You’re told to get good grades so you can get into University or Tafe after school finishes. School ends and you’re left wondering ‘what do I actually want to do with life’?
Perhaps you enroll in a uni or tafe course that you’re semi interested in, only to find out it’s not what you thought it would be and you’re unsure if it’s what you want to do.
Maybe you’ve swapped, dropped and changed courses or career paths 3-4 times by now and the realisation that you still haven’t found what you want to do is simply overwhelming.
Many of the friends you finished high school with are now entering ‘the real world’; full time jobs, careers and accumulating degrees and courses.
And you’re still wondering what your ‘calling is’.
This can cause anxiety, depression and often lead to excessive substance use to manage these emotions.
Being unsure about your direction is very normal for 20 (and even 30) somethings nowadays.
There’s simply so much choice that it is hard to know which way to go. Course contents rarely give you a feel for what a day in the life of that chosen career is actually like.
Breathe, you’re not alone and many many people feel the same way.
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life”.
– Steve Jobs
So if you’re not sure what you want to do, don’t try to rush it. It is better to be searching for that course or career path now then waking up in 30 years and realising you’re stuck doing something you hate.
It’s better to be changing jobs six times in the next two years now, than when you’ve got other financial and family responsibilities.
If you’re searching for direction, the worst thing you can do is nothing.
Chat to those close to you, speak to those already working in careers or studying courses you’re considering. Seek professional guidance or career counselling.
Get out there and start that course that sounds kind of interesting, apply for that job that seems like a cool place to work or even give that business idea a real crack! Or if you haven’t had a year off since high school, go see the world for 12 months!
You’ll meet a bunch of new people and learn a lot about yourself along the way.
Even if the next step isn’t right for you longer term, you’ll be one step closer to finding that thing that is.
