very frustrating. A college student spending lots of time playing video games...well.

[Cognoverant]

	Originally Posted by ssrprotege To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Uh, I am trying to struggle against this problem. After I got into a college of my choice, well, I kinda lost my drive and I don't study as much as I should study. I know I have to be more diligent, but my mind wouldn't follow. It's actually very frustrating. A college student spending lots of time playing video games...well.

Yes, I'm having a similar problem. I'm English, and have just done my GCSEs, getting 11 A*s and one A, which was the best set of results in my county. Trying to get back into the swing of working is difficult!

[PRBori]

I don't think so.. I would probably set up more goals to reach. There is always a lot of things that I personally would like to accomplish in life and reaching a single goal does not mean I cannot set new ones.

If all the major goals were met, then I would focus on educational goals were I'll pick a subject of interest or language and ensure I learn it inside out. After all my original educational interest was medicine (surgeon to be exact) not Computer Science.

I'm always thirsty for knowledge... and right now I'm way to focus on a single area to reach the major goals within the Computer Science field... so freeing up my time after the current goals are met means focusing on my childhood dreams of learning to be a surgeon. Maybe technology will be more advance and I can learn how to do surgery from home utilizing a robot... hehehehe... they do that now, but I'm sure it would be much more advance by them and maybe just maybe I can programmed them myself.. now that would be cool...

[Vagrant]

	Originally Posted by Monte314 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	No. It creates new goals. But it does take away the feelings of urgency and uncertainty.

Likewise.

Once I've "achieved" a goal, I set a new one.

I'm never done with something. The problem comes when I don't have a goal. That's when I loose my drive. If that occurs though, I usually change the priority so I retain some kind of loose goal.

The only other time I loose motivation is when achieving said goal becomes too tedious -- I can't stand farming in MMOs for very long, as an example. So I have to do it in short bursts followed by long periods of other activities.