Feeling lost — What should I do with my life?

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Every time I got asked this question, my insides would start churning and my palms would get all sweaty just thinking about how I could piece together a somewhat decent answer. That inability to do so further reinforced my anxiety and uncertainty. I had so many questions I wanted clarity about — What is my passion? Should I pursue my passion? What is the right career for me?

If you feel the same way too, don’t panic, here are five videos that helped me find my answers and take action.

1. Stop Searching For Your Passion — Terri Trespicio

Some people take long sabbatical trips to get away and “find themselves”. In her TED talk presentation, Terri advises us against spending too much time trying to find our one true calling because that itself may change in our entire lifetime.

Passions and interests may change from time to time. Instead of agonising over not having found our passion, Terri suggests to find problems that we want to solve. What problems in this world frustrate you? Your passion then lies in what you can contribute and offer to solve these problems.

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MBaFL7sCb8

2. To Find Work You Love, Don’t Follow Your Passion — Benjamin Todd

After years of research at Oxford university, Benjamin’s findings strongly resonate with Terri’s — that we shouldn’t base our career decisions purely on our present interests. Instead, he suggests focusing on developing skills, achieving mastery and thereafter do valuable work with them.

By doing so, there is no need to endlessly reflect on which of your interests represents your true calling, which doesn’t exist anyway.

While Terri and Benjamin have an inclination towards not basing your career decisions on your present interests, it might nonetheless be helpful as a starting point to figuring out which skills you want to start building.

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKlx1DLa9EA

3. Why Some Of Us Don’t Have One True Calling — Emilie Wapnick

If you find yourself going back and forth from one interest to another and just can’t settle for a particular one, then this video might be helpful. As a person with several interests, Emilie puts forth the notion that others like her can also be equally valuable to society.

Watch the video here to find out why: https://youtu.be/4sZdcB6bjI8

4. What Should I Do With My Life? — Charlie Parker

Have big dreams but that nagging voice in your head tells you that you can’t achieve it? In his TED talk, Charlie helps you separate your inner voice and your inner doubt so you can find out what you want to do and live your best life. Sometimes we just need to drain out the negative thoughts that are holding us back and stopping us from becoming who we truly want to be.

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo3e_0ITVjo

5. Allow Things To Unfold and You Will Find Your Purpose In Life — Peggy Oki

Unlike the other speakers, Peggy takes a different, storytelling approach to share about how she use her gifts in art to serve a purpose that she cares about. It’s easy to feel her enthusiasm diffusing through your screen as she passionately recounts her journey.

If there’s one thing I learnt from Peggy, it is to use my strengths and skills creatively towards a cause I believe in to bring positive social impact.

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycB29FkoylE

It’s not easy finding what you want to do in your life, and perhaps you won’t gain 100% clarity even after binge watching all five of these videos. But what’s more important is taking actionable steps and doing something, anything, to get you going on this journey.

So the next time someone asks you that nerve-wrecking “what you want to do in the future” question, remind yourself that it’s okay to not have that perfect answer because it may not even exist in the first place.

At Praxium, we’re passionate about enabling youth to uncover their passion and find their way. If you need help finding your direction or looking for a community to explore some of life’s questions with, feel free to drop us a note!