Fuck Following Your Passion. Do This Instead.
“What the hell should I do with my life?”
An astonishing number of my friends have asked themselves this question in recent months. Me included. I’m in my early 20s.
For many of my peers, a kind of existential crisis, also known as a quarter-life crisis, occurs when they start their careers.
It seems like everyone is searching for their purpose.
In this article, I dare to approach the question of how to find out what you should do with your life.
Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs
Not knowing what your “purpose” is is a pretty privileged problem.
If this question is on your mind, then that is a reason to be grateful. Grateful that you are doing well enough to be in a position to ask this question.
After all, I doubt that people in the poorest countries of the world are looking for their “purpose”. They are far too busy trying to get their hands on something to eat.
Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs shows this clearly.
Now, full of gratitude, back to the question: how to find your purpose?
1. Make Sure You Follow Your Script
Did you write the script of your own life?
Unfortunately, most people don’t.
Most of us strive to follow the script that our parents, teachers, or society have written for us.
This idea comes from the famous book “The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People”. It is based on the realization that all things are created twice. First, we create ideas in our minds before we manifest them in the physical world.
Even the first automobile had its origin in the thoughts of the inventor Carl Benz.
When the first creation of our lives does not come from ourselves it is often a recipe for unhappiness. This leads to the most common life regret of dying people according to the author Bronnie Ware:
“I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me”
2. Let’s Listen To The Japanese
Don’t blindly follow your passion. Follow your Ikigai.
It’s the thing that is close to your passion, but more useful in the real world. And it can actually make you money.
Your Ikigai is a Japanese concept that can be translated as “your reason for being.”
Here’s how to find your Ikigai:
- It’s something you love. Just like your passion.
- You’re good at it, which is usually also true for your passion.
- The world needs it. Unfortunately, this isn’t always true for your passion.
- You can be paid for it, which also isn’t always a given for your passion.
Sounds great, right?
Finding your Ikigai surely is a recipe for a great life.
3. Jeff Bezos’ Decision-Making Framework
Let’s say you are facing an important life decision.
Should you go to college or go all in on your business? Get a job after graduation or travel the world for a bit?
Here’s a framework that Jeff Bezos uses to make major decisions:
It’s all about minimizing future regret. Imagine you are 85 years old and about to die. You are looking back on your life. What is the thing that you would regret most not doing?
Usually, this is the more risky thing. But even if you fail, you at least tried.
Thanks for reading!
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