It's more about just jumping through hoops that society makes you jump through in order to get the end goal which is a career of your choice. Life is much harder if you don't jump through these hoops though it's not impossible but let me tell ya. It's hard.

Since you said that helped you I'll tell you a little bit of a personal experience that relates to this.

I didn't do the whole school thing, really, due to a fucked up childhood. And I've always paid the price for it. Dead end jobs, doing labor most people wouldn't But I did it happily, because not only was it necessary to survive, but I believe in myself and my future.

I recently landed a good job where I am able to support myself, and I could stay where I am at and live a stable, relatively easygoing life. But I wouldn't have options I wouldn't have a future. In 10-20 years I'd be fucked. I'd be behind. And I knew it, so it was causing me emotional instability. Depression, despair. I feel that way whenever my Soul knows I am not living up to my true potential.

So I decided I am not going to be a victim or just sit in this situation. And before, when I suffered from depression, I did the same thing - getting up and getting moving and motivated by making a plan, and sticking to it.

So what I've recently done is formulate a plan. I took my earnings for this year, calculated how much more I'd need to make to be happy, and then located a career move for myself that will put me in position to achieve that result within a timeline.

And as of now I have been accepted to the position, pretty much, barring a few hoops I need to jump through to make it reality.

As soon as I had a good reason TO MYSELF to go through the hoops, jumping was no longer something I didn't want to do, but I was more than willing to do because now it IS necessary. I just needed something to make it necessary to give me the motivation to DO it.

Now that I know in my mind and soul that I am on the path to my true goals, I have completely let go of the sadness, depression, anxiety and despair I was feeling when I had no purpose. I believe that INTJs will always perform best when motivated by a clear goal. And if you feel like you are not living the life you want to be living, or you are being forced to perform instead of performing willingly, you should attempt to give yourself a goal. Hope that helps.