Since we were little, there has been one question that never ceases to exist: What do you want to do with your life? The question comes in all different forms: What do you want to be when you grow up? Where do you see yourself in X number of years? And so on. This question seems to follow us wherever we go. It comes up in the classes we take in school, the jobs we pursue as young adults, the interests we have, the clubs we join, and so much more. It is everywhere. It is in the least expected places. Sometimes this question overwhelms us. Sometimes it excites us. Whatever it does, it is always there.
No matter what age we are, we are expected to answer this loaded question. As children, it is OK to have unrealistic and dreamy answers, but it seems that once we reach high school the new norm is to know exactly what you want to do when you grow up. You know what? You don't need to know! Whether you are in high school or college or out of college in the real world, it is OK to not know what you want to be when you grow up. Yes, life is short, but isn’t that all the more reason to have fun and experience it? I’m not saying to forget all responsibilities, but I am saying to have fun. Live your life. It’s OK to not have an answer to this loaded quested. It’s OK to change your mind about what you want to do. Whether you are 4 or 40, you are most likely going to change your mind about things.
So how do you decide what you want to do with your life? If you’re lucky, you’ll participate in internships. You’ll talk with people in the world. You’ll be able to find what you do and do not like through experience. College is wonderful time for this. In my very short time that I have been at college so far, I have found more things I do and don’t enjoy than at any other point in my life. I’ve changed my major and it will probably change again at some point. I’ve taken new jobs to see what they’re like. I’ve taken classes that I wouldn’t think to take in a million years. And you know what? This has all led me to think about what I want to do with my life but I still haven’t decided. And this is OK. Life is full of experiences. It is full of opportunities. So go take those opportunities. Find what you love. Find what you can’t stand. Find what you are good at. Find what you need to work on. As I’ve learned for so many years in school, someone will always be better at something than you. How have I learned to look at this pessimistic quote? By telling myself that I can learn from those who are better than me and teach those that still need to learn.
So go out into the world this week, and find something you love. Discover a new hobby or passion. You don’t need to know what you want to be when you grow up. It will change, and that is the fun of life.
