I think both sides on the Aspirations system debate make decent points. For instance, it can quickly turn into a chore depending on the type of character people want to play and has plenty of opportunity for abuse.
That being said, once in a blue moon I do manage to make use of it and go 'hey this is what I'm trying to do'. It's good for characters who are very active and constantly involving themselves in new things. It's shit for characters with one general goal in mind. I know the long term vs. short-term aspirations is supposed to remedy this somewhat, but I don't think it does a particularly good job.