In life, you have to make decisions. Some are easier like choosing what to eat at a restaurant. Some are so and so like choosing what to watch on Netflix. A few are extremely difficult that you might even get a headache just from trying to decide. Choosing a career, or what to do with your life, is one of those for many people. It is rare for people (At a young age) to find something that they genuinely enjoy doing in life, get paid for it, and do it for the rest of their lives. Most of us have to keep searching as we go through life. Well, if you are currently deciding on how you want to spend your time making a living, these 5 tips can help you.
#1: Relax!
I know I mentioned in the intro that choosing what to do with your life can give you a major headache, but you just have to take a minute to relax. Take a minute to close your eyes, take in a couple of deep breaths, and just chill. Understand that you are not alone. Many people struggle to find a profession that they enjoy right off the bat. It's not a one size fits all kind of thing because we are talking about your life and your life only. It is not an easy decision to make, but if you take a deep breath and focus, you will have the clarity to even begin browsing through your options.
#2: Take some time to THINK!
It is easy to be distracted in our world today. There are so many things going on and with the internet + our phones, it can be tough to focus. It is important to carve out some time to sit down (Without distractions) and think about what you can see yourself doing with your life. It's like doing a puzzle. You want to, ideally, be in a place you can concentrate. You have to also make it a priority to make the time to focus on your future. Should you cancel a weekend with your friends and use that time to figure out some options? That's up to you my friend. You choose what your priorities are in life.
#3: What are you good at?
Sometimes when you don't really know where to begin thinking about your future, it helps to think about the things you are good at. Do you have some kind of skill or talent that can help steer you towards a specific path? Has anyone ever told you: "Damn, you are really good at [Insert your talent]!" If you think hard enough, you may discover that you have some hidden talents/skills that may not have been so obvious to you. It doesn't always have to be so black & white. Embrace the grey! In a lot of cases, people have discovered a passion for something once they got really good at something and then built on that.
#4: What do you like?
Once you thought about what you are good at, think about what you like. This comes in handy when you don't want to make a living doing what you are good at (Not everyone will enjoy making a living doing what they are good at). Do you like designing clothes? Do you like spending time outdoors? Do you like making videos or photos and editing them? Do you like cooking? Simply think of things you enjoy doing and see if you can make a living doing them. Just remember, money is important but it is not everything (Unless that is your goal). Tom Brady loves football. Kobe Bryant loved basketball. They make/made a living doing what they love. If you can't do what you love full time, then at least do it part-time until you can make it full-time.
#5: TRY DIFFERENT THINGS!
If you haven't nailed down any options after looking at what you are good at or what you like, that's OK. I suggest you try different things. If you have never tried sushi (It's tasty BTW), how do you know you won't like it? We all have different taste buds. I know some people that love ranch dressing and others that can't stand it. I know some people that love steak and some that can't imagine themselves eating steak. Just as we have different tastes in food, we also have different tastes in career options. It' ok to experiment. You don't have to stay fixed on a certain path. If one day you decide you want to be a lawyer, then the next day you decide you want to save the endangered European Hamster species, that is fine. What is not ok is staying in the same place your whole life and hating it.
Finding out what you want to do with your life can be hard. You are deciding on how to spend a big chunk of your time while you are on this earth. It's a big decision, but at the same time, you have to relax and take some time to think for yourself. Everyone is different. One career or profession can be the ideal one for some while also being a nightmare for others. You have to think about what YOU want. Not what your parents want. Not what your BF or GF wants. Not what your friends want. It's about what YOU want! It's ok not to have it all figured out the way society says we are supposed to have it figured out. Again, because we are all unique and no two people are the same. Don't be afraid to be different.