Well, I do belong to a group (which I've been absent from for most of this past year). There's the interwebies. And then there are the moments of solitary reflection that I grip my heavy head in my hands and think, "Life was meant to be better than this." While I don't write for the money (okay, sometimes I do ad copy for the money), I edit to publish, and I publish for the money. The major milestones I've set for my career (like, "When I know I've made it") include (modest) monetary goals.

I know I've made it when I can afford a motorcycle (first major goal).

I know I've become popular when I no longer worry about travel expenses.

I know I've hit the big time when I can afford a house almost good enough to make it on the "What you get for the money" show on HGTV.

It may be crass, but I can use stopping at the bike store on the way home as motivation. But yes, there's nothing like getting together with a group of other writers to just write together to recharge the batteries. From what I can tell "Write-Ins" or "Write Nights" are becoming more fashionable. I'd really see if you can set something up (as they don't need to be genre specific) like a "we'll all meet at this coffee shop/library and write for four hours."