So, I would think of it a little differently. Sometimes your reward function in your life will shift: You go from being excited to get good grades to excited to

So, I would think of it a little differently. Sometimes your reward function in your life will shift: You go from being excited to get good grades to excited to get a raise, or you go from being excited to see the red/green test cycle go green to being excited to hire the right developer for your team. All things go, I just pray that I can always either adapt or guide my life in a direction that makes me happy. I'm basically a full time manager now, but I do find it incredibly fulfilling.