How do you know what you want in your life?

12 comments

1. Ask yourself, what do you desire?

2. I spent a lot of time fucking around with shit I didn’t want in my life until it dawned on me that I didn’t want that. Peace, Love, & Wisdom are what I want now

3. The thing I want most outside if happiness for my wife and kids (both adults) is freedom. This is 99% an economic item as once I have financial independence I don’t have to do anything on an employers schedule.

4. Get out and *do* things. Try some hobbies, do some traveling. While it’s nice for unwinding, sitting around watching YouTube won’t do it.

5. I would suggest not looking for a job that you “love” because ideally your job doesn’t define you. If a job in economics/engineering is interesting enough that you don’t mind it and it pays the bills, then that is pretty good.

   I am a civil engineer, and while I enjoy the problem solving aspects of the job and it makes me feel useful, I would still rather sleep in and then do other things with my day.

   What do you want outside of a career? A family, travel, both? Do you have hobbies that you want to pursue? Once you have those answers then look at the job and ask “will this career help me acheive my other goals without making me miserable?” If you job requires 60 hours a week and you also hate it then you should look elsewhere. Someone who loves the work might be okay with that schedule though. Not me though, screw that.

   You can always graduate, get a job in economics or engineering and then decide later that you’d rather do something else. But in the end work is work, it unfortunately isn’t fun for most of us, but it is ideally supportive of our other interests.

6. The few years after college are probably going to suck. That’s normal. You need to find your own structure now that you’re out of school, and your own reasons to do the things you do.

7. Lol most people know what they want. Unfortunately they just don’t listen to themselves and take a different path due to many different circumstances and decisions.

8. Young people don’t have any way to fully realize just how young they actually are. You are young enough to have several careers in your life. And you probably will. In fact, what you end up doing will probably be something that hasn’t even been invented yet.

   There will be technological innovation after technological innovation that will completely transform our world and our way of life.

   Over the next few decades our world will be unrecognizable. Everything will change, religion, politics, business, medicine, our basic understanding of how the world works.

   Your purpose is to grow, to continue to evolve, adapt and blossom into the highest possible version of everything a human being can become. But it may take some time to find a way to fully express your humanity. Just float “gently down the stream” with that expression as your north star.

9. While you still have the energy and don’t have much tying yourself down, just try things you think you’ll like and maybe you’ll get lucky.

10. So, here’s something to think about. Back when I was in Orientation at college, I remember being told that only 1/3 work in areas directly related to their degree, 1/3 work in areas peripherally related to their degree and 1/3 work in areas that have nothing to do with their degree. I am in that second “1/3” group. I have degrees in Math and Physics. I worked in and around computers since I graduate. I have never done an integral or a differential as a part of work, although I do them occassionally just for the fun of it.

    I will say that my degrees have gotten me jobs. On more than one, they definitely would have liked folks with education directly related to the job, but would take experience and a degree in just about anything.

    My advice, spend some time reflecting on what you want to do, try some different things until you find something that you like, then focus on that. You’re still young and probably have another 40+ years in the workforce ahead of you.

11. As an engineer there is no better profession in my opinion.

    The programs I have worked on range from the black programs, to the space shuttle, to deep space probes, to the JWST. My blue sky proposals were all accepted and built. Some which were so highly classified that I did not have access to them. For reasons, I cannot tell you about the wonders I have seen or the people I have met, but what can tell you is I have no regrets.

    Yes, I know I am starting to sound like a Dr. Seuss book but it is all true, the places you go and see are simply amazing. Just keep your eyes open to the opportunities around you.

    If I were your mentor, my advice to you is learn more about management and leadership since those attributes will provide you with greater upward mobility and job security. Also put a lot into your retirement account early in your career and learn to invest your money wisely.

12. The good news is you are still a blank slate in regards to “real work experience”. Many companies these days don’t really care what your degree is in, just that you have one. No, you’re not going to start out with a 6-figure salary, but the hard part will be figuring out what you want to do. I work in the technology sector and have hired people with your typical networking backgrounds, but also chemistry, business, and teaching.