Many people think they have it all figured out only to realize that they are actually far from it. With so many choices to make and possible paths we can take, it’s hard to know if we are making the best choices for us and actually doing what we truly want deep down.
Many times we can feel like we don’t know what we want anymore, especially if we thought we wanted something and it didn’t work out. Or it’s easy to be overwhelmed with big life choices like choosing a career or getting married.
Figuring out what you really want out of life is important for your overall well being and will make you feel more satisfied with your life and confident in your choices. Here are 7 ways to help you figure out what you really want out of life.
*Bonus! Take the quiz What Do You Really Want Out of Life?
1. Listen to Yourself
You know yourself way better than you give yourself credit for. You’re the only one who knows how you really feel about everything. Many times we are afraid or maybe it’s not appropriate to say how you really feel, but you know it even if you don’t always want to admit it.
Deep down everyone knows what they truly want and the easiest way to help figure it out is to listen to your feelings. Do you wake up everyday and dread going to work? Do you look forward to Thursday nights because it’s family game night? Or do you get really excited when you find a new book series you love? All of these things are ways that you are telling yourself what really matters to you and what you want out of life.
2. Figure Out Your Likes and Dislikes
Figuring out what things you like and don’t like will help you to figure out what things you really want out of life. If you like something and it gives you joy, you should try to do more of that thing or things like it. On the flip side if you’re not enjoying something then maybe you should do less of that and more of things you like. Doing so will help you to feel more fulfilled and better about your life.
Take some time to reflect on things you like and don’t like. Sometimes you’ll notice a trend among similar things you like or don’t like and that can help to guide you in the direction that is best for your life. Before you know it you’ll be doing the things that really matter and are actually what you really want out of life.
3. Figure Out Your Strengths and Weaknesses
When you’re able to do things that you’re good at on a regular basis, it makes you feel more successful and happy. Everyone wants to feel good about themselves and feel good about what their doing.
Think of your job for example. It feels good when you go to work and your boss tells you good job on a project that you worked really hard on and turned out really well. Verses a job that you work really hard at and nothing seems to go right, you just don’t see results and you don’t even really like it. No one wants to be bad at their job.
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have a career that uses them, but it can help you to find one. It can also help in life so you learn more about yourself and the best ways for you to do things.
4. Try New Things
Trying new things is the best way to figure out what you like and dislike and also what you’re strengths and weaknesses are. It’s also the best way to figure out what you want out of life. How are you going to know what you actually want if you never even tried it before?
Give things a test run. If you have wondered if you’d like a particular job, see if you can intern or get a part time job in the industry. If you’ve always wanted to adopt a dog of your own, dog sit for your friend for the weekend. It’s best to try things before you make a big investment in what you think you want. You might think you want chocolate ice cream, but after you try it you might realize you’re actually a strawberry person, and if you bought a large tub of chocolate, it might all go to waste.
Try as many new things as you can. Even if you don’t think you’ll like it, you might be surprised. You never know until you try!
5. Pay Attention to Your Thoughts
What do you think about before bed at night? Who do you want to tell when something good happens? What are you excited about when you wake up in the morning?
Your thoughts tell you what you’re focusing on and many times those are things that are important to you. And it’s not always the surface thought either, sometimes you need to dig a little bit deeper. If you are thinking about work, what is it about work that you are thinking about? Are you focused on results, people, or your own development?
What do you think about throughout the day when you have time to yourself? When your mind wanders, where does it go? Pay attention to the things you think about and it can give you some insight into what you really want out of life.
6. Make a Difference
It’s amazing how good helping someone out who’s in need can make you feel. It also can help you figure out what path you should take and what you really want. Figure out what’s the easiest and most natural way for you to make a difference.
For instance, do you feel best when you’re teaching someone something? Or maybe you feel great when you drop off a box of clothes and toys to kids that don’t have much? Or maybe even the fact that you cook for all your friends and family and they all always feel welcome when they enter your home will make you feel like you are making a difference.
What kind of a difference do you make in people’s lives? What do you give that makes you and them feel great?
7. Realize Money is a Tool
Many people chase money and take jobs solely because the pay is good. Money is important and necessary, but it’s not everything. Money is just a tool. The more tools you have the easier it is to get the job done. If you don’t have the right tools or enough tools, it’s really hard to accomplish the job. People can be blinded by the pursuit of money and stop pursuing what they really want.
Sure it’s nice to have a lot of extra spending money and money saved up in the bank, but how much do you really need? How much stuff do you really need to buy? There’s only so many pairs of shoes, kitchen appliances, and places to travel. Having a lot of money is great, but it can only do so much for your life. Instead of working extremely hard at a job you hate to make a lot of money, why not take a job that pays the bills and is something that you love?
Once you realize that money isn’t everything you are free to do more things that make you happy and feel good as opposed to more things to just get money. Everyone needs money, but when you really stop and think about it, you don’t need all that much. What you really need, is the time and the means to do the things you really want to do.
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