How did you decide what you wanted to do with your life?

[TD_washingtonredskins]

DC, I'm wired in a way where I can give 100% to what I'm doing and want to do a great job/hold myself to high standard even if what I'm doing is nothing that's going to change the world or bring me personal joy. I want to do a great job because it's tough for me to not buy in and give my all...but I don't do anything that defines me or completes me.

When I come home, sure there are days that I have to bring my day home with me. But, more often than not, the issues I'm dealing with at work can wait until the next day (or at least until the kids go to sleep). I look at it like this...unless you're doing something you would do if money wasn't in the equation, you're working to live, not living to work.

[PCS]

Wait. I'm supposed to decide what to do with my life? Well ****. That's what I'm doing wrong.

[Brotherz]

Most people offer the advice of do what you love, but that is stupid. I loved playing ILB in HS football, but now at almost 33, 5'8",out of shape and with very limited athletic ability, no one is calling me to try out for an NFL team. I also love building and architecture, but am a crappy artist. You could beat yourself up pretty bad working in an industry you love, but at a job you are not cut out for.

So what's my advice? find out what you are good at and apply it to what you love. I work as an estimator for a construction company, a job I had no idea existed until I got to university, which takes my passion of design and construction, and combines it with my math and problem solving skills.

Another piece of advise is if you find an industry you think you might want to join, call up the big companies in that field and ask to speak to the HR person. Try and find out what type of jobs positions they have, what minimum qualifications are required and what actual qualifications do the employees have.

I think you may be taking the 'do what you love' thing a little too far. "Do what you love" is not necessarily about a particular job. Its not "playing inside linebacker". What about playing inside linebacker really made you love it? Was it competition? Physical effort? Being a team player? A definable goal (ie winning or stopping the offensive drive for example).

Fulfillment in career is no different than fulfillment anywhere else. It is an alignment with your values. "Do what you love" should read "do what aligns with your values". And open your mind a bit. Challenge your pre-existing beliefs a tad. Recognize that a perspective is a filter by which all incoming information must pass so you must choose it wisely. If there is "playing inside linebacker for the skins" and everything else you are doomed to dissappointment before you begin unless you one of the 100 people in the world who can qualify for that job and even they only qualify for it for about 5 years.

Could you coach linebackers? Could you blog about linebackers? Write about them? Would you enjoy owning a sports bar? A gym? A football clinic? It takes some digging. It takes some self-reflection but I KNOW that everyone is capable of finding what they truly should be doing with their lives and I believe that enjoying your work is one of the most important correlations to overall life satisfaction out there.

As Confucious once said "If you love your work you will never work a day in your life".

[Elessar78]

Seems to be a split in opinions on how to approach a career. I understand where you guys are coming from but I have no idea how you do it. Maybe I'm just not capable of thinking long term enough, I don't know, but there's no way I could do anything successfully solely as a means to an end. Most of us are going to spend the majority of our adult lives at work, for me, no matter what lifestyle that job allows me outside of work my personality won't allow me to do well in a field I don't have a passion for. It's just how I'm wired.

Or, like in my case, I pursued my passion with my studies and have still yet to find it in the working world. 3 Jobs later and I've lost my passion for it. It's just like any other grind for me, unfortunately.

My next goal is to find a job that I want to take and not one that I have to take because of the circumstances. I've made the most out of my circumstances but the career aspect of my life still leaves more to be desired.

Maybe start writing down what your ideal work day is? Would you be happy working in an office or outdoors? Interacting with people constantly or working alone for the most part? Do you want to be front and center or more a behind the scenes guy? What kind of life do you want outside of work? Where can you see yourself living? Do you mind having a boss you report to on a daily basis? How much do you want to make? Do you want to be on salary? hourly? commission?

[skinfan2k]

Someone at work gave me a great idea, i want to be a chief of staff for one of my organizations at work

[DCSaints_fan]

one day while I was in prison and just thought that God hated me. Then I met this priest (he was in the cell next to mine). And he convinced me that what happened to me wasn't just pure coincidence, but I had been set up by people who I thought were my friends. Since that day, my every action has been devoted towards planning out and executing a beautiful revenge.

Whoa, thats straight out of The Count of Monte Cristo ...

[Die Hard]

Purchase the book "The Pathfinder".

If you're serious about wanting to find the perfect career.... you need the proper direction and instruction to help you find it.

If you aren't serious.... then you can only accept what lives gives you.

And seriously, why wouldn't you do whatever is necessary to find your career that you are passionate about? You spend lord know how much time sleeping.... and a so much time at work.

Your quality of life will be much improved if you love your work.

[mardi gras skin]

I decided I wanted to get a job and earn money so I could live comfortably and have a family.

I agree. I happen to love my job but I didn't set out to have have a job I loved. Jobs pay bills. I figure if they were fun, someone else would come along and do it for free.

[RansomthePasserby]

I agree. I happen to love my job but I didn't set out to have have a job I loved. Jobs pay bills. I figure if they were fun, someone else would come along and do it for free.

Haha, exactly.

[AsburySkinsFan]

Wait. I'm supposed to decide what to do with my life? Well ****. That's what I'm doing wrong.

Same...I still can't answer the question "what do you want to do when you grow up". It's bad though because when you serve a church you can't talk about such things openly.

[Corcaigh]

People usually enjoy doing things they're good at.

Try to develop some new skills and see what, if anything, excites you.

