How I Finally Figured Out What To Do With My Life

posted on September 11, 2017 | by Sam Brown

I’m going to share how I finally “figured out” what to do with my life. But I want you to know that at no point did I ever have an epiphany. Nor did I “follow my passion”. Instead, it crept up on me. And it happened while I felt like I wasn’t making any progress at all (cue that Steve Jobs quote about connecting the dots looking backwards).

It wasn’t a straight path that got me to where I am today, and I honestly have no idea where it will lead me. But I wanted to share this because the media makes it seem like everyone’s on a straight path when no one is. So here are my twists and turns with many yet to come. I hope you find it helpful!

I had no idea what to do with my life

When I left high school, I had no idea what to do with my life, but it wasn’t for lack of options. It was the opposite – so many things to choose from, no clue if I’d like them, and a massive fear of putting my time and energy into the wrong thing!

All I knew was that I wanted to go to uni, so I started in International Hotel Management (purely because my friend was doing it – this is definitely a theme). I quickly discovered that I had no interest in the industry or the degree, so I set my sights on law school after taking a business law class during that first semester.

Thanks to timing, I did a semester of political science before I could start (again, because my friend was doing it, I have absolutely no interest in politics) and then began a 5.5-year dual-degree in law and finance. I also did a Diploma in French because it somehow seemed like a good idea to do more than a full-time study load while working nearly full-time and trying to have a social life. Go figure.

I still had no idea what to do with my life

In amongst this, I started a blog (also just want to note this now – blogging isn’t what I’m obsessed with, personal development is), but it was all kind of an accident. I stumbled upon the world of blogging in 2013, through the business podcasts I used to dodge radio ads on my long drive to work (you can find my favorites here – and more great ones here). And somehow, over the following three months, I was convinced that I should start my own.

I was SO excited when the time came to set up my blog in August 2013, but that excitement quickly turned into crippling fear and self-doubt. And I mean crippling! I was too scared to post anything for the first three months and too scared to tell my friends, my family, or even my boyfriend for at least a year! So it definitely wasn’t like I started my blog all guns blazing (if there’s an opposite to all guns blazing, that’s what I was doing).

Around halfway through my degree, I realized I didn’t want to be a lawyer (I hate conflict), I didn’t know where I’d fit in the finance world, and my perfectionism meant that – even though I had a diploma in France – I was too scared to actually speak it. So in July 2015 I graduated with three pretty certificates and no idea what I wanted to do with my life!

Life after uni

I fell into a job as a grad student at one of the big accounting firms here in Brisbane (because my friends who worked there recommended it – told you it’s a theme). It wasn’t amazing but it definitely wasn’t horrible, and I was there for two years while I slowly started to put more and more effort into my blog and get less and less scared of what other people would think (I use the word ‘less’ lightly).

In April 2016, I decided that if I really wanted to see if I could be a full-time blogger, I needed to start acting like it. So I did. I started waking up at 4am so I could work on my blog for two hours before going to work. I still experienced crippling self-doubt more times than I can count but I was finally putting in the effort. And, unsurprisingly (though surprisingly to me), it actually started to pay off!

Where I am today

After months and months and months of early mornings and quite a few burnouts, I managed to create and launch my online course Dream Habit. Earlier this year, I quit my full-time job and went back to my part-time uni job so I could pursue blogging (this journaling exercise helped me make the leap!) and that’s where I am today!

So that’s my story until now and I’m just glad the dots have finally started to connect! I’ve still got a long way to go, but I no longer feel directionless. And that’s a HUGE relief!

If you’ve been struggling to figure out what to do with your life, I hope my story can help you see that you don’t need to feel like you’ve got your life together for it to eventually come together. It’ll creep up on you, just like it did on me. All you need to do is keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Have you figured out what to do with your life?
Let me know in the comments below!

You can read more about how to figure out what to do with your life on my blog Smart Twenties.

14 Comments

Genevieve Says

Thank you so much for this article! I’m 25 and starting university this year, after 5 years of thinking about what I like, what I want, and trying programs and dropping out because they weren’t for me. And still, I’m not sure if it’s gonna be the right path for me…It’s hard to always go forward when you think everyone around you have it settled; but I found out it’s not always the case, even if it looks like this. I thought many of my friends had found their “calling”, but I was wrong. We’re all searching for more, we know that we won’t keep the same job for the next 40 years; we know that one day, the road will turn and we’ll try something else. It’s both a blessing and a curse to have so many options in life.
So, I figure out I should just try to enjoy life and collect experiences as much as I can!

