What do I want to do when I grow up?I don’t know if we ever grow up. We often feel a different age than our biological age.  It’s good to feel younger than your biological age, for the most part. This question, ‘What do I want to do when I grow up?’  can come up at different times in your life. It often comes up at life transitions– when you graduate from high school, or graduate from college, birth of children, loss of a job,a divorce, change in the economy,a  midlife crisis or other transitions.  These transitions are all opportunities to ask yourself the question, ‘What do I want to do when I grow up?’

To answer this question, do not look at where you can get a job to make money, unless you need to earn money now.  This is a temporary solution.  Instead, look for what lights you up or excites you.  Look at areas in your life when you are so interested in what you are doing, you really lose track of time.  Notice what makes you smile when you talk.

To help you on this process, there are some things you can do. Please know, though, that sometimes this can take time and other times it can be instantaneous.  But for the most part, this is a process that takes some time.

So what can you do?

1.  You can make a list of the 100 things you love to do.  If that’s too much to start with, try 10, and keep adding to it.

2.  Ask for feedback from friends and family about what they see as your skills and abilities and what you seem to enjoy.

3.  Take career assessments online.

4.  Take a class to help you discover your passion.

5.  Find a coach or a counselor if you want more help and guidance.  Start pulling all this information you’ve been gathering together and synthesize it to help you come up with a strategy and a plan to move forward with a new career for the next five to 10 years, or it could be longer.The Journey (Babamadizwin)

To help you with your discovery, focus on things that you love and are good at.    Don’t focus on areas you’re good at, but don’t love or enjoy.  This will not sustain you.

To help you in this process, I suggest The Journey (Babamabizwin) ebook created by my good friends, Robert and Terri TallTree.

This book is a journey of self-discovery to help you on your way.

To Your Highest Good,

Laura Meehan, MA

Integrative Counselor and Coach

Founder and Liberator of Allowyourlightoshine.com

Ambassador of Cure for Boredom on Howtoliveonpurpose.com