Photo by JSmith Photo
Deciding what to do with your life is one of the toughest decisions you will have to make, but there are many ways to help yourself decide. And you should always remember that any decision you make does not have to be eternal, you can always change your mind and start to pursue something else. However that takes time and effort so the best thing would be to make good decision at the beginning.
1. Try many different things
You can’t know what is good for you until you try many different things. Find different summer jobs or go with somebody older to their job and spend day there, explore new hobbies and activities until you find something that fulfills you.
2. Let others inspire you
Find people you admire and read about them or watch documentaries about their life. If you know someone who inspires you, contact him and talk to him directly. Find out how they figure out what they want to do and get inspired by their stories.
3. Do volunteer work
It will help you evolve as a human being and it might just show you what you want to do. But even if it does not, you will meet new people, get new experiences and enrich your CV.
4. Make 1, 5 and 10 years plans
Think about it and write it down. Not just what kind of career you want but everything you can think. Make 1-year plan as detail as you can, 5-year little less and 10-year one should be about big stuff only. When you realize what you want you can think about how to do it. And even if you go in the other direction, reading your past plans will help you learn a bit more about yourself.
5. Read about other people experiences
When you get to the point that you roughly know what you want, do a research on how other accomplished it. Find different approaches and then choose one that suits you the best.
6. Ask close people what do they think suits you
Your parents and closest siblings know you better that anyone else. Don’t hesitate to ask them for an opinion, maybe they will tell you something you did not realized until they told you. You don’t have to do as they say, but it is always a good thing to see things from other perspective.
7. Ask your teachers or coworkers
While your siblings know you best, your teachers or coworkers have seen you in working environment. Again this will give you more perspectives about your life.
8. Don’t put pressure on yourself
Never pressure yourself, there is always enough time. Even if you make wrong decision you can always change your occupation. Some people discover themselves in late 30’s, 40’s or even 50’s, and still manage to succeed in life.
9. Meet many people and hang out a lot
Meeting people and hanging out a lot will open many doors for you. You never know what can come out of it. Maybe you will meet someone with same goals as you, so you will be able to pursue them together, or you might meet someone who will be your main investor in some new idea.
10. Never stop learning
Never stop learning about everything you are interested in. Everything you learn will come in handy one day. And by learning you are developing yourself constantly.
