I agree with what Peggy said. If he’s suddenly changed his ambitions, it may be because he is feeling overwhelmed and needs a break, is losing interest in what he’s studying for, or he’s just settling into the relationship now and this is who he is. That’s probably a conversation you’re going to have to have with him.

You can’t really “push” and “make” people do things. That only creates resistance and animosity. You can encourage though (gently) and have discussions about what he envisions in the future and what his plans are for meeting his goals. If he’s losing interest in his chosen career, perhaps you could think of something together that could pique that interest again. If he’s feeling burnt out, that’ll likely take care of itself with a bit of rest and self-care, but he should set a timeline or date for when he’ll start pushing himself again. If this is just who he is and his level of drive and ambition doesn’t actually line up with your ideas of what you want, that’s something you’re going to have to think about as he may not be your match in that case (however, the qualities you’ve described are wonderful qualities in a man, and men don’t HAVE to be the family breadwinners if you happen to be the one with major drive and ambition… women can support a family, too).

Just remember during these discussions that your boyfriend is his own unique person and comparing him to what you’ve experienced with other people (like your dad) is quite unfair, just as it would be if he compared you to others in his life or projected his ideals and expectations onto you.