I’m definitely like that as well - even when I was pursuing my Master’s degree I was dreaming of retirement. I eventually found an easy, well-paying job that lets me work from home, so I’m set.

The issue for me was that, like many Americans, I tied my identity to my career, so I felt embarrassed that I wasn’t motivated enough to have something interesting to report in my work life. That led to me being unmotivated in seeking out non-work-related activities as well, like hanging out with friends or trying new hobbies. I just sat around wasting my life simply because I didn’t want to do anything with my job.

Eventually I realized that my life and my job were separate things, and that I could have as engaging of a life as I want without needing to have an engaging career. Now I pursue hobbies that interest me, and I spend time with friends and family, and when someone asks “So, what do you do?” I give them a nothing answer because that means nothing to me.

It’s totally fine to not have any career goals, but ask yourself whether that means you want to have no goals at all, or whether you’re making the incorrect assumption that your career is your life. Maybe you’ve already figured all this stuff out, and have a list of things you want to do in life that have no relation to your job, but this revelation was a big turning point for me, so I felt like I should share, just in case.