Finding Out What Works For You
Cover Photo By John Hain
Getting to know yourself can take a lifetime, not to mention the fact that as you grow you change, what you once loved you might not anymore, and it can be hard to keep up with yourself. However, there is no point in doing anything that is not right for you, whether it’s a job, a hobby or a relationship - if it’s not working, don’t waste your time. You only live once, and there are so many different options out there, there’s no need to feel tied down to one thing.
Take time to try different things to figure out what you enjoy.
When you’re younger it can be hard to know what you enjoy, you will have done what you had to do in school and college, but that’s it. You will have done things to impress people and to get certain grades or to achieve what was expected of you. Make time now to try new things, art classes, different forms of exercise, cooking, a film club, volunteering abroad, creative writing, the list is endless and doing this will provide you with a greater insight into what the real you actually enjoy, and you’ll also have a lot of fun along the way.
Look after yourself
When you’re finding things tough and questioning who you are and where you’re going, it’s important to take some time out to practice a bit of self-care. This can mean getting lost in a great novel, having a nice long bath or just getting at least eight hours of sleep. Taking time to look after yourself will mean that your thoughts will become less erratic and you should feel a lot calmer and more ready to face any challenges ahead.
What Skills Have Helped You Thrive?
Think about situations that have challenged you in your past; is there something common with all of them? If so, that’s something that you’re good at, so all you have to do now is figure out which field or position that skill is best suited for.
What Makes You Feel Strong?
Take note of the times when you have felt invigorated, curious, and successful. These moments will help you to realise what your strengths are and if you think about what it is that that has helped you in the past when you have felt overloaded. When you are overwhelmed, you want to feel in control and to be in control, you do what makes you feel strong. As you start to identify and focus on this, you can also expect to be happier, which makes you a better problem-solver in a wide range of circumstances.
What makes you feel happy?
Whether it’s looking at a hobby or a sport, think about whether you like things organised or prefer a more casual approach? Do you like to do things on your own or to be part of a group-based activity?
What are Your Goals?
What is it that you want to achieve? It could be a holiday you want to go on or a new business you want to start, you are in charge of your goals, and you can decide how you get there.
Today, everything is about personalisation, and we have the technology to make it real. From a compounding pharmacy which works with you and your prescriber to customise a medication to meet your specific needs, to technology that learns what temperature you want your home to be at and does it automatically for you, it seems that you really can have anything you want.
A good question to ask yourself is “What would I do if I won the lottery tomorrow?” and the reason that is good is that realistically, do you want a yacht or a private jet? Probably not, if money was no object what would you do? Where would you live? Is there a course you would take, a charity you would work for, a business you would invest in or start? Whatever the answer is to this question - and take some time to think about it, then this is what you can do. If your answer is to go and travel around the world, then go and travel around the world. Money doesn’t have to be an object; you can save up and work out ways to get it. The real obstacle to achieving anything is yourself so taking the time to get to know yourself is essential and will make you far happier and life a lot clearer.
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