When you don’t know what to do with your life, read this.
My heart used to jump every time someone would ask me what I wanted to do with my life, because at the time I was 25 and had been devastated after my breakup and being stranded in China.
“Uhh… I don’t know. Maybe get a job?”
I said this primarily to break off from the conversation, but in truth, I was worried.
What am I going to do with my life?
Should I go back to school and get my masters degree?
Should I help out with my family’s business?
Should I start building my career?
Should I start dating again?
I knew I had to make a decision to get my life moving again, but at the same time, I was afraid of being unhappy. Afraid that I’d make the ‘wrong’ choice.
I’m sure many of you have experienced a similar dilemma where you’ve felt lost and worried about how your future will turn out. Where everyone you know seems to be achieving what they want (e.g. working at a well-known company, getting engaged/ married) and feeling satisfied with their lives.
Except you.
But that’s where you’re wrong.
The truth is, everyone around you is facing the same problem – they’re all trying to find their purpose in this world. They question if they‘re doing the right thing, if they’re on the right path, if they’re truly happy with the decisions they’ve made in their life.
A well-respected doctor might secretly hate herself for not pursuing her passion in writing.
A mother might regret having kids early because she didn’t have enough time for herself.
A millionaire with a Lamborghini and dozens of girlfriends might still feel lonely.
People who you assume are ‘successful’, who you believe to have their life together may feel just as lost as you are.
So what should I do?
Find yourself.
Find what makes you truly happy, understand what you’re passionate about, do the things you never had a chance to do.
Life is about discovering who you are and living a life that you would be proud of.
You might get advice from people who insist that you follow a certain path or direction. But just take that advice with a grain of salt because advice like those are often imparted by people who wished they could’ve taken that advice on their past selves, which might not necessarily be the kind of advice that benefits you.
Remember, your life is yours to build, not for others to steer.
As long as you keep pursuing the things you love and challenging yourself to try new things, you’ll eventually know where and what you want to be.
At least that’s how I discovered what I wanted to do with my life.
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Jeje
Hi Tiffany, Thank you for your post (s) I’m 54 and got a decent job but I still don’t know what I want to do in life. I’ve had that “curse” for as long as I can remember. It is quite a pain in the a** but that’s just the way it is , for now anyway. The only thing saving me is that I work with “challenged” individuals and it brings me a little joy and feeling grateful to make a difference in a few or even only one person daily life. Some days it is very hard not to let go of the gratitude for all I have. I do know that many have it much harder than I do. Thank you again for all your stories, adventures and thoughts.
Tiffany Sun
Hey Jeje! Thanks for sharing your story – it reminds me of this quote by Lewis Carroll: “It is one of the great secrets of life that those things which are most worth doing, we do for others.” Keep doing what you’re doing, help as many people as you can. You’re making a huge difference in this world already that some people don’t do. 🙂
Sandy Perez
hello Tiffany, it seems that I cut relate to your post very much. I always thought I knew what I wanted to do/be when I graduated high school. Go to college, get good grades, become a teacher. But I dropped out of college, I currently have no employment, and my relationship is tense due to stress. I don’t know what I want to do in life, I’m not sure i’m passionate about anything, and I can’t seem to be happy with myself. Any thoughts or tips?
Tiffany Sun
The best way to get out of this “funk” that you’re feeling is to overwhelm your schedule with many different activities. This isn’t just to distract you from thinking about your current situation, but rather it’s to help you find something that you might enjoy, something that you might want to pursue in the long run that could possibly evolve into something more – like a career, a hobby, a passion, a side project.
Life’s pretty unpredictable for the most part and let me tell you that there’s no one out there who knows 100% what they should do. So don’t stress out; everyone is in this game together. Just focus on pushing forward and eventually, there’ll be something or someone that you’ll find worthwhile.