It is not easy to be self-motivated... I struggle with it a lot and one way one can be motivated to do the things they need to do is to be in the right company of people, which is what you did there. Hence the importance of having a circle of shared goals.

How many of you, who are students or were once students, can relate to this?

I can relate to this, and it was the reason why "The Growth Catalysts" circle was formed while we were in school and still functioning even after school.