This is the exact problem Thoreau was trying to solve when he wrote Walden, and arguably did solve. Figure out what is actually important to you, and ruthlessly

This is the exact problem Thoreau was trying to solve when he wrote Walden, and arguably did solve. Figure out what is actually important to you, and ruthlessly eliminate things from your life that don't contribute towards that. I get disappointed by seeing how many intelligent, motivated, and energetic people mindlessly put all of their energy into these culturally prescribed goals. Once they achieve them, they will eventually feel disappointed, because it isn't really aligned with them. Whenever I'm doing something I really enjoy- like exploring nature in a tiny sailboat together with my kid, there is always this nagging narrative in the back of my head that I shouldn't be doing this: I need to be starting another business or working harder, making more money, etc. Then I could be exploring nature in a giant yacht a decade from now! But wait, I don't want that. I can afford a tiny sailboat, and what I want to do is explore with it right now, which I already can do. I think a deeper aspect is that people also want to feel connected, accepted, and admired by others... and perceive that this requires social status they can only get by winning at some pre-defined life plan. But it doesn't really work that way- the people you would impress by doing your own thing are only the ones you would actually be able to relate to, whose opinion really matters.