I have so many friends with great careers including lawyers, accountants, consultants, marketing managers, salesmen and designers who’ve been at their jobs for a few years and are killing it, but suddenly are wanting more. They want more out what they’re doing, they want to have a greater impact, a grander purpose and something that will not only challenge them professionally but personally.
The question I most often hear from my circle of friends is “What do I really want to do with my life?” After having success in the business world they’ve realized they can succeed in other areas, but the problem is they don’t know what they want to do. So paralyzed by the fear of the unknown most of them do nothing. And the truth is your passion isn’t going to come knocking at your door—you have to go out and find it.
So how do you find out what you really want to do with your life? Here are some tips that helped me.
Believe in yourself. I can’t stress this point enough. If you want change in your life you have first believe you want it and not let outside influences affect you even if that’s your friends or family. Just remember it’s your life and you’re the one who has to live it.
Take action. Make a list of all the possible things you would want to do (no matter how absurd) and interview a person for each job you would consider. You’ll find out if it’s right for you and if it is—learn how they did it.
Surround yourself with positive people. Ever hear the phrase, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with?” Make sure those people are only bringing you up, if they are not find people who will. This can be a hard change, but once you meet people on the same page as you the whole world opens up.
