Feeling stuck?
Are you lost or confused?
If you are asking yourself the question, “What should I do with my life?” then you have come to the right place.
Whether you are out of college or changing careers at the age of 50, this guide will quickly help you figure out what you should do with the rest of your life.
Relax & Have Fun
Trying to figure out what you should do with your life can feel quite overwhelming. So much so that for some people, it freezes them from taking any action.
The challenge that many people face when they ask themselves this question is that they start to take things too serious.
They let the weight of their entire existence become so heavy that they start to overthink things and get too wrapped up in their mind.
The first step in this process is to relax and have fun. Anyone you see in the world who is enjoying what they are doing with their life is having fun.
The real cause of this issue is that the goal of creating a life you love both professionally and personally feels so far away that it becomes daunting.
Embrace The Process
The journey is the goal.
Did you get that?
Right now you are about to embark on an amazing journey of self-discovery and transformation and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
If you overthink it you will miss the entire experience. Don’t try and “hack” your way through this process.
Now this also does not mean you should just spin your wheels doing anything that has no purpose.
What I am saying is that you need to become so present in the moment and welcome this journey so that you can enjoy the process you are in the midst of right now.
Yes, right now.
You reading this.
You are at an amazing place in your life. Ground zero so to speak.
You have so many options and directions you can choose and that is a beautiful thing. Do you know how many people there are stuck at a job or in a lifestyle they do not enjoy but don’t even know it?
So be happy that you are aware that you want to create something more profound and aligned with your true self.
This is a great place to be.
Congratulations!
Get Over Your Fear Of Failure
One of the biggest challenges you will face as you embark on this journey is the idea of failure. Many people think they are failing if they try something and it doesn’t work out.
This is not true.
Because you are not sure what you want to do with your life, you need to approach this with a playful mindset and like an inventor. By remaining playful, you will have a better chance of finding something that is fun for you.
And by having an inventors mindset, you will understand that trial and error is part of the process. Do you know how many times inventors had to “fail” until they made a discovery?
A lot.
But it’s not failure. It’s called “tinkering”.
In the few businesses I have run (including this one), when my friends or family would ask me what I was up to, I would say “I am tinkering and sketching in my shop.” Rather than, “I am trying to figure out what I should do with my life.”
The only way you can fail is by allowing yourself to become paralyzed by what other people will think of you by going down a certain path and finding out you didn’t like it. In fact, THAT IS THE ONLY WAY you will discover more about yourself is by walking down the path and then saying, “Hey, this is not for me. Let me head down a different path.”
Be ready to have an explorer and inventors mindset and be willing to test things out to see whether or not they work for you. And if they don’t, so what! Now you know and can try a different direction.
Life Is A Series Of Phases
Something else to bare in mind is that depending on your age, life is a series of phases. All too often people think that what they should be doing now will be for the rest of their life.
This may not be so.
For some people, they can find their “calling in life” and do that one thing until they die. But for most people, we will usually do many things. As we get older, what we enjoy and what calls to us will probably change.
I started off in the music industry and did that for ten years. Then I moved into the personal development and wellness space and have been there for ten years. I have also dabbled in some other spaces as well.
What I have discovered is that there will generally be an overarching theme as to what you will be doing in life that many things can be categorized under that umbrella.
For example, many people love to “help people.”
There are a million ways this can be expressed so you need to be flexible with your definitions and know that how you express this desire can change over the years.
Write A Mission Statement
If you want to answer the question, “What should I do with my life?”, one of the most powerful actions you can take is to write a mission statement. By making this type of declaration, it really helps to keep you focused and will help you make better decisions.
Every day we are bombarded with a million things we can do. By having a clear mission statement, when those things come up you can ask yourself if it adds or detracts from your mission statement.
And please keep in mind that when you write a mission statement, it does not mean it can’t evolve over time because it probably will. The goal is to give you a starting point and then as you discover more about yourself, then you can adjust your statement.
Define Your Own Success
Before you run out and answer the question, “What should I do with my life?”, make sure you have a clear understanding of what success means to you.
Many of you reading this have been conditioned by your parents, family, peers, and society to think that success should look a specific way (house, car, family, money, etc.)
