Ask HN: What's your personal progress narrative?

We all tell ourselves a story / progress narrative about our lives. We feel happy when we make progress, and upset when we judge ourselves to fail - indeed, we define 'fail' etc. against this narrative.

What is your progress narrative? Why do you find it meaningful?

For instance - some meta-narratives:

"i am a smart thinker, and will become / am a scientist/mathematician/philosopher that will prove theorems / discover quarks / impact culture"

"i will create a wonderful family, and support my community. Work in the service of home, family, and friends"

etc.

When we think deeply we have embedded beliefs about the value of things (money, influence, office, status, love, friendship, creativity, freedom, loyalty, sacrifice) that we construct stories about.

Few people are truly deeply honest to themselves. Even fewer deeply think why they chose this.. or indeed, if someone else chose this for them. A mid-life crisis might be a refactoring or reckoning.

What's your progress narrative?