Here's what I've come up with, to deal with concerns about whether I'm doing what I need to with my life:

In my experience, it is bad to get stuck and not to make progress (e.g. by not doing much, not putting yourself out there). It is also bad to make progress in a direction that is not right for you (e.g. by making yourself do something society values but which you don't value).

I would compare the above conditions to 1) being stuck in the slow-moving eddies on the side of a waterway, and 2) trying to paddle upstream. These strategies are not going to get you much distance.

What will? Staying in the middle of the river, and going where it takes you.

What I think this means in life is:

-At all times, look for the way the river is taking you. That is, look for what you seem to be gravitating towards or away from. Use your intuition and observation of yourself to find out

-When you're in the middle of the river, the current flows faster. That is, by staying on this path of things that are good for you and society and also exciting/feel right to you, you go further, faster than if you were trying to make yourself do certain things that weren't a good match for you (compare with trying to paddle upstream).

-If you get too close to the edge, push off back into the middle of the river, where the current is faster. That is, if you're headed for inaction or a "stuck" situation, seek out challenges and things that will get you excited/achieving/learning/doing again.

-Think about your life. Could you describe certain parts when you were in the middle of your river, or other times when you were in the eddies or going against the flow?

-How to stay in the middle: Keep gathering real information to help yourself make good decisions. Put yourself out there by meeting and talking to people. Stay connected with your friends. Learn about things that interest you. Instead of just talking about things (staying in side currents), try them out. My favorite: "Just do it."

My theory is that staying in the middle of our personal river is a major thing we need to do in life in order to use our time here well (whether thinking about worldly accomplishments or even spiritual learning).