Has your mind ever hooked you with this question: “I don’t know what to do with my life?”
Mine certainly has, and I can tell you: it’s a recipe for misery. The more you get hooked by this question, the more dissatisfied you become with the life you have.
The problem is, this question is sooooo big, almost nobody can answer it (except for the tiny number of people who have some sort of grand calling or vision for their whole life, which is almost always to do with religion or politics).
For most of us, this is not a useful question to ask; it’s just too big, too overwhelming. Here are some far more helpful questions to ask yourself:
What do I want to do with …
- My evening
- My weekends
- My summer holiday
- The rest of this week
- The rest of this day
- This hour
- This next 10 minutes
- My body – today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year
- My job/work/career – today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year
- My finances – today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year
- My leisure time – today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year
- My further education or skills development – today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year
- My friends – today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year
- My family – today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year
- My hobbies – today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year
- My volunteer work – today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year
Don’t try to answer all these at once; that will also be overwhelming.
Pick one or two to focus on each week. Then, over a period of two or three months, gather your answers.
And come up with your own questions; the ones above are just examples that may or may not be relevant to you.
Make your questions specific, and explore what you want to do short term, medium term, and long term.
And if the answer to any question is “Don’t know” then until such time as you do know, why not make the best of what you are currently doing?
Engage in it fully, appreciate it, do it well, make the most of it.
The Happiness Trap Online Program
The Happiness Trap Online Program is based on an empirically-supported model known as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Over a 35 year period, evidence has mounted for ACT’s effectiveness in treating conditions including anxiety, chronic pain, depression, stress, smoking, weight loss and performance enhancement.
The Happiness Trap program teaches highly-effective strategies and interventions based on the ACT model, which can help you stop struggling with difficult thoughts and feelings and build genuine and lasting happiness.
