Does the question, “What should I do with my life?” keep coming back over and over?

We ponder this question when we feel unsatisfied but are not sure what to do next.

We may feel unimpressed with our current achievements.

Deep inside us, we know that we could do better, but we don’t know what to do or where to start.

We are not sure what we are passionate about or how to give meaning to our life.

Current research indicates that there is a strong association between having a purpose in life and improved physical and mental health. 

According to Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, three things give life meaning:

• purposeful work such as a project

• a significant relationship involving love

• courage in the face of difficulty

“Only those items which I notice shape my mind.”

 

William James

What Should I Do With My Life: My Experience

Many years ago, I also struggled with the question of “What should I do with my life?”

I was single and lived with my parents. Most of my friends were already married and planning a family.

I couldn’t decide what career to choose. Was it necessary to go to college? Besides, most of my friends were graduating already.

I was working in a dead-end job. My friends were getting high paying opportunities in their field of interest.

I wished I could figure out what I was meant to be or do.

Was there one specific profession or career path I was supposed to pursue to feel fulfilled and happy?

The answer seemed to come easily to everyone else except for me.

I had tried different strategies such as taking psychological and vocational tests, reading books and biographies, and asking counselors for help.

The Problem with “What Should I do With my Life?”

Is it possible to wake up one day and know for sure what we are supposed to do with our lives and live happily ever after?

We want to do work that feels meaningful and fulfilling. Have loving relationships, and have enough money for everything we want to do.

We hope for a simple, straightforward answer that will be revealed to us or that we hope to discover.

Looking back, I realize that my main problem was how I thought about “what should I do with my life.”

I expected a definite answer with the guarantee that my decision was correct.

I did not want to make any more mistakes.

It took many years to figure out that “what should I do with my life?” was a process and not a destination.

Here are 3 Steps to figure out “What should I do with my life?”

1 – Ask Questions

You know more about yourself than you think.

Switch your focus from what you don’t know to what you do know.

The first step to figure out “what should I do with my life?” is to ask questions, write the answers, and review them later.

Questions to Help You Focus on Your Areas of Interest

What activities are you good at?

List 5 activities that you enjoy.

Is there any task others always ask you for help with?

How do you spend your free time?

What do you do when there is nothing to do?

What are you curious about?

List 5 things you would like to learn more about.

What three people do you admire the most and why?

List your three favorite books or movies. What do you like about them?

Imagine your own death. What will you regret not doing?

What do you fear losing?

Once you wrote down this information take a break.

Come back the following day and read your answers.

Look for patterns.

Focus on what you are curious about and what you would like to learn more about.

More importantly, trust the ideas that may come to you from answering the previous questions.

Paying attention to your life is where finding what to do with your life starts.

Also, the process of asking questions will give you ideas of what you could do with your life.

2 – Be Aware of The Biggest Obstacle

What prevents us from living the life we want is fear.

We are afraid of:

• failing
• waisting our time
• making the wrong decision

Above all, we are afraid of what we don’t know.

Fear and indecision keep us from moving forward.

However, the only way to find out what you should do with your life is through your own experience.

If you are wondering How to Overcome the Fear of Failure, here are 10 Easy Tips.

3 – Take Action

 We will have to act in spite of feeling scared and unprepared.

Therefore, discovering “what should I do with my life” is something that we build with our everyday experience.

We need to search and experiment to find out what to do with our life.

Take one step in the direction of your interests. Think about it as a journey not a destination.

The more steps you take forward the more information you will have about yourself.

Consider that what you are doing may be a mistake but you won’t be able to know that unless you take that path.

If you need some encouragement, read the biography of any person you admire. You will see how the seemingly mistakes ended up serving a purpose in the overall life of the person.

If you realize you made a mistake, make the necessary changes, and move on.

The obstacles and challenges will provide you with more information about the right decision.

If you need help taking action, Building Self Confidence will provide useful guidance.

Related Posts:

“I feel stuck in life” – Get Yourself Immediately Unstuck

Which of the 3 steps do you find the most difficult: finding your interests, overcoming fear, or taking action? Let me know in the comments below.