If you're planning to make a living out of chess (articles, coaching, etc.), then a title helps. However, playing chess to get a title hardly gets a title. Otherwise, most old-timers would have one.
If you see a title as a consequence and not as an objective, you'll realize that it's related to playing well plus results in OTB (over the board) competitions. Now, playing well involves a number of skills, but the most important is assessing a position accurately, by abstraction and, or by precise calculation.
You don't need to master each and every kind of position. Say you play the Scandinavian Defense. Then make a hobby of studying thematic games, then the theory behind it, and expand to the middlegames and endings that arise from that opening. Don't try to become a master in chess but a master in the Scandinavian Defense. Once you're satisfied with your results, expand to other opening systems with White and Black.
Thing is, you don't need to know and master French and German to write well in English. And while you study and apply your knowledge in games, you'll get that joy and motivation you're looking for.
I'm turning 40 in a couple months. I've never seriously studied chess or played much before. Say I start learning at 40+ and have all day to study (no wife or kids! And with a humble disability pension that keeps me home all day with nothing to do!)
So. I've heard it takes 10-12 good years to get to the level of GM along with a little luck. Say because I'm older it takes 16-30 years of daily practice and devotion. I mean: it's possible.
However: Apparently there's about 800 million chess players and only 1,500 GMs. Only about 0.3% of those affiliated with FIDE ever receive a GM title.
How to keep motivated past the first few weeks or months, especially if you realize you'll probably never earn a title? What do you all think? Advice, tips?