What should I do with my life? Show Unlike so many other questions you have about your career, this one’s not quite as easy to Google. (Or—shameless plug—to look up on The Muse.) SEARCH OPEN JOBS ON THE MUSE! See who’s hiring here, and you can even filter your search by benefits, company size, remote opportunities, and more. Then, sign up for our newsletter and we’ll deliver advice on landing the job right to you. The good news is, you’re not alone—in fact, I’ll guarantee that everyone has pondered their career path, finding their passion, or what they're meant to be doing at some point. And luckily, many of them are willing to share their advice. If you’re at a loss for what steps to take next, read on for the best pieces of advice from a recent Quora thread on this very issue. 1. Talk to People
Gaurav Munjal You’d be surprised at how much you can learn just listening to other people talk. OK, yes, sometimes you might not learn much more than how badly traffic was backed up during rush hour. But other times, if you listen (and listen between the lines), you’ll get insight into people’s motivations, hopes, dreams, and ambitions. And when you piece all that together, you can learn how others got to where they are today—and if that’s a path you want to be on, too. (Try these informational interview questions if you have no idea where to start.) 2. Get Started
Kathleen Grace Regardless of what you generally want to do, it never hurts to start building something. Really anything. Start creating a portfolio, launch a career newsletter, or learn how Periscope works. There are so many things you can do for your career—even if you don’t know what you want to do. And, just like the previous advice, the actual act of doing will help further clarify what paths you might want to be on, and which ones you should rule out. 3. Gather Inspiration From Others
David Ball No matter what you do, you probably want to be successful at it. So what better way to get started than by learning how others reached their goals? Keep in mind as you’re reading that these people weren’t born knowing what they wanted to do either. (Get more inspiration from this list of 30 things to read, watch, listen to, and do to help you answer this age-old question.) 4. Prepare for a Long Journey
Andrei Palskoi One huge misconception about figuring out what you want to do with your life is that you will have a sudden, magical moment of extreme clarity and then have your entire life planned. In actuality, lives shift constantly, and you’ll need to regroup and reconsider your journey as you go along. So instead of being surprised when you have to make new decisions, anticipate them, and dare I say it, be excited for them. 5. Leave Your Comfort Zone
Can Sar Maybe you don’t know what you want to do because you haven’t tried what you’re meant to do yet. And you won’t know if that is true or not until you get out there and start ruling things out. Seriously, it’s easy to get into a rut and feel like you have no options besides what you are you doing right now. However, by taking a step outside your comfort zone, you might be surprised by how much you end up liking something that you never in a million years imagined you would. 6. Be Okay With Failing
Anuj Kumar Nothing will slow you down more in your quest to figure out what to do with your life than being afraid of failure. Yes, you’ve heard this before—but that’s because it’s true. You won’t ever be able to nail down what makes you happy if you rule everything out because it sounds hard. 7. Enjoy Not Knowing
James Altucher You know how math problems always seem impossible when you first look at them, but then, after taking a break, the answer feels so obvious? Figuring out what you want to do with your life is kind of like that. By focusing on other less-pressing matters, the obvious answer may just come to you when you’re least expecting it—and it will be clearer than you ever imagined it to be. Feel better about not knowing what you want to do with your life? A little? Just remember that you don’t have to have it all figured out. And that even when you do, you might change course a few times. So don’t worry about having all the answers—just thinking about it is a good start. What other tips do you have for figuring out what to do with your life? Let me know on Twitter. Need More Help? Try this worksheet to help you find your passion over your lunch break! |