Lack of Ambition

Is there anyone here who was not ambitious before but turned their life around / gained a considerable amount of ambition? I'm getting pretty worried for my little brother - very "street smart" kid who didn't do very well in school because he never applied himself. He's 20 years old now, just dropped out of college and is working at a Target. I honestly don't think it's too late for him to turn things around, but the kid honestly doesn't have the drive to work towards anything - he has absolutely no idea what he wants to do, and I've always felt that if you don't have a goal then it's very difficult for you to have a path forward to get "somewhere". I wish I could help him more, but life just happened in a way for me that I just happened to know what I wanted to do and there happened to be an easy path forward from there. Do any NTers have any advice on how to find what you want to do and begin working towards achieving that?
 
Is there anyone here who was not ambitious before but turned their life around / gained a considerable amount of ambition? I'm getting pretty worried for my little brother - very "street smart" kid who didn't do very well in school because he never applied himself. He's 20 years old now, just dropped out of college and is working at a Target. I honestly don't think it's too late for him to turn things around, but the kid honestly doesn't have the drive to work towards anything - he has absolutely no idea what he wants to do, and I've always felt that if you don't have a goal then it's very difficult for you to have a path forward to get "somewhere". I wish I could help him more, but life just happened in a way for me that I just happened to know what I wanted to do and there happened to be an easy path forward from there. Do any NTers have any advice on how to find what you want to do and begin working towards achieving that?
For certain people the only thing that will make them change is time.

Working at Target is fine when you're 20, but pretty soon he's gonna see his friends graduating from college, getting jobs, moving out of their parents' house, etc. while he's still stocking shelves and going nowhere fast.  He's gonna realize that being in your mid-20s with no degree, no real assets to his name, and no motivation isn't a good look.  Hopefully that will be enough to light a fire under him to buckle down and figure out what he wants to do with his life.
 
Is there anyone here who was not ambitious before but turned their life around / gained a considerable amount of ambition? I'm getting pretty worried for my little brother - very "street smart" kid who didn't do very well in school because he never applied himself. He's 20 years old now, just dropped out of college and is working at a Target. I honestly don't think it's too late for him to turn things around, but the kid honestly doesn't have the drive to work towards anything - he has absolutely no idea what he wants to do, and I've always felt that if you don't have a goal then it's very difficult for you to have a path forward to get "somewhere". I wish I could help him more, but life just happened in a way for me that I just happened to know what I wanted to do and there happened to be an easy path forward from there. Do any NTers have any advice on how to find what you want to do and begin working towards achieving that?

What was he doing in school socially? Outside of education, one of the key things that keep people in school is the friendships/network around them. Being involved in orgs and having deep friendships would have been a lot for me to give up. What does he do outside of work now?
 
Is there anyone here who was not ambitious before but turned their life around / gained a considerable amount of ambition? I'm getting pretty worried for my little brother - very "street smart" kid who didn't do very well in school because he never applied himself. He's 20 years old now, just dropped out of college and is working at a Target. I honestly don't think it's too late for him to turn things around, but the kid honestly doesn't have the drive to work towards anything - he has absolutely no idea what he wants to do, and I've always felt that if you don't have a goal then it's very difficult for you to have a path forward to get "somewhere". I wish I could help him more, but life just happened in a way for me that I just happened to know what I wanted to do and there happened to be an easy path forward from there. Do any NTers have any advice on how to find what you want to do and begin working towards achieving that?
For certain people the only thing that will make them change is time.

Working at Target is fine when you're 20, but pretty soon he's gonna see his friends graduating from college, getting jobs, moving out of their parents' house, etc. while he's still stocking shelves and going nowhere fast.  He's gonna realize that being in your mid-20s with no degree, no real assets to his name, and no motivation isn't a good look.  Hopefully that will be enough to light a fire under him to buckle down and figure out what he wants to do with his life.

You may be right with this - I'm just hoping I can help him figure things out before he reaches that stage. Some people will reach that point and it will light a fire under their *** to get their life together; for others though, I can see that pushing them even further into despondence and perhaps depression. I'd rather he didn't take that chance if he doesn't have to, but you make a very valid point and it may come to that.


