8 Ways To Find Out What You Really Want In Life

Discovering what you really want to do with your life isn’t an easy task for anyone. Not only that, but there really is no step-by-step guide to figure out what your life purpose. With that said, when you’re not really sure what you want to do, whether it’s a career, a lifestyle or anything else, a few different exercises might help you pinpoint what it is that you truly want in life.

The good news is that there are simple and highly effective methods for figuring out what you really want. These methods are the perfect starting point to help you light the way for your future growth. Here are 8 ways to find out what you really want in life:

1. Think About Where You’ll Be In Five Years

The “where do you see yourself in five years?” question riddles everything from job interviews to financial plans and while it seems cliché, it’s common for a reason: it works. It’s one of those annoyingly difficult questions to answer and in most cases, it’s pretty much impossible to answer in a concrete way. Thankfully, that’s okay because sometimes attempting to answer the question is all you need. It doesn’t matter where you think you’ll be in five years, but it’s still important to think about because it gives you the idea you want to pursue.

2. Stop Worrying About What Other People Think Of You

This is a hard one to get your head around but once you do, it’s life-changing. The truth is that people will always have opinions, no matter what you do. Holding yourself back and not chasing the life you want because of other people will leave you feeling stuck. Who cares what other people think of you? Instead, be the person who works toward their goals rather than the one who sits around waiting.

3. Connect With Nature

Spending time in nature can be an extremely effective method of reconnecting with yourself and giving yourself room to “listen” to your mind and body. Whether your favorite version of connecting with nature is practicing yoga on the beach, taking a long run by a lake or taking a hike on a beautiful nature path, do the activity that allows you to unplug from distractions.

4. Go Back To Your Childhood Dreams

What did you want to become when you were a kid? You probably didn’t think about fame and fortune then. You wanted friends, love and a fun profession. If there is any space for achieving those goals, it’s time to do something about it. As a child, we don’t think about the external things. We are super focused on the small things in life that make us happy and thinking like that was we grow up is a great idea.

5. Use Affirmation

Often, indecision and not knowing what we want is tied to fear of the unknown and a feeling that we don’t “deserve” things. Using affirmations can be particularly powerful if this is something you struggle with. Just tell yourself small positive affirmations that can give you the confidence to take smaller and more positive steps forward.

6. Let Your Past Go

We’ve all had painful experiences in our lives and it’s just part of being a human being. It’s healthy to not carry resentment around with you because it will weigh you down. If you are not sure how to let something go, be open to knowing more and then the answers will come. The first step is usually forgiveness and once you do that, you’ll set yourself up to let things go.

7. Cultivate Gratitude

Even if you feel uncertain about your direction in life and feel unclear about what you want, there’s plenty to be grateful for in your everyday life. Cultivating gratitude by either taking a few moments to be thankful can be a powerful tool in helping you gain clarity. In focusing on what you are grateful for, you might even discover that you already have quite a bit of what you want in your life.

8. Be A Complete Person

Do you act like another person when you’re at work, at home or at parties? Do you behave differently when you’re alone, with friends and with people you want to impress? All those masks hide your true self. That’s exactly why you can’t figure out what you really want. You should be the same person in every situation of life. Don’t be afraid to let your true persona shine through. It’s impossible to please everyone and as long as you’re happy with yourself, that’s all that matters!

Conclusion

It’s absolutely true that figuring out what you want is an intimidating challenge. But truthfully, when it comes down to it, it’s really a matter of mindfulness and taking the time to really listen to your thoughts, emotions and true desires. In this post, I shared with you 8 ways to find out what you really want in life.