Some poker thoughts: on the right road?

I haven't been playing poker over the last few days, but today I've been thinking about the game and try to think about what it all means!

So.., bascially I'm not too sure I'm playing poker for the right reasons and I'm not sure what I want from the game. Without an answer to both these questions, that's a problem. I've been studying motivation and goal setting in my studies and bascially if you don't know what you want from something you are NEVER going to get very far, because you don't know where you want to go! It's so important to set clear goals and to have the right reasons for wanting to reach them. Time for a change. The last 3 years I've been playing, I've probably won about $6k playing poker. But where has it gone? I can't really tell you. Was it worth it? I've spent a lot of time playing, when maybe I could of been doing other things.

This is something I want to sort out. Now I'm not saying I want to quit I just want to know exactly why I'm playing, what positives I can get from the game and what I want to achieve. It doesn't have to necessarily mean money, but just a clear purpose. I think this needs to be done before you do anything seriously in life. This way I think i'll get alot more out of the game.

I also read a good forum post on 2+2, about "the best poker advice ever given to you"...which I thought was pretty good.

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"I suppose the best advice I got is this- always have the prize in mind, and don't let life pass you by. Life is really very short, and if you want to spend 15 hours a day playing poker, be sure you aren't missing out on something else because you probably are. It's easy to isolate yourself from everyone around you to the point where you actually don't have any friends anymore. So- you need to really determine for yourself if this game is a hobby you work at around work, friends or family, etc, or a job. Either way, you have to make sure your life is healthy before your bankroll is healthy- otherwise this game will slowly kill you on the inside. Lay your goals out, and make time to do the things you want to do. Keep this prize in mind. If you're passing up on dates, friends, time with kids to play poker, you should stop and really question if the $$$ is worth it. We all look back upon our lives from our deathbeds, and I think you'd be hard pressed to find an individual who says, I wish I didn't spend all that time with my family and just played poker more.. lol. As for not letting the world pass you by, this is a double edge sword- You can't put your dreams off and leave your heart unfulfilled, however, there are simple joys and pleasures of everyday life that are fleeting in nature. ie- parents die, kids grow up etc, you can't let those times pass you up either. It's a balance. Everything in moderation"