How to get from START to END

Many people have a point that they want to get to in their career where they will be satisfied. Today they are at the start, and at some point they will hopefully get to the end.

The end point can be any kind of goal. Here are some goals:

• making a certain amount of money, 
• running your own business, 
• being a doctor,
• being highly successful in one domain(artist, athlete),
• living in a certain city,
• getting to the IPO,

Many people have a certain goal and they have some kind of path that they think is the best and only way to get there. View diagram below for the 3 different paths (sorry for the shitty drawing).

1. Most people have this "laser path" engrained in their DNA. This is the path they are meant to take from birth. It is the only way and they need to stick to it no matter what. The path was drawn with a ruler in permanent ink. It is either straight to the goal, or maybe a slight variation. Maybe they didn't get into their top school or get the top job right off the bat, but then quickly straightened out and zoomed back in on the goal
2. This is a bit more of a different route, maybe they changed industries or veered away from their plans a few times. Sometimes these changes were voluntary other times not.
3. This path is just chaos. Taking chances, getting fired, quitting, starting over, changing industries, second guessing themselves... just a wild bronco ride of a career. 

Of course not all of them will take the same amount of work and time, but it is still possible to get where you want to go. I always hear about people saying that if they don't get this job, then they will never get where they want to be. But if they just open up their mind a bit and see the infinite amount of other paths that might even get you there better than the original plan. 

I am not saying that I am an expert or anything, but I am just trying to keep an open imagination to all of life's unexpected turns and crossroads. Honestly for me, I would be bored out of my mind if I took the straight "LASER" path... Where's the imagination, the randomness, and thrill??? I don't know about you, but I'll try my odds at Path 3. 

On a side note, you should try to not have a single END point when there are a million other end points that could make you just as happy. Also, what happens when you get to that END point, do you just stop living... or do you start living??? What does an end point even mean?