What do you want to do with your life?

[thistlechaser]

When I was in junior highschool, I had a Twisted Sister t-shirt. On it was the name of the tour or the album or the song (I forget which): "What do you want to do with your life?" A neighbor read it and asked me; I said I didn't know.

When I graduated high school, everyone asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I said I didn't know.

Soon after entering college, I needed to declare a major. My advisor asked me that same question to help me decide on a major. I said I didn't know.

In my junior year of college, I still had no major. I settled on psych since it needed the fewest credits and I could still graduate in four years.

When I graduated college, people smiled at me and asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I shrugged and said I didn't know.

Years have gone by since then, and when between jobs or pondering leaving a job, I still ask myself that question, and I still don't have an answer.

If some magical being came up to me and said "Thistle, I want to give you your dream job. What is it?" I'd have no answer. I've mildly liked a couple jobs in my past, but they're not anything I could go back to now -- or honestly would still want to. I often look through lists of jobs or just think of all jobs I can imagine, and none catch my interest.

How am I supposed to find a job I like if I can't even figure out what I'd like to do? I wonder if there are other people out there who can't think of one single thing they'd like to do (and I don't mean because I'm lazy and I'd rather sit around and do nothing). Seems like adults should just know these things...

Grrr, more ants on my desk. Maybe I should become an exterminator...

Comments

[gconnor.livejournal.com]

What do you like doing that is *not* job-related?

What do you take pride in?

Is there anyone you admire a great deal and want to be more like?

[chaos-rose.livejournal.com]

For the ants, try a solution of 1 teaspoon peppermint oil in water. Put in a spray bottle, and spray around the ant trails and on surfaces. Ants can't stand the smell and stay away. Failing that, there's a spray called Bioganics that works just great and leaves no pesticide residue.

[metron-ariston.livejournal.com]

Maybe your real passions lie in areas you haven't thought about making a career. Or maybe you're just one of those people who don't see themselves as having a career so much as a job, who uses their free time to do what they love most? There's nothing wrong with just having a job to pay the bills and save.

But if you really feel unfullfilled... maybe you should take the first commentor's advice and think about the things you enjoy most and try to find a job related to that? If you love to read, you can get involved in publishing or editing or library science. If you like anime, you can study Japanese culture and become a translator, or even a voice actress or something.

[metron-ariston.livejournal.com]

I am also thinkin to myself, even though my above icon comes from artwork it might not be considered work-safe, so I won't use it if it could get you in trouble. *realises all of these things too late*

[phoenixtoashes.livejournal.com]

Try asking youself these questions:
What do you like to do *best*? What do you like about doing that? Why do you like doing that? Would you consider doing it as a job? Could you see yourself doing that for a living, six months down the road? A year? Ten years?

When you've got answers to those...then go try and find out if there's any jobs doing whatever-it-is. :)

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

To be perfectly cynical, perhaps you should look at it this way: what you really like doing is dicking around on the net, and playing computer games, and watching anime. Perhaps your dream job should be one that you don't hate too much, that gives you the time and money and access to do all these things.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I'd call that practical more than cynical, but it might come down to that, yeah.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Anything that I like doing wouldn't be something I could do as a job -- or at least not as a job and keep a roof over my head. I think it might come down to just dealing with a job (one I hopefully don't hate to death) and doing stuff I like on my own time...

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ah, thanks! I had heard the peppermint thing before, and so last year when they invaded I went out and got a lot of peppermint gum and left it all over the floor... but that didn't work very well. :P I'll try that, thanks!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

My family has always told me that you should love your job. More than that: Everyone can find a job they love, why can't you? But I think "Or maybe you're just one of those people who don't see themselves as having a career so much as a job, who uses their free time to do what they love most?" might be right for me...

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Hee! Until you made this second comment, I didn't even look close enough at the icon to realize what it was. No worries! Thanks for your concern though!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ah, thanks for the advice!

[phoenixtoashes.livejournal.com]

Not a problem. :)