I don't know what to do with my life
I’m 21, and I feel hopeless. I’m working full-time at a cafe, barely getting by. I hate it but can’t find anything else to do. I don’t know what I want to do, I don’t really feel like I’m good at anything, and nothing really excites me. I feel like all I can do is survive.
Consider the people in your life that you look up to and observe what they do. What are successful people accomplishing and what do they do in their day-to-day life? If you want what they have, start asking questions about what they do and how they do it.
Sometimes it can be helpful to look back to your childhood or teenage years and think about what you were interested in then. Try picking up some old hobbies, or try new things that you never thought you could do. Sometimes that excitement from your youth can come back and remind you of a passion you completely forgot about.
Sometimes it can be helpful to look back to your childhood or teenage years and think about what you were interested in then. Try picking up some old hobbies, or try new things that you never thought you could do. Sometimes that excitement from your youth can come back and remind you of a passion you completely forgot about.
The best advice I ever heard is that “sadness is a lack of options”. You're feeling stuck and sad because you don't have options. So you have to find options. And to do that, you have to get really curious. Find places to volunteer just to learn what it’s like to do different types of jobs. It doesn't really matter what they are right now. Just trying new things with low stakes will show you so much.
Try connecting with other people who are doing work that inspires you and that is similar to careers you've considered.
Most importantly, just try the thing! Talk about new career options with friends. Experiment. There is nothing as useful as trying something new and getting real experience as a way of learning. You may not want to quit your job just yet, but you don't have to in order to start exploring your options.
It’s also really important to start networking. Find people who do work that interests you and set up meetings with them.
Most importantly, just try the thing! Talk about new career options with friends. Experiment. There is nothing as useful as trying something new and getting real experience as a way of learning. You may not want to quit your job just yet, but you don't have to in order to start exploring your options.
It’s also really important to start networking. Find people who do work that interests you and set up meetings with them.
You're still so young, and you have so much time to figure it out. You have to just keep trying things and give it time. Sometimes it’s actually more helpful to figure out what you don't want to do because that helps you narrow down to the kinds of things you do.
The thing that most people don't know about passion is it has to be cultivated. You're not going to start anything and immediately be good and motivated to do it. You have to push through the initial resistance and know that it gets better. You have SO much time ahead of you. The only really important thing right now is to keep trying new things and not give up.
The thing that most people don't know about passion is it has to be cultivated. You're not going to start anything and immediately be good and motivated to do it. You have to push through the initial resistance and know that it gets better. You have SO much time ahead of you. The only really important thing right now is to keep trying new things and not give up.
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Other wikiHow readers have submitted their own tips on topics similar to this one.
Reader Tips from The Best Ways to Find Your Purpose at Any Age
They say it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master something, so if you aren't good at something and you think it's your purpose in life to pursue it, don't let it stop you! Start practicing and you'll soon be good enough to make that your life's work.
Courage is not the absence of fear; it's taking action despite fear. If you know what you want and you're not taking the first step, realize that's on you. You must be the one to take the jump into the deep end, so don't hesitate!
Picture how you'd spend your time if you had infinite money and no responsibilities. That's probably a good hint as to what your purpose is in life!
Reader Tips from 8 Reasons Why Life Sucks & 15 Ways to Deal With It
It's okay to feel like life is miserable, but if the feeling becomes so overwhelming that it becomes difficult to function or complete daily tasks, please seek help. Even if life sucks, it's still worth living.
If life sucks because it's inherently meaningless, that means that you get to choose what matters! You are the master of your world. Nothing else matters beyond what you want.
Reader Tips from How to Plan Your Life
Your goals will almost certainly change over time. You will want to eventually pursue a new career or follow a new path. Who knows, maybe you'll wake up one day and want to move to Japan! The point is, don't treat your life plan like it's this fixed thing that can't be adjusted later on.
It's okay to not immediately know what you want to do with your life. You don't have to seriously craft a plan until you know what you want to pursue, so if yoyu aren't there yet, don't stress!
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