Every now and then, I get a call from somebody who essentially has no clue about what they want to do with their life. Here’s what I recommend:
Start by asking yourself what you’re good at. It may not be your passion, but not everyone can make a living off of their passion. Sometimes people make a living at what they’re good at and their passion is the other part of their life.
Next, ask yourself what you want to contribute to society. Do you want to entertain? Do you want to save lives? Do you want to inspire? What is it that you want to do? Imagine your epitaph. What would you want it to say? “Terrific Mom?”“Great Inventor?”
Consider who your role models are. Is there somebody doing something that you think, “Gosh, that’s a good way to lead a life.” When I was a kid, I loved reading books about people who had done amazing things with their lives. At the time, I thought I’d find the recipe for success in those books. But later I realized that it wasn’t what was in the books at all. It’s about how those people overcame what they overcame to do whatever it is that they did.
If you’re at a crossroads over whether to work full time at a corporate job or do freelance gigs in what you love, you have to know yourself. Which loss is acceptable to you? Money or passion?
If you choose to follow your passion and it’s not lucrative, accept the possibility that you won’t own five houses. If you choose money, accept that you’ll likely spend a lot of time wondering “what if” because ultimately your soul won’t be fed.
When you think about what you want to do for a living, also consider the kind of people you want to interact with on a daily basis. Because whatever you pick, you will be surrounded by a type of person (albeit, there will be individuals) much of the time.
Finally, imagine your perfect day. When do you get up and with whom? Think about what your perfect day is and then work on making it a reality.