Wondering “What should I do with my life?” This questions can be a HUGE source of anxiety.
But with a little bit of reflection, finding your way doesn’t have to be so scary.
In this article, we will explore a series of questions. The answers to these questions will help you figure out your life purpose, or what you should do with your life.
What is a life purpose?
A life purpose is a broad idea of what you want your life to be about and the kind of person you want to become.
It’s the underlying mission that guides you through life, the big goals you have, and how you strive to live each day.
Your life purpose gives meaning and direction to your actions, serving as a powerful beacon in times of uncertainty and indecision or when faced with difficult choices.
Knowing your life purpose allows you to define actionable steps towards achieving it and to build productive habits that will lead to lasting satisfaction.
Does everyone have just one life purpose?
Everyone has unique interests, values, and talents that add up to create a purposeful life, tailored to them. However, I don’t think that anyone has a single life purpose.
Rather than looking for a single life purpose that fits perfectly with who you are as a person, it’s about exploring different possibilities that allow you to combine the different pieces of you and discovering the one that works best for you.
Finding the highest percentage match could be the key to finding true happiness and fulfillment in life.
How to Find the Answer to "What Should I Do with My Life?" Step-by-Step
To find your life purpose, we are going to walk through a series of questions designed to help you identify and refine your big picture.
It is important to keep in mind that there is no universal life purpose; what matters is finding the best match for you.
While it may take some trial and error to find this answer, it can be incredibly rewarding when you do.
Here is an outline of what to expect as we continue:
- Start with where you are.
- Clarify your dreams.
- Bring the two together.
This exercise will help you explore different possibilities and gain clarity on what is important to you.
By the end, you’ll have more clarity on all the things that contribute to deciding what you should do with your life.
So if you’re ready, let’s get started! Keep reading to complete this exercise yourself.
Start with Where You Are
Starting with where you are is the foundation of finding overall happiness and understanding your life purpose.
Taking stock of your strengths, weaknesses, and desires allows you to gain extreme clarity on what needs to be done in order to make progress. This clarity gives you a better idea of which paths can lead to finding your life purpose and achieving true contentment.
As important as figuring out your future goals may be, it is equally important to focus on the present – for only then will you understand the best steps that need to be taken to realize those goals.
What do you enjoy most about your life now?
If you take a moment to pause and reflect on what you enjoy most in life, chances are you’re experiencing either a feeling of flow or passion when you are doing it.
The feeling of flow is when you become so immersed in an activity that you lose track of time. Hours pass without you noticing — this could be anything from reading a book to playing your favorite sport.
Similarly, passionate moments are when something really ignites your fire and gives you purpose; these moments make the world seem infinite and it’s hard not to feel excited.
When do you feel in flow? When do you feel passionate? Write down your answers.
What do you dread doing most in your current life?
Despite the fear and dread of facing difficult decisions and situations, understanding these moments can help us to get closer to finding our life purpose.
Embracing the feeling of being overwhelmed or even crying is an important part of recognizing and acknowledging our strengths, weaknesses, and desires; all essential steps in helping us understand where exactly we stand and what paths lead to realizing our greater potential.
Gaining a greater sense of self-awareness allows us to take control of our lives instead of letting fear dictate how we should live.
Ultimately, this leads us on the path to discovering our life purpose.
What makes you feel overwhelmed with dread? When was the last time you were so frustrated or afraid that you started crying? Write down your answers.
What are your personal values?
When we take the time to think about our core beliefs, attitudes, and principles, it can help us figure out what matters most to us and how we want to live our lives.
For some, family might be a major value that influences their decisions, while others might prioritize things like professional success or financial stability.
By understanding our values, we can identify those areas that bring us joy and fulfillment and use them as a guide for taking action and making decisions in line with our goals.
Taking the time to discover your values will help you gain a better understanding of yourself and ultimately lead you closer to finding your purpose in life.
What values matter most to you? Write down your answers.
If today were your last day on Earth, what would you regret not having done?
Taking time to consider what you would regret not having done if today were your last day on Earth can be an essential part of figuring out your life purpose.
Ask yourself: What would I want to accomplish or experience before it’s too late?
Reflect on relationships you hold dear, places you want to visit, skills you want to learn, and goals that make you feel passionate.
By focusing in on these elements, you can start to narrow down the things that truly matter most and create a plan for achieving them.
This way, when everyday life becomes overwhelming, the regret exercise helps provide clarity and purpose as you work towards creating a life of fulfillment and happiness.
What motivates you to keep going?
Life can feel overwhelming when you don’t know your purpose or direction.
It’s important to identify what motivates you and drives you forward, no matter how many setbacks you experience.
Identifying the activities, people, and values that truly inspire and motivate you provides clarity so that when things become difficult, you can always come back to these sources of motivation to keep going.
Even if some days are tough, finding out what resonates deep down inside will empower you and give meaning to any challenge – because, in the end, it all comes down to following something that makes your heart beat with passion.
Clarify Your Dreams
When we take the time to ask ourselves what we truly want in life and examine the elements of our personal life that bring us joy, it is easier to begin formulating a plan for achieving our dream job or other goals.
Knowing what gives us hope and motivation will give us clarity about our ambitions and make our journey towards finding our life purpose much easier.
Taking the time to understand what drives us will help put into perspective what steps need to be taken to find our true calling.
What does a day in your perfect life look like?
By reflecting on the activities, people, and situations that make you feel inspired and energized, you can start to form a clearer picture of what really matters to you.
