Not sure of my life's purpose.

[Grant]

So, whilst my biggest fear in life probably lies with death. A VERY close second is knowing I may go through life without a real purpose.

Ayn stated quite specifically that a life without purpose is left to act on whims/emotions. The dangers of this being quite obvious.

I have a certain amount of admiration for those who know at a young age what they want to do with the rest of the life.

I have never possessed this kind of certainty.

Given most of my life is spent in front of a computer, after school it seemed logical to pursue a degree in Information Systems.

Unfortunately I failed to realize that most of my time in front of the PC was spent designing and not programming.

2 years into my studies I decided this was not in any way a career path for me, but nonetheless finished my B.Com degree.

It has been almost 2 years since I completed my studies. During this time I have taken time off, have held a permanent position at a web design firm and done freelance design and photography for clients. Recently I applied to study a Masters degree in Architecture in the USA (I currently live in South Africa).

Architecture is something I had considered when I originally applied to study my undergraduate degree but decided to give it a miss.

I'm not saying The Fountainhead didn't have anything to do with it, but 5 years later it felt like something I finally wanted to pursue.

I've always been creative and had a keen interest in architecture/interior design, plus I've always wanted to live in the US, so it seemed logical.

I've just been accepted into a school in Chicago and wait-listed at 3 others (which I think I still have a good chance of getting into).

I can't say I am necessarily upset at this result, given I literally prepared the application/portfolio over-night, unlike others who spend half a year on theirs.

The only problem is I now don't know if I'm passionate enough about it to fork out $30k a year on education for the next 3 years.

Given the amount of money, it would be a serious commitment if I chose to pursue it, unlike my undergraduate education which was almost for nothing.

I've considered studying photography as it is something I do love, but I don't know if it's something I could make a career of.

I know I'm not alone in this dilemma. I speak to many who are unsure about their career choices.

Is it a game of luck? Do you have to hope to stumble upon something you immediately know you were meant for?

What do you do if at 23 (24 in a month), you still don't know your purpose?

Anyone have any advice?

[Chops]

It's certainly not a game of luck. Keep in mind, you're still plenty young to choose a career (Colonel Sanders founded KFC when he was 65), so no need to fret.

It's simply a matter of finding what you are passionate about, and that will require some introspection. I'd say it relies on experience. As you work on solving problems (any problems), you'll get ideas on how to do things better, and those ideas on improvement should be what drive you. It seems to me that the more you know about something, the more interesting it becomes, largely because the problems presented to you are that much harder.

Also, it's better to think "do I want to do this?" rather than the alternative that many use of "do I want to take the time to learn this?" Focus on the creation/productive aspect, focus not on the drudgery of schoolwork, in which the product is primarily useless, but instead focus on the ultimate product (what you would create after you complete school), and recognize that the schoolwork is merely a step in that direction. Keep it interesting by doing your own projects on the side, separate from school. For example, if you do decide to do architecture, don't resign your architecture work just to school. Instead, on the side, for fun, design your own buildings. Let your imagination run wild with ideas and try to implement them (draw, model, etc).

Some of the most miserable people I know are the types that go to work because "it's a job." The types that have no passion for it to do it in their free time, and who would regard taking their work home with them almost as an assault. Conversely, those that do in their jobs the same thing that they would do in their free time tend to be happier. Those are the people that have two things going for them:

1) They aren't doing it for the money, so they enjoy themselves more

2) They focus on it more, because of how much they enjoy it, and they become much better than those who might choose the same degree for "the money" or "prestige" (Keating)

So what do you enjoy doing in your free time that is semi-productive?

Edited April 11, 2008 by Chops

[dan_edge]

Dude, I turn 30 this year, and I'm just now getting a grasp on what I want to do with my life.

It's a myth that you will naturally develop passion for whatever it is you were "meant" to do. Passion is fostered and developed over years of experimentation with different kinds of productive activities. My advice is: try different kinds of jobs and explore different hobbies. If you find something that catches your fancy even a little bit, put some time into it, get good at it, and see if you passion and interest grows. If so, keep at it. If not, maybe keep at it anyway and learn a variety of different skills that may be applicable elsewhere. There's nothing wrong with changing careers at 25, 30, or 40 years old.

A lot of people feel paralyzed by their lack of passion, and never go out there and actually do stuff. Go hiking, learn to dance, read a bunch of good books, get a job in sales, learn accounting, practice flirting, try cooking unusual meals. It doesn't matter if you're not immediately motivated to do these things; if necessary, force yourself to experiment. Again, passions must be developed, they do not spring up out of nothing.

You'll be fine

--Dan Edge

[Grant]

Thanks guys.

That helped a lot.