> Never once have I had any semblance of a "plan" or a "goal". And despite what all the authority figures in your life will tell you, that is a perfectly fine way to live and be happy

That's the ideal career for sure, but how common is it?

It would be great if I knew I could bumble along and become a staff eng/manager/director without any sort of plan or goal. I don't believe that's a common experience though, and it seems even more unlikely for people who are at the start of their careers today (Like me).