[Tom [Giants fan]]

I am older than my younger brother but he became a teacher before I did. It was him becoming a teacher and seeing how much he enjoyed it that made me realize that that is what I wanted to do. And I was kind of upset I didn't think of it on my own long before that point as I was over the age of 30.

[SuperBash]

I'm probably going to Grad School in the fall for Industrial Psychology but I gotta get on that whole GRE thing...so I'm probably heading in that direction with my life.

[nonniey]

;8110141']I am older than my younger brother ......

I'm glad it wasn't a Redskins fan making this observation.

[GSF]

Start your own business involving something you're good at.

I used to have a job I really loved making really nice money. One day the business sold and not too long after I was forced to leave.

I've been in business for 2 years now, I'm making almost as much as I was at my job and plan on making much more in the future. The sky is the limit, and the best part is noone can lay me off or screw me over.

I know guys that were victims of this recession that had been at the same job for decades.

[gbear]

When I was in junior high, my parents asked me if I wanted to continue to get A's in a good school or really challenge myself in a great academic school where I probably wouldn't be the smartest. I chose the "I want to work hard to belong amongst the smartest" route.

In that school, my Latin teacher told me "You're gifted enough at sports, math, writing, etc. that's you will probably be good at whatever you dedicate yourself to, but at the highest levels I think you are probably only 'good.'" I guess some might be disappointed with that answer, but all it told me was my new job was to find some spot in society's needs that were currently being unmet. That thought process stuck with me right through college.

I constantly dated women who seemed to have a good heart and be doing good things. In college, it was a lady who convinced me to volunteer at an after school teaching session that more closely resembled day care. Then it was a lady wh o worked as a vet tech, and then it was one who worked for hospice, and finally it was my now wife a pediatric nurse.

On my first date with my now wife, I asked her "What would your life look like 5 years from now if everything went the way you would like it to?* Dream big, but be honest."

Her answer was that she would like to foster medically fragile children.* In 5 years, she wants to be taking care of kids society ignores for the most part, those who need parents badly.* I asked what exactly that entails, and it was one of the conversations that made me feel some of my jokes with my roommate about marrying her, which I'd been making for more than a year before the date, might be more than jokes.*

I never had a problem with the thought of my genes not being passed on.* Heck, much of my thoughts which shape how and what I see in the world come from my step dad.* 10 seconds or 3 hours of fun in bed does not a parent make.* Drives to soccer, reads a book, talking about the day, models behavior etc. are the things which make us parents.

Taking care of sick kids is the most rewarding thing I've ever done.* It's frequently exhausting, and so what?* When my kids try my patience, and they do, I frequently tell them "I have nothing more valuable than my time and attention to give you, and right now you're making me want to with hold them. " I think my wife appreciates that I take that approach.* I will stop watching Redskins football to watch Dora with my kids in my lap, and when asked about it, I told her it was a trade off I'd make every day.* It's what I signed up for.* My son needed it.* He needed to feel like he was more important than any thing...and they are certainly more important than a football game (that can be watched after they go to bed on the vcr).

On the professional front, I'm lucky. When I came out of college and had worked at a temp place for 5 months, I had a choice. I could stay and work at the Discovery Network or take a job offered to me by the federal government. Despite 20% lower pay, I took the government job because it would give me more time off which I valued more than money. This turned out to be a golden choice as I now need the better insurance, and with my wife and family we need me to have the time off. I'm lucky because my job has let me keep learning for 13 years now. I have never spent a year doing the same thing at the beginning and end of the year.

Overall don't stop looking till you find your niche. If you don't know what you want to do, I suggest volunteer work until you find "it." It's a great way to develop the contacts who will help you when you decide to move forward towards a dream. In the meantime, you can chose to expose yourself to others' dreams. Put yourself around those who either inspire you or need you.

Good Luck,

[Cdowwe]

I'm 27, and still not sure where I'll end up. I graduated with a liberal arts degree, and got a low ranking job at a bank that was miserable. I got into the auto industry (auto supplier), decided I'd better go back to school, so I'm getting my MBA, which I hope will open many doors.

That being said, you could go back to school and take some time to decide what you want to do. The jobs will always be out there, it is very difficult to motivate yourself to go back to school. Although, it would be fun to go back to school full time for a couple years and enjoy college life again

[pez]

Went into College aiming for a Marine Biology Degree... The summer job as and admin asst for the IT dept of a corp (data entry, copies, etc) also lead to me helping them design the company's website (this is in 1995). I fell in love with programming and web design, and decided to switch my degree and career path.

Funny thing is, my computer class teacher from high school told my parents I should never be in a career that involves computers. LOL

[SkinsFTW]

Hey since you are getting out of the military you have the GI bill. You can do whatever you want for 3-4 years really. I'm looking into all kinds of things myself and still haven't decided either but you can use that GI bill to do ALOT.

I mean, you can go to Australia or Hong Kong and go to school for free, or Hawaii and go surfing whenever you want while the military pays your rent and college, or wherever in the world. http://inquiry.vba.va.gov/weamspub/buildSearchInstitutionCriteria.do

You can go kick back on the beach in the Philippines or Mexico or Thailand and do online courses while the GI bill pays you like 5x more than you need considering the cost of living there. Just take a break and do some of that if you can't decide. That is what I am currently planning on.

There are literally 10000s of vocational schools all around the world that you can do for free. Be sure you know which GI bill to use though since there are 2 choices now. I still haven't decided on that but I am out in a few months as well, retired though so I could just chill and do nothing if I really wanted too (probably not a good idea) but I'm considering the overseas route myself.