I agree with sprik. Not that we should start looking to the sorts of things we tend to aim for in our manic periods (or at least, not the sorts of things I start to aim for), but that it's helpful and important to be reasonably ambitious about improving ourselves, our talents, broadening our minds and horizons, etc. A lot of it will be boring or suck, because most things worthwhile aren't easy and fun, but it is very rewarding, often enough in the day-to-day and always in the long term.