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Ask HN: Be honest; Why do you want to achieve something?

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Re: Ask HN: Be honest; Why do you want to achieve something?

#11

Post by bbcbasic »

lsiunsuex wrote: post #2

Money. I hate to be so cliche but money is the absolute #1 driving force for everything I do / learn / work towards. People say money can't buy happiness, and that may be true, but money can help buy life. Without money you can't see doctors, you can't receive cancer treatment, its more difficult to get a good education without money, it's difficult to do fun things without money. Yes, we're programmers and you don't…

For me money is a tool. It is an important factor in any major decision, but not my main motivation. However I will tailor what I do to take into account the importance of money.

There are bills to pay and mouths to feed. There are also short vs. long term money issues to resolve. And retirement and unexpected future health costs to consider.

Having a $250k sports car is not important to me but having a few million in property investments so I don't need to work is quite appealing. But if I have to lose 10 years of my life away from my passions to achieve that then ... well meh!

Re: Ask HN: Be honest; Why do you want to achieve something?

#12

Post by onedev »

Because it's a fun game to play. I view life as mostly a game. I like seeing how far I can go. I work hard because it's fun.

I also like the feeling of helping people around me. It's a great feeling to teach people something they don't know or pulling people up with you, or simply inspiring them through my actions.

Really I don't have any specific motive like "success" or "fame" or "money". I barely even look at my bank account tbh (though I should probably sit down one of these days and analyze my financials and do some stuff I've been putting off).

I'm generally a pretty zen guy these days. I haven't always been like this, but I really really like my current state of mind. I'm enjoying life a ton, because I removed all external expectations.

How did I do it? Exercise, Diet, and Sleep. That's really just it.

Re: Ask HN: Be honest; Why do you want to achieve something?

#13

Post by Ayietim1 »

Life is nothing but loneliness and boredom without an achievement, but is it really possible to go through life without a single achievement? I don't think so, from birth through infancy to adulthood, the worst losers have achieved little things like crawling, walking and running, okay, these are no achievements? then, what are they? Please go on, I am listening. It's all about goal setting and the attainment of set goals, right? If you agree with me that this is a fact, then living a life powered by the desire to achieve big thing is living the real life. So, I am here to set goals, to plan well and work hard to achieve set goals, the achievement of set goals is the only reliable indicator of my positive growth, there's no way I will know that I am growing taller and getting better, without living and working hard to great things as a great achiever. http://ayietim.wordpress.com

Re: Ask HN: Be honest; Why do you want to achieve something?

#16

Post by kluck »

To create something that survives me and a couple of decades after my death. Something that brings computer science forward (just one step on the ladder though).

How much does it push me? Not much, but enough to get my ass up every other day and program on some projects. Because I do realize in the end everything will disappear.

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