Is there anyone here who was not ambitious before but turned their life around / gained a considerable amount of ambition? I'm getting pretty worried for my little brother - very "street smart" kid who didn't do very well in school because he never applied himself. He's 20 years old now, just dropped out of college and is working at a Target. I honestly don't think it's too late for him to turn things around, but the kid honestly doesn't have the drive to work towards anything - he has absolutely no idea what he wants to do, and I've always felt that if you don't have a goal then it's very difficult for you to have a path forward to get "somewhere". I wish I could help him more, but life just happened in a way for me that I just happened to know what I wanted to do and there happened to be an easy path forward from there. Do any NTers have any advice on how to find what you want to do and begin working towards achieving that?

What was he doing in school socially? Outside of education, one of the key things that keep people in school is the friendships/network around them. Being involved in orgs and having deep friendships would have been a lot for me to give up. What does he do outside of work now?

He really wasn't involved in extracurricular activities while he was in school - my older sister and I were always very active, but he was more the type to just hang out at friends' places, chill with girls, play videogames and work. He worked at a Boys and Girls Club throughout school and in the summer as well, but it isn't the same social experience as being involved in a school club or playing on a sports team (not saying that he SHOULD have done those things). The problem is that he doesn't need much to be content - he can hang out with friends, chill in his room, get some food and it'll be a great day for him. I'm only worried that he may not be satisfied with that when he's older, but by then he may have missed so many opportunities that that is the only kind of life available to him. He's living in the now and enjoying himself, but I just don't feel like he's thinking ahead and giving himself options in life, which is something that I've always striven towards.
 
You may be right with this - I'm just hoping I can help him figure things out before he reaches that stage. Some people will reach that point and it will light a fire under their *** to get their life together; for others though, I can see that pushing them even further into despondence and perhaps depression. I'd rather he didn't take that chance if he doesn't have to, but you make a very valid point and it may come to that.
He really wasn't involved in extracurricular activities while he was in school - my older sister and I were always very active, but he was more the type to just hang out at friends' places, chill with girls, play videogames and work. He worked at a Boys and Girls Club throughout school and in the summer as well, but it isn't the same social experience as being involved in a school club or playing on a sports team (not saying that he SHOULD have done those things). The problem is that he doesn't need much to be content - he can hang out with friends, chill in his room, get some food and it'll be a great day for him. I'm only worried that he may not be satisfied with that when he's older, but by then he may have missed so many opportunities that that is the only kind of life available to him. He's living in the now and enjoying himself, but I just don't feel like he's thinking ahead and giving himself options in life, which is something that I've always striven towards.

Your story is just like mine, except I don't think I have hope for my bro anymore. He has zero ambition and has quit everything before barely starting. I have too much too much growing myself to do, I have chose to no longer let it drag me down as selfish as it sounds. I've put up with it for way too long. A grown *** man better know how to check himself. That's it, period.

Not saying to give up on your bro tho, if you think you can give him some motivation then by all means do so..just sharing my story
 
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I never been the one who like to throw around cliche's and stuff, be it empty ones or good ones.
It's not a one size fits all society. not everybody can be CEO's of top corporations, hell some people can't even in a corporate setting. Most of the people there are paper pushers.

Here some real advice find a way to network with some people who already have their foot in the door, especially white men because let's face it like it or not those are the people you need to know to get your foot in the door. Lastly you have that degree use it, I can't tell you how many people can't even go to college because of the steep pricing finical aide won't help because they barely make over minimum wage or not a female with a kid living off welfare and can't find time because they need to work and pay off reoccurring debt with a ishy job. Even the burger flippers are going to need a degree just to compete with the high school kids soon if not already.
 
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this is probably me... ive been at the same dead end job for almost four years... and i dont even get paid well considering i have a degree too :{
 
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Is there anyone here who was not ambitious before but turned their life around / gained a considerable amount of ambition? I'm getting pretty worried for my little brother - very "street smart" kid who didn't do very well in school because he never applied himself. He's 20 years old now, just dropped out of college and is working at a Target. I honestly don't think it's too late for him to turn things around, but the kid honestly doesn't have the drive to work towards anything - he has absolutely no idea what he wants to do, and I've always felt that if you don't have a goal then it's very difficult for you to have a path forward to get "somewhere". I wish I could help him more, but life just happened in a way for me that I just happened to know what I wanted to do and there happened to be an easy path forward from there. Do any NTers have any advice on how to find what you want to do and begin working towards achieving that?
Graduated HS with a 2.1 GPA

Majoring in Computer Science now, graduating next year, deans listed last semester, being promoted to bout 50k/yr @ my job in my major.

21. My ambition didn't kick in until 19. Be patient, foster growth.

Me and my brother literally swapped roles. Dude went to college and lost it, I went to college and kicked into overdrive.
 
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