This may not be true for all of you.
I have one friend who loves to surf all day so he designed his life in such a way where he works at night as a waiter so that he can surf all day. He has no interest in making a lot of money, buying a big house, and working all day in an office. He lives a simple and humble life and is one of the most happiest people I know.
On the other hand, I have another friend who runs a major media company and does business with Bank Of America, Coca Cola, State Farm, and many other Fortune 500 companies where he literally works twelve hours a day six days a week and he loves it. The thought of just sitting at some beach doing nothing bores him to tears. He loves the rush of closing big deals and mingling with high-level people.
To each their own.
But before you figure out what you want to do with your life, make sure you are being true to yourself and not other people’s definitions.
The Superhero In You
Ever notice how each superhero has one special talent that the other superheros don’t have? I believe that you are a superhero and that you have one special talent just waiting to come out.
I know for some of you that may sound cheesy but if you truly look around at all of the successful people in the world, you will see that each one of them is exceptionally talented at one thing.
This special talent can play a significant role in your life because it will give you purpose. Having a purpose in life is very powerful because it gives meaning to our existence. The truth is, life is meaningless. We get to give everything meaning by saying “This is good” or “This is bad.” “I like this” or, “I don’t like this.”
By making a declaration of purpose, you give life meaning and therefore will have a direction to take.
The Power Of Imagination
As children we used to daydream all the time. Then we had to “grow up” and lost touch with our imagination. The only reason you are reading this is because in some way, you have lost touch with your imagination. Your imagination has all the answers to life if you just remember how to listen.
Lying around all day and daydreaming about ideas is one of the most powerful tools you can use to answer the question, “What should I do with my life?” Your imagination truly is your best friend because it can connect you with your intuition so that you can come up with your own answers and not rely on a friend, colleague, or a psychic.
Here is what you can do:
Step 1 – Find a quiet place you can get comfortable in (your bed, couch, park, beach, etc.). Just make sure you will not be interrupted.
Step 2 – Close your eyes
Step 3 – Ask yourself the question, “What should I do with my life?” “What excites me?” “What do I want to accomplish with this life?”
Step 4 – See what comes up in your minds eye
Step 5 – On a piece of paper write down what comes up
Make sure you turn off all distractions and don’t have things you have to take care of. Be in a relaxed state of mind with nothing to do and nowhere to be.
Note: This is why people who travel to places like Hawaii, Fiji, Aruba, Jamaica, and other far off island destinations are always filled with inspiration and ideas. Because they are not worried about their day to day tasks and can use their imagination for being creative rather than using their mind for tedious tasks.
Do Work You Are Passionate About
I’m sad : (
I’m sad because I realized that not many people know what it feels like to do work they are passionate about.
Every day people put their pants and shoes on, walk outside their door, and go to a job they hate. Then they complain and do nothing about it.
Seriously?
You are just going to sit there and do nothing about it?
This is your life…wake up!
Talk To Your Future Self
Another powerful tool you can use is to talk to your future self. One of the fastest ways to figure out what life means to you is by putting yourself in touch with your own immortality.
Yes, you are going to die at some point and for some of you reading this, much sooner than others.
Life is finite yet we forget this in the haze that is created from our daily routine. This is why people who have near-death experiences live a life filled with passion because they know that at any moment they can go.
The way you can use this to your advantage is to talk to your future self and ask him or her:
1. What would I regret not doing before I die?
2. What really excites me in life?
What should I do with My Life Resources
Here are some relevant articles and resources that can help you.
- Career Test – This is a set of questions that helps you find your career path
- How To Find Your Passion – This will help you find your passion in life
- How To Find Your Dream Job – A step by step process of finding your dream job
- Life Purpose – How to find your life purpose
- The Meaning Of Life – This article will help you answer that big question
- Motivational & Inspirational Quotes – Over 3000 quotes that will help inspire you
- Career Advice & Planning – Some simple tips to plan your career
- Internship – Some tips for college students on landing an internship
- How To Get Motivated – If you feel “blah” this will show you how to get motivated
- Motivation Techniques & Strategies – A mini course on how motivation works
MORE ARTICLES
What is the meaning of life? It’s a question that’s been asked for generations. Obviously, the answer varies depending on the person asking it. This is why only you can answer that question. The question is – how can you find out what the meaning of life is?
