what should i do to figure out what i want to do in life
11 Min Read | Dec 6, 2021
AskingWhat should I do with my life?is serious business because information technology's most something bigger than you. By offering your unique contribution to the world, y'all're going to alter the trajectory of then many people's lives. I strongly believe you were created to fill up a unique role, which means y'all are needed and you must do it—and that as well ways y'all have a responsibility to figure out what it is.
But I know that can experience intimidating, so I've got seven questions for yous that volition help you lot decide how to spend the fourth dimension and talent you've been given. Before we jump in, I want to encourage you to practice something: Get away for a day or even a weekend to dig into this. Minimize distractions and reflect. This discovery is a process.
All right, ready to get started? Here are seven questions to assistance you detect what to do with your life.
1. What's your sweetness spot?
This is the nearly practical advice I have when it comes to finding your life purpose, and information technology's one of the most common topics I go asked nearly on The Ken Coleman Show. It'south what I similar to call thesweet spot: the place where your talent, passion and mission intersect. The goal is to utilize what you do best to practise work you dear to produce results that matter.
Become Everything You Demand to State the Job Y'all Honey!
At present, every human has talent. Every human being has passion. Only talent and passion on their ain are not enough. We're looking for a way to ally the ii and unite them with the tertiary factor in discovering your purpose: your mission. Let's talk through each of these elements.
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Talent: What You Do Best
Talent is all virtually identifying and owning your natural skills and abilities—and working to develop them. Hopefully, you've had enough life experience to know what you're skillful at. Wait back on your school, work and hobbies to get some clues. Are you a natural leader? A skilled communicator? Are you skilful at analyzing data or creating creative masterpieces? If you're truly at a loss, get some input from friends, family, mentors and teachers by asking them to share what they observe about your skills.
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Passion: What You Honey to Practise About
It's not enough to be adept at something—I want you todear what you do. In order to find your passion, think about the activities that fasten high levels of emotion and devotion. You can just piece of work, work, work, work without even noticing the time fly past. You lot come alive when you lot're engaged in these tasks, and you're totally captivated, both mentally and emotionally.
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Mission: The Results That Matter
The 3rd ingredient to a meaningful calling is determining your mission: The results of your work that affair most to you. This one can be a piffling harder to grasp, so think through these questions to help wrap your brain effectually mission:
- Who exercise you want to assist?
- What trouble practise y'all want to fix?
- What's the consequence of your work that makes your heart feel full?
- Think back on a time when you fabricated a difference in someone'southward life. What were you doing? How did it make y'all feel?
And so, recollect about roles and career fields where y'all could employ your talent, passion and mission all together—that's your sweet spot. (And here'southward a pro tip: My online Get Clear Career Assessment will give you customized results and generate those career ideas for you.) That kind of piece of work is what we want to aim for as we go along this discovery process!
2. What did yous savour doing as a kid?
Think back to when you were 10 years former. What were your dreams, hopes and hobbies? Every bit children, we saw the world as a blank canvas—full of possibility. Nosotros knew what we loved. We knew what we were proficient at. But as we anile, we lost our sense of wonder. We became contemptuous and injure, listening to the voices of fearfulness, doubt and pride. We tried to fit into the mold that our parents, culture or community set for u.s..
I want you to return to the vision yous had for your life when you were x years former. Okay, sure—perhaps yous dreamed of playing for the NBA dorsum so, merely it turns out you never grew taller than 5'7". That's not the vision I'm talking about. Inquire yourself these questions to go in touch with those buried dreams:
- What brought me joy equally a kid?
- What did I spend hours doing?
- What did my teachers and friends say about my skills growing up?
- What was I known for?
- In what classes, sports or arts did I excel?
- What jobs did I dream of doing as I was growing upward? What'south the common thread between them?
Trust your gut on this. Don't overthink it. When it comes to large questions like What should I practise with my life?, nosotros often overcomplicate the process, when our 10-year-old self tin actually help us find what we're looking for.
Find Confidence and Clarity in Your Career
Find where your talent, passion and mission intersect to get clarity on the perfect role for yous!
3. Who's your favorite volume or motion picture graphic symbol?
What on God's green Earth does this question have to do with your life purpose? Stay with me. This is a fun practice that can help you find your calling. I learned it from psychologist John Eldredge, and I've establish it to be very helpful in my ain life and in coaching sessions with callers on my show.
Ask yourself,What's my favorite flick, who'southward my favorite grapheme in that movie, and why am I drawn to them? (If you're more than of a literary nerd, yous can replacemovie withbook.)
Here'due south my own reply to this question: My favorite character is Jimmy Chitwood from the movieHoosiers. I love him because he steps upwards for his basketball game team and his small town when he's needed—and in the end (spoiler alert), he sinks the final shot to win the state championship! I want to be like Jimmy because he performs well when it matters most. He comes through for those who are counting on him.
