Indie

What are You Doing with Your Life?

 

Driving into work today, I was listening to a brilliant podcast, Song Exploder. So here I am, breezing down the freeway, looking at the cool, low-hung clouds in a truly unusual foggy Arizona sky, and completely engrossed in Episode 92.

The podcast’s founder, Hrishikesh Hirway, gives the stage to the artist at hand, and bit by bit, the artists discuss each element of a song. The brilliance of this method is that the listener hears first-hand the intention of the song’s creators. For the music lover who is not a composer, you learn a bit about composition as well.

Anyhow, listening to the composer, Justin Hurwitz, discuss his plans and musical choices for the movie, the listener can’t help but float into his creative space. I found myself thinking … why wasn’t I a lyricist? Could I still be a lyricist? What about playing the piano? I was a promising student back when I was 6 (laughable, I know) … could I still be now?

Luckily for me, I’m not alone in this pondering. The Millennial generation seems to move more frequently through jobs. We’re looking for meaning, for fulfilling work.

Please note: My perspective in this article is colored by my privilege and my heritage. As a white woman in the United States, I see work as a fluid commitment. Opportunities come and go, but I see a pathway to other jobs stretching out in front of me. It is not this way for all Americans, and certainly not for all people around the globe.

However, regardless of where you are right now, you can still daydream. Your goals matter and deserve to be looked over by you.

What are you doing with your life?

Really, what are you doing? Are you happy?

When you take time to look around and evaluate, is this what you wanted out of life? Personally, I’m a dreamer. Unfortunately, for us dreamers, we often forget to see what’s right in front of us. Or on the flip side, forget how to sow the seeds that will grow into the massive plans for the future. Baby steps aren’t very fun to dream about, and it’s not always enjoyable to look around you and see what you can fit into your plans. More fun to scrap it all and start anew!

Okay, so no, let’s not scrap our lives. Let’s try another approach.

Are you moving towards your goals?

Take stock of your life right now. Ask yourself whether you feel good about your path. Do you feel like you are reaching your truest potential? If you’re a millennial, the answer is likely a mix of yes/no with a little bit of “maybe.”

The advice I’ve always loved is to do one thing each day that helps you reach your dreams. Of course, dreams are really goals that need plans.

Establish your goals (if you’re not sure):

  • Try this thought exercise:
    • Where do you go when you’re bored?
    • What do you do when you have nothing else to do?
    • When you’re free to choose, where does your head go?
    • What do you daydream about when you’re stressed?

Did anything stand out to you just now? Okay now, think of what life would be like if you did that thing more often. Now, take one small step in that direction. Then keep stepping in that direction, you’ll be pre-occupied by this thing that you love and your life in pointed in that angle.

Narrow down your goals (so many goals you don’t know where to start?):

  • Make a list of your top 25 goals.
    • If you had to pick 5 of your non-negotiables, which would you choose? Circle those. 
    • These are your most-wanted. Stick to these 5 for now
    • Take those five and draw them out – using little webs. What steps do you need to take to get to them?

Remember to approach each day with gratitude and kindness towards yourself and your goals. We’re all a work in progress. It also helps to write goals and experiences down in a place you can reference. If you liked this article, you may also like learning about Morning Pages, daily journal meditations you can start tomorrow.

About the Author:

Brianna is a businessperson with a passion for social science and healthy living. The three seem to always intersect and come together in Indie.  

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