It could be something as simple as taking a walk. Take in all your surroundings. Clear your mind.
This post is about Street Wisdom which is a walking group. Check out this post about how the group is helping people discover the meaning of life.
For a lot of people, the meaning of life is to be happy. It can be true. After all, it’s good to live life happy. However, happiness is not the end-all, be-all. There are more things to life than happiness. You can’t live life on happiness alone.
This post brings us back to the 1940s. It tells a story that will show you that there’s more to life than being happy. Read the story and you might just find the meaning of life, whether you’re happy or not.
Is a happy life a meaningful life? You’ll be surprised to know that they don’t usually go hand in hand. They both should be your goals. You should be happy and live a meaningful life. However, they’re different from one another. Even if you’re happy, it doesn’t mean that you’re living a meaningful life. On that note, it doesn’t mean that you’re happy just because you’re living a meaningful life.
It’s a complicated theory which will be explained further in this post so check it out.
Sometimes, kids ask the hardest questions and Neil deGrasse Tyson found that out when a 6 year old by name of Jackson asked him at an event on what the meaning of life is.
As shown in this video, Tyson was able to answer the question calmly. This is a good video to watch as an adult. You’ll find a good answer to the question – what is the meaning of life? Even if you’re an adult, you may have the same question in mind as that of Jackson. Here’s Tyson on video answering it for you.
As soon as the new year rolls in, that’s when a lot of people are asking about the meaning of life. They look back at the past 12 months. Were those productive 12 months? Did they live fully? Were they able to find the meaning of life?
This explains why people come up with resolutions. They try to change for the better. They find the answer to the meaning of life and they commit to do things with this meaning of life in mind.
Reflect with the author in this post. Have your own new year moment and find the meaning of life.
What is the meaning of life? It’s a rather simple question, but will later on prove to have a very complicated answer. This Wiki page on the meaning of life is proof of it. It tries to tackle everything that can help you determine what the meaning of life is.
This page will help you ask the right questions. It will even look at the question from a scientific perspective. You’ll also see perspectives from different races. Religions will also be tackled. Check out this post and you might just find the meaning of life.
Who doesn’t know who Willie Nelson is? His legacy has been cemented. In addition to being a very good songwriter, he is also a spiritual leader. At 81 years old, you just know that he has accumulated a lot of knowledge. He may have just unlocked the meaning of life.
Listen to this podcast that revolves around a very eye-opening interview with Nelson. When Willie talks, you have to listen. You’ll learn a lot from listening to this podcast. It’s a good way to reflect on the meaning of life.
When talking about the meaning of life, people usually reflect on it from a spiritual perspective. This makes this post unique. It looks at this meaning of life from a cosmic evolution perspective. It provides you a new way to look at the meaning of life. If you’ve been asking what the meaning of life is and you can’t seem to find the answer, check out this post and look at the question from a different point of view.
John G. Messerly of reasonandmeaning.com talks about cosmic evolution and its role in the meaning of life. Read this post and be made aware.
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What do you want to do with your life? Ever since you were young, you’ve been asked that question by your teachers and your parents. Back then, answering the question was easy. But now that you’re an adult, you’re finding out the hard way that knowing what to do with your life is easier said than done.
This post provides tips that can help you figure out what you want in life. Know what you want right now by reading this post so you can work your way to achieving what you really want.
If you’re like most teenagers and adults, you’ve probably asked yourself the classic question, “What should I do with my life?” That’s a question that has baffled a lot of people, especially when they’re not feeling happy and content with where they are at that moment.
This post tries to correct the question. According to Reid Hoffman, who you should know as the LinkedIn founder, it’s the wrong question to ask. Check out this post to know why and know what you should be asking.
What should you do with your life? LinkedIn may have the answer for you. Yes, the popular networking site can help you determine what you should do in your life. This article provides the 3 easy steps that you should do to get the answer to your question. Make sure that you’re logged in to your LinkedIn account because you’ll need to be logged in to follow the steps.
Need help figuring this out? Get a life coach who can help you here.