Perhaps this is too abstract an answer, but maybe it helps a bit. I'm 35, and am still working on more concrete answers. In many ways my thinking has not changed much since I was 21.
I want to do no harm to the world (or as little as possible from the environmental perspective). I want to spend my time on intellectually stimulating, meaningful work that is of real consequence to others. I want to be in love with someone, and have deep relationships with a variety of people. I want to be wealthy enough that I can live in comfort as I get older (although I feel that some level of frugality is healthy, physically and mentally). I want to enjoy the natural beauty of the world, all the more because much of it will be gravely damaged in my lifetime.
I think I have made some progress on all fronts!
So my goal is overall happiness with financial independence being a key part of it. I should note that I do not strive to be excessively frugal -- just cut where it doesn't impact myself or my partner. I've also elected to have children and I think that contributes positively to my overall happiness although it can be expensive and they can take a lot of time (so I think that is very much an individual choice).
So my goal is that I'm writing my own paychecks. By gaining FI, that might mean I'm just going to pay myself to watch TV and play videogames all day. Or go spend time traveling Japan and visiting all the Onsens/hot baths. Or spending time with my kids and working on my own businesses -- trying to bootstrap new ideas and just seeing what works and what doesn't (which includes working on interesting projects).
So the part of me that disagrees with you is the part that sees just how much of our life, how much of every single week day, is dedicated to one thing. And that one thing is not something I live for. I want to work on things I live for and fully believe in.
Does that make sense? I don't want to be harsh but on the surface, startups seem so awesome. Everyone is aligned and motivated along the same angles. But the reality is often much worse than one might expect. The investors are pushing the lead developer, who has health problems caused by stress, to use the new framework of the day. The cofounders are trying to figure out which management to hire. The managers are coming in and deciding to change the whole culture and bring in their people to do things their way. It just goes on and on. And nobody is really aligned in the end. There is that magic when it works but most of the time it doesn't. And it's disappointing to spend your life on things that don't ship, that fail, that aren't interesting to work on.
On the professional front, I would like to switch to a different team and seek new challenges!
Material view: Live in a home and land that can sustain itself, OR improve the environment I live in.
Capital view: Live relatively cost free, or generate enough income to allow me to support family if I, or they, fell into a rough time. Lots of money is nice, but I think it's more important to be able to give to others, or those you care about. There's no point in striving to be ultra rich if you only bring negativity or are completely self focused.
Mind/body: Be fit and healthy, stress free.
Eventually I'd also like to be an angel investor and help entrepreneur's achieve their dreams too.
My method to achieve that is very unsexy. I am simply working hard to fully fund my retirement account.
Right now I am funded well enough to retire at 60 if I contribute nothing more -- I'm 33 -- but I want enough to be able to retire immediately. Which would be about $6MM USD.
Not so I don't have to work (I'll still work anyway) but so I can be picky about who I work for / what projects I work on. Probably even self-fund some of my own idea.
To help with that I've accumulated as much equity in startups as I can muster through hard work and making the value I added good enough to earn substantial equity.
I landed in something like "creating things that humanity hasn't yet created."
Ideally this should be real technical inventions or scientific discoveries that makes our lives better or extends the knowledge of who we are.
However I'm not smart enough to even start doing this within say nanotechnology, physics or cosmology.
I am now working on a science fiction film that also aims to raise awareness about ai security (very indirectly but still). If I can contribute to that discussion starting in society at the same time as I'm doing something I love, and people can enjoy watching, I'm very happy.
Thorough life seek working with inspiring individuals who love what they do, and eventually you'll make sense of what your inner purpose seems to be.
What are you doing to achieve your goal?
My name being remembered is insignificant to me, what about me I want remembered are my achievements.
If I achieve nothing else for the rest of my life, to live long enough to see all of my kids choose a relationship with the Lord would be more than enough. It's not really a goal in the traditional sense I suppose, since I have only so much input on what they grow up to believe. But it's the #1 reason why my wife and I make the (not burnt, but time, money, attention, patience, etc.) sacrifices we do every day for them.
Work: Personal goals + Enable the people I work with to excel in their roles.