"How do I figure out what to do in life?"

It's a question we've all asked ourselves at least once in our lives, and if you're a firm believer in self-improvement and personal development as I am, you probably ask (or have asked) yourself this question at least once a year. This is because most of us, people like you and me, have some idea of where we want to go or what we want to do in life, and really only ask this question as a means of encouraging ourselves to think and brainstorm a plan to reach our goals.

But what happens if you're someone who honestly doesn't know the answer, and you feel stuck? What do you do then?

It seems today that every pop culture guru is preaching the notion that anyone can be anything they wish. From a conventional wisdom point of view, this is true. We can do, have and become anything we wish, as long as we work hard, stay focused and train our minds to never settle for anything but our desired result. However, realistically speaking, you cannot become whatever you wish in life. I'll explain...

Let's look at Linda Ikeji, for example. If you aren't familiar with Linda, she's an entrepreneur, writer, and blogger, who runs a very popular entertainment news blog in Nigeria. Linda is EXTREMELY successful in her blogging endeavors, and I wish her nothing but continued success in the future. However, her success is attributed to a very unique set of circumstances that have played out throughout her life.

Had Linda been born in a different time, country or to different parents, things may have turned out differently for her. For example, had she grown up in a very poor, rural town in American, to illiterate parents who didn't prioritize education, she may have grown up as the an uneducated daughter of a fisherman, whose only dream for his little girl would be to take over his fishing vessel after his death. Now this doesn't mean Linda wouldn't have been a successful fisherman, but it does mean that she wouldn't have become a successful blogger and Internet entrepreneur. That success, her current success, can be attributed to a set a unique circumstances including her upbringing, education, career choices, personal interests and even her peers. She was exposed to different ideas and experiences that allowed her to explore her interests and aspirations, which would lead her to where is she today.

So what do you do when you honestly doesn't know what to do in life? You look at your circumstances.

In the game of life, CIRCUMSTANCES MATTER! They do not define you, but they do influence the choices and opportunities we experience in life.

When I started my first business, I was 21. I wanted to design and build websites, but I didn't have any background in web or graphic design, nor did I have any connections to anyone in the industry. Which meant the only way for me to become a web designer would be to either go to school and earn a degree, or learn on my own. I chose to learn on my own.

I bought a few books on HTML and CSS, read them cover to cover, and applied what I learned to a few websites of my own. Once I learned the basics of it all, I began soliciting clients. I wasn't that great, and my websites looked like garbage compared to my sites today, but for the intended customer I was after, they were more than enough.

One of the reason things worked out for me, was because I was the type of person who believed I could shape my own destiny. I had the confidence to pursue my ideas, regardless of what other people might have said, and I was willing to do whatever it took, for as long as it took, to make my dreams happen. Had I been the type of person who believed the only way for me to succeed would be to first pursue a four year degree, get a job, then start a business after I had 10+ years of on-the-job experience, I would have never started that business at 21.

Whatever you want to do in life, look to your circumstances first. Here's how I do it...

I look at the things that interest me the most.
I love to read, write, practice archery, connect and converse with people, do research, run experiments and conduct analysis. I love gathering data and writing reports. I could turn this into a business because every entrepreneur wants to know how to build a bigger or better business, and you do that by looking at your data. Your passions are a source of potential opportunities for you to figure out what you want to do in life.

I try new things.
If you really don’t know what you want to do, you’re going to have to try things you've never done before. You can't produce something new, if you don't try anything new. You’re going to fail (a lot probably) because most of your ideas won’t work in the beginning, but your lack of concern of worry about the consequences is what will propel you forward. Fearlessly trying as many things as possible will help you build confidence, gain experience, and it will also help you discover more opportunities outside of your initial goals. After all, many of today's popular foods and inventions were created on accident. Things like Potato Chips, Coca Cola and the Microwave oven. All created while inventors were pursuing other ideals. (Read more here)

I ask questions.
You know how everyone knew the world was flat until it wasn’t? You have similarly limiting beliefs in your head right now, probably things like “writers can’t earn a living” or “I’m not smart enough to open my own business”. Maybe, but have you checked? Have you tried, and I mean REALLY tried to pursue something before you said it couldn't be done? Most really successful people didn’t just find a way, they created one. I had no experience in web design, but I learned, and started my own business. Even after many people said I would NEVER do it. You can do the same. Just start asking questions. Don't be afraid to explore the concept of "What if I..."

I ignore conventional wisdom.
You know how children always dream of becoming doctors, mega stars and kings? Barriers don’t apply when you’re five years old. And while that seems to be a luxury we unfortunately grew out of, if you’re not sure what you want to do, don’t be in such a hurry to shut your dreams down. Explore the impossible. Often it doesn’t lead to exactly what you’re after (like ruling your own empire) but it finds something else instead, like a love of science that starts a whole career. Or a passion for writing that leaders you to launching a business. Or a love for food that drives you to become an investor in agriculture. You have to be willing to see where your heart takes you. For every business I've started, there were people who said I couldn't do it, simply because, based on my then current circumstances, it seemed impossible. Just because others say it isn't possible, doesn't make it true. You just need to figure out how to make things work based on your unique interests, skill sets and ideas.

Odds are, even if you don’t know what you want, your circumstances will offer you some subtle clues. Are there things you think of fondly, but never find the time for? Start there.

And speaking of circumstances, one benefit you have by reading this, is that you automatically have better options than the illiterate fisherman's daughter from the example above. You have Internet access, which can connect you to millions of people in seconds, as well as access a collective of knowledge via Google. You can read (obviously) and you have a simple starter map/outline of ways to think up ideas to pursue if you follow the ideas in this post.

So yes, anyone can become whatever they wish in life, but only through the circumstances they create for themselves. And if something seems too far outside the realm of your circumstances, then you'll need to figure out what you can do to expand them so that they eventually include the opportunities and desires you want in life.

Take care and be blessed!

Ra

Good piece

yusufu16:
Good piece

Thank you.