Thinking about how you would spend a perfect day also allows you to get creative and determine what future goals should be your priorities.
Knowing what kind of life would bring you the most happiness and fulfillment will motivate you to strive for it with all your might.
With a clearer focus on what is important to you, finding true purpose and direction can become much easier.
For me, my perfect day involves sitting in a coffee shop, finding ways to help you. Having a flexible schedule and the perfect work-life balance (for me) so that I can be available for my daughter.
What about you? Write down your answers.
What have you always wanted to try doing but haven't?
Answering the question “What have you always wanted to try doing but haven’t?” can help you discover what to do with your life.
Exploring activities, hobbies, and projects that make you happy can give you a clue as to where to start. It could be anything from trying out a new sport or cuisine to volunteering with a particular cause.
Taking the time to think about and research those things that really interest you is an opportunity for self-discovery – it will help you figure out where you want to spend your time and energy in order to live a meaningful life.
What is keeping you from trying it?
When it comes to finding what to do with your life, understanding what prevents you from trying new things will help you make the most of every opportunity.
We all have a comfort zone that we are comfortable in, but if we want to reach our full potential and fulfill our dreams, sometimes we must take risks and step out of it.
To understand what obstacles might be preventing you from experiencing something new, start by being honest with yourself – identify the behaviors or thoughts that discourage you and work on reframing them into more positive ones.
Once those barriers are taken down, the world is yours for exploring and embracing any challenge – because anything is possible!
What does happiness mean to you?
Knowing what brings you joy and fulfillment is key to discovering your true life purpose.
Consider the things that make you unique, what activities give you a sense of purpose, and which experiences bring you true contentment.
Reflecting on these questions will lead you towards an understanding of what truly makes you happy and in turn help guide the decisions you make toward creating a meaningful life.
Once you understand what it is that really matters to you, taking the time to explore potential paths can help provide clarity and focus on how best to use your strengths, talents, passions, and abilities in order to reach your goals.
Who inspires you?
Knowing who inspires you is essential when trying to figure out what to do with your life.
Take some time to reflect on the important people in your life, such as family members, friends, and mentors. Think about how these people have shaped who you are today and how their ideals motivate you to achieve success.
Analyze their stories, know their values, and recognize the paths they took that brought them joy and accomplishment. Learn from their successes as well as their hardships so that you can create a plan of action to guide you through your own journey.
Ultimately, by understanding who motivates and encourages you, it will be easier to make decisions that bring you one step closer to finding fulfillment in your life.
Bring the Two Together
Next, we’re going to consider the best and worst parts of your current life combined with pieces of your dream life to determine what you should do with your life. I know this sounds hard, but it doesn’t have to be.
Start by reviewing the aspects of your current situation that make you happiest and which ones you would like to change. Then focus on the pieces of your dream life that inspire you and ask yourself how to bridge those two points.
Make a list of things you can do to move you in the direction you want to go.
You can use things like values, skills, and interests as a way to create a roadmap for success that allows for short-term satisfaction and long-term growth. Don’t forget to embrace change along the way – there will be challenges, but also new opportunities, and if you stay open-minded and resilient it will be easier to find purpose by taking action towards building a life that combines the best of both worlds.
Considerations for success
If you want to be successful in defining what you should do with your life, it is important to gain valuable insight by asking yourself these thought-provoking questions.
You don’t have to have your entire life planned out – instead, consider taking the time to understand who motivates and inspires you, and the things that bring you joy.
Most people won’t take the time or put in the effort to deeply reflect on their values, goals, and purpose – but those who do are likely to reap more meaningful rewards in the long run.
Take it to the next level: Create an 'Immediate' list and a 'Future' list.
The Immediate list should include things that you can do right now in order to start shaping your life according to what you want. With this list, try to focus on small actions that will help you reach your goals.
The Future list should consist of steps that will move you closer towards the bigger picture – where everything is connected and all the pieces come together.
By creating short and long-term plans you can ensure that you stay on track and make progress towards the life you want to live.
Finally, don’t forget to review your lists every six months or so – it is essential to remain focused, organized, and motivated in order to create a meaningful life.
Alternatives to this exercise
If you’re still feeling lost or confused, it may be helpful to explore different alternatives that can help you identify what you should do with your life.
Activities such as silent reflection and journaling can help you gain clarity on your thoughts, values, and desires.
Talking to a coach or mentor is also a great way to gain insights about yourself and find out what kind of activities make you come alive.
There are many resources available for those who take the time to explore different alternatives and use them to their advantage in order to identify what they should do with their life.
My Experience with "What should I do with my Life?"
I spent a lot of time letting others decide what I should do with my life. When I finally started making decisions based on what I wanted, my life changed a lot. Now, I try to work through the exercises described here regularly to make sure that I’m consciously moving towards what I want my life to be.
One major thing that I’ve learned through this process is that there isn’t a fixed end state. The answer to the question “What should I do with my life?” can change and evolve over time.
Final Thoughts
Defining what you should do with your life is no easy task.
Take the time to deeply consider the questions above. Doing so will help you gain clarity on what you should do with your life. This can result in a greater sense of purpose and direction, and a more fulfilling life.
Developing an understanding of yourself and exploring different alternatives such as silent reflection and journaling can give valuable insights into what brings you joy and motivates you.
Take a step back and objectively assess your choices – it may be the most important decision you make in your lifetime.