The heroes and heroines that we admire reveal a lot nearwho nosotros are andwhat we want our lives to wait like. Are you a strong leading lady like Wonder Woman? Or an educated, assuming and loyal sidekick similar Doc Holliday fromTombstone? Having a hero to imitate gives you a list of specific skills and qualities to develop in yourself as you lot movement frontward on your journey.
iv. What'southward holding you dorsum?
When you set out to reach something meaningful, you'llalways encounter resistance. Yous're filled with hesitation at the thought of stepping into the part that the Creator of the universe made for you. You're terrified because it means you take to alter. And change is total of the unknown. Well, I've got some news for y'all, folks: If you lot want to find your purpose, you need to embrace the unknown. Information technology doesn't take to scare you. Instead, it can make full you with the wonder of possibility (recall, recall like a 10-twelvemonth-erstwhile).
Identifying your obstacles is the start step in learning how to move by them. There are iii enemies that will threaten to agree yous back on this journey: fear, doubtfulness and pride. Hither are a few questions that will assistance you exercise some digging:
- Fear: Are y'all afraid of what other people think? Are you lot worried most finances? Are you scared you're going to choose the wrong path?
- Dubiousness: Practice yous experience inadequate? Exercise y'all believe you lot don't accept anything valuable to contribute? Are you 2d-guessing your gut instinct?
- Pride: Is the fright of failure holding you back? Are you waiting to make a motion until you have it all figured out?
Once you've identified what's holding you back, you've got a selection to brand. You lot tin can choose to let your insecurities call the shots, or you tin overcome your fear and move forward. Don't settle for "safe." Accept the courage to take a risk and declare state of war on the enemies that will continue you from your purpose.
5. Are you willing to cede?
Discovering why you're here on Earth isn't easy. It's not going to make your life polish and uneventful. In fact, choosing to detect and live by your life purpose is one of the well-nigh difficult things you'll e'er undertake. Once y'all place your calling, y'all need to exist prepared to work for it. You lot're signing up for long, difficult hours of unseen labor—learning and practicing and sharpening your skills. Annihilation worth doing takes fourth dimension and patience.
Hither's the truth: People are oft in love with the end result of a meaningful life. We look up to great teachers, athletes, authors and entrepreneurs, and we want what they have. But we fail to acknowledge that these men and women had to pay a toll. As my good friend Dave Ramsey says, y'all work for 25 years, and and then suddenly you lot're an overnight success. You must be willing to workdifficult if y'all desire to make the most of your life.
6. What's your motion picture of a fulfilled life?
What is that terminate upshot you'd be willing to work for? On the other side of the sacrifice, hard work and long nights, in that location'southward a life that'south beautiful and satisfying. I desire yous to paint a movie of what that life is for yous.
But allow me analyze: This isn't nearly making buckets of money, seeing yourself in a individual jet or a luxurious hotel. There'south nothing wrong with wanting those things, merely I'm challenging you to think even bigger. This is about being the person yous were created to be in gild to make this world a amend place. What a shame it would be to waste product your life building your own tiny empire when there are people out in that location who need what you have to offer.
Being fulfilled goes beyond landing your dream job. This is about your community, your family unit and the legacy you want to leave. Dream big. Write it downwardly. Depict a picture (literally). And let that vision inform the choices you make every mean solar day.
7. What would happen if you lot stayed on the sidelines?
After you've spent time picturing a fulfilled life, do the verbal opposite. Think about what your life will look similar if you stay exactly where you are forever. Maybe it'south comfortable. Maybe you earn a good bacon. Peradventure you're living upwards to your parents' expectations. Have your current state of affairs and play information technology out 10, 20, xxx years into the future. Does the road y'all're on lead to where yous want to get?
A life without meaning will somewhen make you miserable. Know why? Because your soul is demanding yous to be who y'all were created to be. And if you deny yourself that opportunity, yous're going to end upward isolated, empty and lost. Don't merely sit on the sidelines of life and watch others play the game. There's too much at pale.
Discover What You Were Made to Do With Your Life
Now give yourself a pat on the dorsum, because this kind of cocky-reflection takes some serious courage! Once yous've gotten more than clarity and accept a better picture of the work you want to pursue, you can kickoff making connections in the industry you desire to be a office of. It volition have time and persistence, but I promise that if y'all piece of work hard and never give up, you'll eventually find work that's meaningful to y'all.
And if you're however feeling stumped after you've worked through all these questions, check out the Get Articulate Career Assessment. This ten- to 15-minute online assessment will give you personalized results that assist yous clarify your summit talents, top passions and professional mission—plus you'll become guidance on the roles and career fields that would be a groovy fit for yous. Even ameliorate: Right now, you can get it bundled together with my new volume, From Paycheck to Purpose, which will walk you lot through the seven-stage path to meaningful work so you can notice a chore you truly love!
About the author
Ken Coleman
Source: https://www.ramseysolutions.com/career-advice/what-should-i-do-with-my-life
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