I have always struggled to figure out where I should go in life. When I was younger there always seemed to be this mysterious gift that other kids had, they knew what they wanted in their lives. It was more than just knowing they had a timeline too and I felt all left out. But now looking back I realize that most people don’t have a clue about where they want to go.
So I’m going to give you some tips to help you choose your direction when you don’t have a clue.
What do you want?
Ewww ok this is a tough question if you tackle it in the traditional sense, but I’m going to give you a suggestion… think about the want do you want question like this:
I want a lifestyle that enables me to do________________
I want to be able to do ________________________________ everyday
I want to spend my time [doing/thinking/dreaming] about ___________________________
I want to feel ______________________________ about my life
Maybe tackling this question will help you be less intimidated and more empowered. Here’s another one.
What do I need?
When you think about this question don’t just think about the physical things, thinking about what keeps you sane on a daily basis. Those are the things that are going to help guide you and the direction of your life because you’ll want to keep these things in your life to keep you loving the life you’ve got while you’re going along making each small and big decision.
What physical aspects of my life do I need?
Is there equipment that I use that brings me happiness and joy?
Is there a location that I spend a lot of time in that makes me feel peaceful and at ease?
Are there things that I enjoy doing that make me energized?
Have you noticed that you are worse off without a particular activity in your life?
What hobbies do you wish you had more time for?
What things do you love doing more than any other?
It has taken me a long time to own the things I enjoy, writing being one of them. I didn’t realize my love of writing made me calmer and happier until I tried to give it up. Doing that made me feel less fulfilled and though I am a busy person with a fulltime job I know now that making time for this passion of mine is important.
So, what makes you better?
What have you given up that you need in your life (that has a positive impact on you and those around you)?
What things don’t you need in your life?
When I was younger the list of what I didn’t want to do with my life was always easier to compile than the list of what I wanted. Elimination is always a useful tool in figuring out the better option for a direction to your life if you have to make a decision and have either no clue or a few different options and no clue on how to distinguish them.
What tasks do you not enjoy doing?
What bores you to tears?
What tasks make you feel de-energized?
What places do you not enjoy being?
Varying the questions you ask yourself and how you think about how to choose a direction in your life will help you to think outside of the obvious and come up with some new answers.
Pro tip: Write down your answers
No joke, this is the best way to really get down to the nitty-gritty of what is swirling around inside that head of yours. Those wispy thoughts need to be put down onto paper or in digital form and they need to be uncensored.
So, ask yourself the question and let yourself answer and don’t think about what comes out on the page while you’re writing just write. The funny thing is the way your brain works this method will tap into what you really think deep down inside and leaves the practical logical side to one side for this task. You want to let go and give yourself the freedom, to be honest, and then you’ll have the answers to the direction you need to take.
This may not be as clear as you’d like, it may be something like ‘I need and want to keep learning and growing’, or ‘I want and need to have stability and positivity in my life,’ or ‘I hate where I am and what I’m doing because I feel bored every day sitting on a computer.’
So, if you get something like these examples don’t despair. Why?
This is because once you acknowledge what you want/need etc by going through this process you allow your brain to start thinking and pondering what these things mean and how to implement these into your life to make it the life of your dreams.
If you want more ideas on how to do this check out our free Dream Building download!