We talk a lot about finding happiness, but what about finding meaning? In some ways it’s more challenging to find the latter because nobody can tell you what will give your life more purpose says Aron Govil. Fortunately, psychologists have been able to pinpoint certain questions that might help pinpoint where you should be looking.
By asking yourself a few of these questions, you might be able to gain some insight into what gives your life more meaning.
1. How do I want to feel?
One of the best questions you can ask yourself is how you want to feel during your career. This question eliminates any preconceived notions about what you should “be” when you grow up, and it also excludes any specific job titles or paths you might take in your career path because it’s more about the underlying sentiments behind them. For example, if you are passionate about art, but someone tells you that being an artist isn’t a lucrative profession, this might prevent you from taking that route in life even though it makes you happy just thinking about it. The theme here is happiness so by only focusing on these positive feelings, you’re able to eliminate any negative factors that might be holding you back from finding your bliss.
2. How do I want to feel when I’m 65?
This is another simply question, but it can help clarify how you want to feel during your career and also what type of impact you want to leave on the world. Do you want to look at yourself and say “I was miserable all along” or do you think that by going down a certain path, you might accomplish some very important goals that will positively affect others? A lot of people tend to lose sight of this as they get older and end up regretting their decision later in life because they didn’t really consider how things would play out from start to finish.
3. What kind of life do I want to have?
It’s common to forget about looking at the “big picture” when you’re young and are only thinking about what will make you happy in the moment, but that can change as you get older. You might find yourself asking these questions if you’re at a major crossroads in your life or even during mid-life crises says Aron Govil. If this happens, take some time to think about whether you should make some changes now instead of later because it might be too late by the time you realize your mistakes. By thinking things through beforehand, it’ll likely be easier to make any necessary adjustments.
4. Do I want to be famous?
This can be a very common question but it’s important to remember that there are different kinds of fame. There is the kind that involves lots of money, power, and prestige while there is also the kind that involves the internet and social media. While one type might require you to move to Hollywood or New York, another can easily be achieved from staying in your hometown if you have a solid following on YouTube or Twitter for example. It’s not about whether or not you want to be famous because it could happen even without any effort from your part at all. What’s more important is figuring out what type of attention you want because this will determine where you’ll need to focus your efforts in order to get where you want to go.
5. Would I want my life on a movie screen?
This is another common question that can help you figure out how public you want to get with your life. In some cases, it might be best to keep things private and only share them with the people you trust. On the other hand, there might be opportunities where you would feel more comfortable with having an open discussion about certain details of your career in order to help others interested in pursuing a similar path. It’s also possible that even if you do become famous, there will still be aspects of your life that you don’t necessarily want others knowing about so by thinking through this ahead of time, it’ll be easier for deciding exactly what you should disclose and what should remain private.
Conclusion:
It’s normal for there to be some confusion when it comes time to make a decision about your life and career because you might not know what will truly matter in the long run explains Aron Govil. However, if you take the time to think about these five simple questions, they can help point you in the right direction and allow you to make a clearer choice that will hopefully lead to a happier and more fulfilling future.