Why Don't We Do What We Want?

things you want to do, or to have, in life – because not yet having them is bad, but getting them is arguably even worse:

Bob looked straight at me and said, “So, tell me what you want. What you really, really want out of life. That’s the first step if you’re serious about making a career out of this type of work, living a comfortable life on what it can pay you, and someday even retiring from it. Once you’ve figured that out, figuring out the money stuff really isn’t

When I ask you, “Why do you want more?” the common answers are “freedom” or “security.” Those are fine, but I want to challenge you to go deeper. The problem is that high-level, vague visions never motivate us as much as we’d hope.

Money works the same way. It isn’t the final goal in life, it’s a means to an end. But because money is much more tangible than happiness, well-being, and purpose, we tend to focus our decision-making on money instead of on our ultimate, more meaningful goals.