I totally disagree that goals are meaningless. They mean a lot. I think that is the foundation of the work you have to do. Of course you cannot say, “I want to be in the Majors" without knowledge of what that takes. Getting to that level does not just happen, you have to take the right routes to that destination. How hard you work is not going to get you there if you are not doing the correct things. I know in my area you are not going to just work college ball just because you work hard. Many times you have to show interest, they usually do not just come around calling. When I say show interest, you might have to talk to assignors or college umpires to consider you. Then when you show the interest, most will tell you what it takes. Many times college games are in the middle of the afternoon, most people are not available for those games. At least those umpires that have jobs and responsibilities outside of umpiring.
Information is the key. I have had conversations with NFL Officials, D1 and Pro level officials in basketball and a few Minor League umpires. I also have done a lot of reading on experiences of others that I never met. I learned what it took to make it to those levels in all my sports. Just in that fact finding, I realized that some opportunities were not for me. Or I realized that I had to attend certain camps or join certain groups to make any advancement a possible reality. But just working hard does not gut it. Sometimes it is just luck that the right person sees you. Jerry Markbriet(sp?) got his Big Ten Opportunity by working a D3 College game in the pouring rain on a sloppy field. An evaluator happens to be there and the next year I believe he was in the Big Ten. He was lucky and he will tell you that himself.
Goals are the foundation of the work you put in. Of course you cannot just set a goal and all of a sudden you will achieve them. But I bet those friends of yours that wanted to be rich and famous probably did not do a lot of things to make that happen. And if some of them worked hard, they might not have received the right break or were not in the right place at the same time.
Blessings and hard work have to go hand and hand in my opinion.
Peace