I'm not ambitious. What motivates me?

[AJ1]

I'm a recent graduate and am currently surrounded by people who are looking for their first full-time jobs. I've just been offered mine and am due to start next week. The problem is, I don't really see the point.

I mean, I understand the point in having a job. Having a job gets me money, money gets me food and food gets me...well, not dead. Which is nice.

However, going beyond that, beyond the need to have some kind of income, I don't really get it. Everyone around me wants "a good job" (usually a good job = lots of money + promotion prospects) but as long as I'm earning enough to live on, I don't really see why I need to be promoted, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to starting the new job. It should be interesting and is in the kind of area which I would "like" to work in. But when I say "like" to work, I mean compared to working elsewhere. Not that I actually want to have a job. I know that a lot of people would probably rather not work if they had the choice! But, my friends don't seem to have this problem, they're all very focussed on getting "a good job", beginning on the ladder, etc.

But why do I want to climb the ladder?

What's at the top?

More money? Why do I want that? I'm not a materialistic person, if I have food, somewhere to live and can pay the bills I'm not sure what more I want. Why would I actually need (/want) to earn £100,000 a year? Big house? Nice car? ...so? I'm not that kind of person.

Having a respectable position? ie. being able to say. "I'm Chief executive of..."? I'm not a show-off-ey kinda person either.

So, I suppose the question is, what motivates me? I have to work, at least for now, as I need money. But what am I aiming for? I'm going to be working in press relations, so I could aim to become a press officer for a major company or political party...but why? I feel like I'd be setting myself an arbitrary goal just to give myself something to do.

Or I could aim to make £70k a year...why? I'd only be aiming at the goal so that I have a goal. There's no reason that I can think of why I actually, truly, *want* £70k.

I realise that this is quite disjointed and pessimistic, but it's something that's been on my mind a lot recently. As I step onto the first rungs of the working ladder...why am I climbing?

Any thoughts?

[lasti]

Do you feel good about your attitude? If yes, just be happy.

Just because you are different from other people, doesn't mean that there is something wrong with you, right?

[AJ1]

Originally Posted by lasti

Do you feel good about your attitude? If yes, just be happy.

Just because you are different from other people, doesn't mean that there is something wrong with you, right?

Wow, first reply and an extremely good point!

I'd not really considered that, I think I have been trying to conform really.

I'll have to think about it more deeply. But my first reaction would be that whilst I am happy with my views on life, I feel like I *want* goals. Like I'll be bored if I'm not aiming for something.

But at the same time it feels hollow and equally aimless to pick something I don't particularly want just so that I have a goal.

[seeker5]

However, going beyond that, beyond the need to have some kind of income, I don't really get it. Everyone around me wants "a good job" (usually a good job = lots of money + promotion prospects) but as long as I'm earning enough to live on, I don't really see why I need to be promoted, etc.

I feel the same way as you do. I have a "good job" that is well respected, well looked at, well payed in an industry that is growing and doing very well. I work for a well regarded company in this city and working for that company brings me "instant respect" when I mention where I work. Everyone thinks I'm crazy to give up my job, but I am. I actually gave my two week notice last week. The job doesn't inspire me, it doesn't fulfill me, it doesn't excite me, and since I want to live my life to the fullest, I'm letting it go .