‘I Don’t Know What To Do With My Life’: 7 Keys To Knowing What You Want
What do I do with my life? How do I know what I want? Discover the psychological keys to know what to do in life, both personally and professionally, when you feel lost.
We’ve all been through times when the phrase ‘I do not know what to do with my life ‘ was constantly echoing in our heads. In many cases this is a sign that there is insecurity in us or that we simply require a change in our lives. But how can we know what to do in life on a personal and professional level?
Surely when there are phrases of this style you will wonder why they exist. On many occasions when you do not know what to do Whether in the professional or personal sphere, there are some problems around your identity. These may be because you are going through a period of changes or you simply have not yet solved certain problems within yourself. Mainly, psychologists identify the following reasons why these breakdowns may occur.
Lack of identity: Maybe you haven’t dug deeper into yourself than you should. In these cases, people usually I dont know what to do, since they have not dedicated enough time to get to know themselves better. In these cases, you may need some time alone for yourself or dedicate at least half an hour a day to trying to delve deeper into who you are.
Insecurities: There are cases in which phrases like ‘I don’t know what to do ‘ either ‘I am lost in life ‘are synonymous with a lack of security. On these occasions, people must work on their self-esteem to opt for what they really want.
Changes in life: Sometimes people don’t know what to do precisely in life since they have had a big change in their daily routine. It could be a layoff, a divorce, children leaving home, a move to another city. In these cases, it is normal to feel this way because you have left your comfort zone.
These may be some of the reasons why the phrase ‘I do not know what to do with my life ‘ may resonate in your mind. Sometimes, these types of thoughts can lead to many problems in our daily lives. In these cases, it may be necessary to consult a professional psychologist.
What to do with my life?
If you are struggling with these issues related to your own identity, there are a number of strategies you can follow to try to cope and find what to do with your life These guidelines are ways to know ourselves better and to be able to strengthen our individuality.
Learn more about yourself: The first step to leaving behind thoughts like ‘I don’t know what I want in my life ‘It is mainly to dedicate some time to yourself. One way you can get into it is to start thinking about those things that you like and that are important to you. To do this, you can write about what you enjoy most, the experiences you have had or what you would like to know more about. The moment you have a very long list about it, you will be able to better appreciate your individuality and what defines you.
Spend time alone: If the question ‘What do I do with my life? ‘ is something that is very present in your mind, you need to spend some time alone with yourself. On many occasions, social pressures can make our vision of what is really important to us more difficult to understand.
Challenge yourself: Trying new hobbies can be a very effective method to get closer to our self-knowledge. This can be very useful when a person thinks of phrases like ‘I don’t know what to work on ‘ either ‘I don’t know what to do ‘. In this way, you will be able to rediscover yourself in other facets and perhaps discover skills or aspects of yourself that you had never considered before.
Make more decisions: As we have mentioned, the ‘I don’t know what I want to do with my life ‘can be synonymous with the fact that there are insecurities in us that do not allow us to move forward. To be able to defeat them and leave behind the ‘What do I do with my life ‘, a very useful method is to make more decisions in our daily lives. Obviously these do not have to be of great relevance, but can simply be deciding what to have for dinner or what plans to make during the weekend. Over time, you will get a better idea of what you really prefer in yourself and you will learn to follow yourself more.
Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness or full attention meditation is a technique that involves being able to be in the here and now. Being in the present and knowing what you feel is an ideal method to fight against social pressures or those distractions that do not allow you to move towards what you really want. When you don’t know what to do seeing and analyzing how you feel in the now is an ideal way to know what you are wanting to do with your life.
Make an action plan: Sometimes when we say phrases like ‘I do not know what I want ‘Actually, we do know what we want, but we don’t feel safe to start acting. In these cases, it can be useful to try to set goals for a year or month ahead and try to establish some steps that we must take to be able to get there. By making an action plan you can check if you really like this and if it is what you want for your personal or professional life.
Speak it: When you don’t know what to do with your life, it is important to try to talk about it with someone. It is during communication with others that our thoughts can become much clearer. We also get feedback from the other person, which can give us a much more objective view of what we need at that moment.
There are many occasions in which people can find themselves faced with thoughts like ‘What do I do with my life? ‘. In these cases, if none of what we have mentioned works for you, it may be a good alternative to consult with a mental health professional. Discovering who you are should be a priority in your life.