Samantha Says

I love reading stories like yours. Too often we believe that in order to be successful & happy with our lives and careers, we must be on a constant track upward, always knowing what we want from the very beginning. So not true! Sometimes having multiple directions is exactly what you need to get you going in the RIGHT direction :) Congrats on all you’re accomplishing!

Liberty Says

Great post! I am struggling with this at the moment too, I am passionate about so many things, but I am not necessarily good at them all just so confused! I would love to be a blogger but I don’t know if that will work out.
http://www.libertylife.me

Brianda Says

Thank you for sharing your story! I’m 26 years old and still struggling with what I want to do with my life. I recently started my blog and although it’s nowhere near perfect it’s made me more happy than anything else I’ve done in my life. So I think this might be it. I hope I can do it just like you did! Thanks again!!

Nancy Says

Reading your post is like reading the insides of my brain, minus the full-time blogger part. I, too, fell into a stable job with decent pay right after uni, but it just doesn’t feel right. I took it because my brain told me I needed the money and work experience, and it’s not like I know what I want to do with my career anyways?!

I’m happy for you that you found what you love to do. :) I’m working on finding mine too, starting with taking a few new classes in photography and social media strategy. I’m hoping if I check out enough interesting classes, I’ll finally fall in love with something lol (other than food and naps).

xoxo
Nancy

Em Says

Thanks so much for sharing! It’s so easy to fall into the rut of following others’ suggestions/accepting their input without doing the soul searching needed to figure out what you, the individual, want to do. It’s comforting that you also had worries/fears going into this and everything still turned out alright!

Bree Says

Thanks for the inspiration! I am starting my blog now and I know I am only holding myself back! Do you listen to the podcast “Join Up Dots?” When you said, “the dots just started to fit” it made me think of it! I definitely recommend it! It’s full of inspirational stories like yours.

Olaoluwa Says

Great article, real helpful too,I am 27 a graduate and still jobless,clueless, and depressed especially now that I cannot even seem to put one foot in front of the other and the fact that yours crept on you really don’t mean mine would
I guess I am just in a hard place right now and literarily mean hard country(Nigeria)

Onome Says

Thank you!

Margaret Nguyen Says

Yes, im totally in this age where i have no clue what i want to do. I always wanted to start a business but i have no money, which means working a few jobs to get some $$$ to invest. Im in nursing school but idk. Im just lost right now. Im already in so deep. I just want to take a moment and see what i want to do. Of course i shouldnt think about the past. I should just think of what I should do right now. Im having a mid 20 crisis.

Frankie Says

Trying to finish college and make sense of life. Ugh! I’m in my late 20’s and just feel so lost.

After reading this I took a deep breath and reminded myself that everything will be fine. It just takes time.

I’m glad things worked out for you!

Thank you.

Katie Says

I loved hearing your story – thanks for sharing! ^_^

I’m now in my mid 30s and I’ve gone through so many overlapping “I know what I want to do.. I think!” phases:
– The “I want to be a blogger phase” (3 years working on this: fun but didn’t earn from it)
– The “I want to be an artist phase” (8 years, and earning nicely)
– The “I want to be a youtuber phase” (5 years so far)
– The “I want to be a children’s book author & illustrator phase” (5 months, and half a book done before stopping)
– The “I want to write a book / movie script phase” (couple of months and 20% of a script done before writer’s block struck)
– The “I want to be an expert on personal development phase”

Yeah.. there have been a lot of phases! In the past in every case I eventually seem to get bored or start thinking thoughts that make me want to stop doing the thing – and then I’m back to square one, feeling lost and afloat in this fuzzy, directionless limbo place. I wish enthusiasm was something that never wore off! That would solve everything!

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Bella Says

It really resonates with me as I’m also in the middle of figuring out my path while juggling college work. It can be overwhelming at times, especially when the direction isn’t clear. I’ve been searching for academic help and came across this academic help https://paperdon.com/ that seems promising. It’s comforting to know that others have taken winding paths and still found success. Thanks for sharing your story.

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