At some point, we all come to a turning point in life. New opportunities and new beginnings!
This excitement can quickly be overshadowed by the confusion that comes with not knowing what to do or choose.
We can feel paralyzed by our options and unsure about our futures. So, how do we find a path forward?
Here are 3 “Do’s” and “Don’t” for finding your path:
Do:
1. Believe.
Believing leads to action. Once you believe in yourself, you'll become motivated to take action and achieve positive outcomes.
Many famous people, such as Michael Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, Walt Disney, and Albert Einstein (just to name a few) have failed over and over again before eventually succeeding. The one thing they have in common - self-belief. A belief that kept them focused and got them back up again until they reached their goals.
Once you believe in yourself, you’ll develop a certain confidence that will protect you through adversity. In turn, you’ll continue on to obtain more positive results.
2. Focus on your interests.
When that repeated question, “what should I choose?” runs through your head, shift your focus from selecting the perfect choice to selecting something of interest to you. What do you enjoy doing during your spare time? What do you think about when your mind wanders? Don’t underestimate these things.
While it may not be financially viable right now to jump full time into your dream job, you can always start with becoming involved in that field or creating a side project. If you simply take that first step towards your area of interest, you’ll be actively setting the wheels in motion towards that direction.
3. Make the sky the limit.
Dream big and take your interests seriously. If you limit your dreams – you limit your life. But be realistic about the amount of time and energy it will take to reach them. Make sure you work for it as much as you want it.
Don’t:
1. Don’t think you’re the only one.
It’s easy to feel like you’re the only person who has ever come to this crossroads. Know that many, many, others have overcome this before you. And you will also. These feelings of loneliness and disconnect can be anxiety-provoking when you look around and everyone seemingly has their lives figured out. Know that this is far from the case. Life is ever-changing, and navigating the path forward is a constant work in process.
2. Make a decision on fear.
While ideally, we should follow our guts, by focusing on inner callings and the ideas that make us smile, it can be extremely scary to branch out and make a change. Fear can creep in – which might sound a little like “you don’t deserve that”, “you’ll never make it”, “you’re a fraud”, or “don’t even bother trying”… don’t listen!
Fear does little but try to scare us. It wants us to believe we can’t reach what we really want. When those thoughts creep in, ensure that you have a positive affirmation ready to combat them with. Something such as “I’m giving it my all and I can achieve this” or “I have the skills and energy to reach my goals.”
3. Make a decision on pleasing others.
An old saying goes, “The key to failure is trying to please everyone”. If anything – it eventually leads to self-dissatisfaction. When searching for your best way forward it’s easy to fall into the trap of following where others think you should go. Be sure to check in with yourself – ask, "Is this really the best path for me?"
Let me tell you - if your intention is good, there is no wrong choice. Keep lunging forward in whatever direction you feel to be right at this time. Instead of searching for a perfect path, or the path you think others expect of you - keep focused on creating your own path. While paving forward, try all the things you want during this one life you have. If you keep this as your motto – your path will unfold as it should.
This article was originally published on The Pathways Podcast Blog.