Does an “I don’t know what I want to do with my life” feeling matter?
One of the questions that many of us struggle with is "I don’t know what to do with my life." In other words, does knowing what we want to do with your life improve the quality of it. Or, does it limit your growth-potential and close you off to experiences that may not fall directly in line with what you thought you wanted to do with your life?
“Finding your purpose in life helps you live your best life,” says Emily Mendez, M.S. EdS. “It gives you a sense of direction. It also adds meaning to everything that you do.” No one wants to live a life without substance and significance. The goal is to get to the end of your days, look back on your life and feel a sense of satisfaction and pride.
When you’re planning a trip you usually know where you’re going. Sometimes when we travel, we have extremely rigid plans where we know what we’re doing every step of the way, and every moment of the day. But there also times when we want to keep things unplanned and casual so that if we decide that we want to go off the beaten path and visit a sight or attraction that hasn’t been scheduled, we’re free to do so.
Life is a journey, and knowing what you want to do with your life is akin to having a roadmap or an itinerary for that journey. When you know what you want to do with your life, you know why you were put on the earth and you have a good idea of what it is that you’re supposed to do to fulfill your promise.
Some people live day by day without knowing what they want to do with their lives. They don’t want to feel confined, restricted, and they want to have the freedom to pursue any opportunities that may present themselves. “I don’t think it’s important to find your purpose in life, “says writer/musician Adam Cole. “I think it’s important to look for a purpose. You may find it, you may not.”
You may need a game plan and a sense of direction because, without it, you feel lost. There are those people who need to have a focus for their life for it to have meaning. Dorothy M. Russ, M.D. Esq. says, “In order to achieve the greatness that each one of us has within us, we must have a driving purpose that awakens us each day and allows us to continue when odds are stacked against us, and quitting seems much easier.”
An “I don’t know what I want to do with me life” feeling can make you question how well you know yourself. Knowing what you want to do with your life can improve self-awareness and give your life substance. “Finding your purpose in life is living every moment with meaning,” says Allison Constantino. “Every action becomes a means to an end! No moment goes without a ‘knowingness’ of who you are and what you’re all about! There’s never a question of motives because a purposeful life is built on motivation to fulfill that purpose.” When you know what what you want to do with your life, you tend to make better decisions, and you don’t waste your time and energy on things that can be detrimental to your wellbeing or that will derail you from achieving your goals.
When you know what you want to do with your life, you have guidelines for how to live your it. “As I see it,” Renee Canzoneri says, “finding your purpose has two great benefits: It helps to motivate and give meaning to your days increasing your well-being and happiness, and it helps give direction to your choices at crossroads as you’re able to ask the question, does this align with my purpose?” But it’s not just about figuring out what you want to do with your life, it’s making choices and taking action that will support that goal.
“Discovering your life purpose and taking baby steps to fulfill it is the most vital, essential activity you’ll ever engage in,” says self-help writer, Susan Shumsky.
When you figure out what you want to do with your life, it can’t help but change you. You have a greater clarity, you have something that helps to solve the why-mysterious of your life, and you’re able to trust your inner voice because you know what your ultimate endgame is—to fulfill your life goals.
Author Bracha Goetz says, “When I began living a spiritually meaningful life, there was no longer a great emptiness within, and my soul began to shine. When your unique and beautiful soul is shining, then you know you have found your purpose in life.”
Exploring the “I don’t know what I want to do with my life” question is the best thing you can do for yourself. It gives you direction, peace within, the ability to stand up any challenges that may come your way, self-awareness, and a greater understanding of your talents and abilities.
But if you don’t have an immediate answer for what you want to do with your life, that’s okay too. Remember there can be just as much to gain from the journey of discovery as there is in having an answer.