Recently I've started thinking about the importance of acknowledging multiple top-level goals. At times I've tried to describe my life goals as a dependency tree of priorities, but eventually decided that framing it as such, with a single root node, does not do justice to the human experience. I want some selfish things, and also some very altruistic things, and those can coexist because I'm not a singularly focused machine. I have different moods and am influenced by the people and culture around me, and I admit that I cannot fully control my environment.

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!