“What do I want in life?” If you constantly ask yourself this type of question, you probably need more clarity about the future. You might have seen some of your colleagues or friends pushing themselves to achieve specific goals in life.
Life does not come with a guidance manual, and one needs to put effort into finding answers to questions like, “how to live a full life?”
The questions about their goals and purpose are not so bothersome for some. At the same time, others find it too daunting and disheartening with this constant query that runs at the back of the mind. There is no easy way or shortcut to figuring out what you want.
Many even sail through life effortlessly only to realize that their life could have been more meaningful. Nothing hurts more than finding out what all possibilities and opportunities you missed.
If you are still trying to figure out what you want to do, you will find the list of these powerful questions very useful. Answering these questions would enlighten you with your life purpose and showcase a clear picture of your future.
Table of Contents
- What Do I Want In Life? Questions to Ask Yourself
- 1. What are the things I'm most passionate about?
- 2. What are my greatest accomplishments in life so far?
- 3. If my life had absolutely no limits, what would I choose to have and what would I choose to do?
- 4. What are my goals in life?
- 5. Whom do I admire most in the world?
- 6. What do I not like to do?
- 7. How hard am I willing to work to get what I want?
- Final Thoughts
What Do I Want In Life? Questions to Ask Yourself
Here is the set of questions that you need to ask yourself:
1. What are the things I’m most passionate about?
The fact that you can peruse this article shows that you have already had some academic and personal exposure in life. Think about what excited you the most during your life until now. Things you are most passionate about should always become a part of your life goal.
Nothing is more fulfilling in life than following what you are passionate about. Whatever makes you happy and drives you to do better is your passion. Ask yourself, “what makes you feel most fulfilled? Is it singing? Is it writing? Is it dancing?
What you answer is probably the thing that you should pursue in life. It is even logical to focus on things that you are passionate about because your happiness and productivity are directly linked to such things.
If you need assistance in figuring out what you want to become, then this Full Life Essential Guide may just be what you need. The CEO and Founder of Lifehack share the framework in this book to help you live the life you always dreamed of. Get your copy! After figuring out what you love doing, do more of it.
After figuring out what you love doing, do more of it.
2. What are my greatest accomplishments in life so far?
You must have done something that you are proud of in your life. Make a list of all such things. Now contemplate on how these accomplishments made you feel? Were you really proud of it? Did it fill you with gusto and enthusiasm?
Why not try and outdo such things and create more excitement in life? Let us consider an example.
Suppose did very well in a dancing class and got first prize in your college days. You were filled with pride and a sense of being superior. It would be great to continue taking lessons on dancing and enter more competitions at the state level or national level. You can even become a coach if you are really good at this art.
Your life will become more fulfilling when you do things that give you a feeling of accomplishment.
3. If my life had absolutely no limits, what would I choose to have and what would I choose to do?
Hypothetically, suppose you have a million dollars and all the time in the world to choose to do anything.
Now try to answer questions such as
What would you prefer to do?
Whom would you spend your time with?
Where would you like to travel?
Whom would you help?
What would you learn?
With the thought of limitless resources, your mind would open up to answering the questions about all that really matters. That is what you really need to find out the answers for!
Taking your life decisions based on answers to such questions will help you create a life that is filled with happiness and great fulfillment. Therefore, you need to stop thinking about all the limitations and start thinking about the possibilities. Your life path would be determined based on answers to such questions.
4. What are my goals in life?
The answer to questions like “what do I really want” or “what do I want to be” you first need to determine your life goals. To help you live a content and happy life, focus on finding the goals that would make you feel satisfied. Even your life goals could be divided into three segments:
- What are your health goals?
- What are your career goals?
- What are your family goals?
Your life is a combination of six vital facets. These aspects are your professional life, health, spiritual wellness, wealth, relationship, and mental strength. You need to set goals for each aspect to help you live a good life. When you perform well in all these areas, you will feel content and happy.
5. Whom do I admire most in the world?
You need to have some to look up to. It can be a person you know personally or merely some personality you admire the most. When someone asks you, “what do you want to become” what name comes to your mind first?
Follow their path to lead a successful and content life. These people inspired you to do something, and now you have to opportunity to follow in their footsteps and become an inspiration to others. You also get to create a wonderful and purposeful life for yourself in the course.
There is a reason why you admire and respect such people. You subconsciously want to become like them or want to learn from them. They say you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
Therefore, you should avoid spending time with people who hold you back and do not let you decide your goals. Spending more time with successful people will give you a better outlook towards understanding life and help you become happy and optimistic.
6. What do I not like to do?
When figuring out what to do in your life, you need to put away things that you dislike. You need to find out what creates negative emotions in you. It can be certain people, art, domain, work timing of your office, meetings, etc. Make a list of things that you despise.
Once you understand what you hate, start looking for things that help you stay away from them. For example, if you hate the 9 to 5 work, start a business or follow a professional. Work independently to get that feeling of freedom. Understanding what you don’t like, brings you closer to what you really like!
You need to take action once you realize the direction you want to go. And this brings us to our final question …
7. How hard am I willing to work to get what I want?
Great accomplishments never come easy. If you want to do great things with your life, you’re going to have to make a great effort. That will probably mean putting in more hours the average person, getting outside your comfort zone and learning as much as you can to achieve as much as you can.
But here’s the cool part: it’s often the journey that is the most fulfilling part. It’s during these seemingly small, insignificant moments that you’ll often find that “aha” moments that helps you answer the question,
“What do I want to do with my life?”
So take the first step toward improving your life. It’s never too late to do what you’re passionate about and what you truly desire!
Take a look at this article if you want to live a life with no regrets:
How to Start Over and Reboot Your Life When It Seems Too Late
Final Thoughts
Life can be as beautiful and fulfilling as you can dream of. You need to set your heart at something and put all your energies and efforts into achieving it. That is what a fulfilling life is all about. Answering the questions listed in this article will help you in figuring out what you want in life and where life should lead to. So, don’t delay and grab a piece of pen and paper and ascertain the answers to start living the life of great dreams!
Featured photo credit: Andrew Ly via unsplash.com