How to set goals when you don't know what you want to do with your life

The new year is always my favorite time to set goals. While I don't ascribe to the general "resolutions" trend, I do think it's a great time to re-evaluate your vision, set goals, and create a plan for the year.

That's what I do each January, and it's one of my favorite parts of the year. While I always set goals to some extent throughout my life, I didn't get serious about it until a few years ago.

And the year I got serious about it is the year my life drastically changed - I published a book, started a blog, traveled more than I ever had in my life, and was able to live my dream and work from home. 

Taking goal setting seriously can drastically change your life. But not because it's magic. And not because writing something down means it will happen. 

But when you take goal setting seriously by setting goals that motivate you, reading them every day, and turning them into actionable, daily habits, it really can help you achieve your wildest dreams. 

But what do you do when you're not sure where you want to go? What if you don't know what do to with your life yet? What if you're not exactly sure what kind of job you want in the future? What if you don't entirely know where you want to be in the next few years?

That's okay!

And I'm writing this post just for you.

Because while I've always been a super planner, there have been so many times in my life when I've felt so unsure about where I want to go next. It's not always a good experience, and can leave you feeling lost and purposeless.

The good news is that a willingness to be flexible and have an open mind is vital as your career changes and progresses. You'll want to be open to new opportunities and adventures - some you may not even be able to dream about because you don't even know they exist yet!

But you won't be ready for those things if you aren't prepared. So how do you prepare and set goals for things you're not even aware of yet?

Set growth goals. The best goals you can set any time, but especially when you are unsure about what is next in your life, are the ones that will help you learn and grow. 

"If you want to have more you have to become more. Success is not a doing process; it is a becoming process. What you do, what you pursue, will elude you - it can be like chasing butterflies. Success is something you attract by the person you become." - Jim Rohn

Consider goals like this:

*Read 10 non-fiction books on ____________ [insert topic you're interested in]
*Meet with at least 3 people who work as____________[insert professions that interest you]
*Apply for an internship doing___________[the best thing to do when you don't know what you want to do is explore, up-close-and-personal]

And of course, when you're in college, it's always helpful to set goals that motivate you get good grades. 

But just wanting A's isn't enough - be sure to set a development plan to become the kind of student who gets A's (such as scheduling daily study time, meeting with professors, and reading books about how to succeed in college.)

Remember that planning doesn't mean you won't be going on an adventure; in fact I think planning is what makes an adventurous life that much more probable. 

Note: My favorite book on how to set goals and turn them into daily action is The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. 

The Joy is in the Journey

I was watching a show on OWN a few months ago – it profiled Simon Cowell and his path to stardom and television success. 

And there was a line from the famous American Idol (and now X-Factor) judge that stuck with me. 

Cowell was discussing that for of all of the successes, millions, and endeavors that he has achieved, nothing rivaled the journey and struggle that occurred when American Idol was green-lighted and he and the producers faced the task of making it a hit show.  

His point? 

Getting there is the adventure. The joy is in the journey. 

I think that is an important concept to remember in our world, especially in the society that we live in.

Because everywhere around us, people are fretting over retirement, debt, and a fear of losing everything that they have spent a lifetime gaining. There seems to be this mentality that if we live our lives right, we will one day be able to sit back and say: well, I'm at a stopping point. Good job I'm done. 

It's not that things like investment aren’t worthwhile – it’s just that there is something off with a world that encourages people to spend their entire lives worrying that if they make a mistake, the last few years of their lives will lack some standard of comfort or stability. 

I think it is a trapping of our modern society; the idea itself overlooks the fact that so much can change. It is naïve to ignore that much of our future can’t be predicted. And I think that this train of thought pulls our thoughts away from the present.

But, this isn’t a call to be spontaneous or to live on the edge.

I just want to encourage you to remember this: 

The joy is in the journey - the moments, decisions, and interactions that are happening to you right now. Those are the ones to invest in, to find  happiness in, and to cherish. 

Because even as the journey of the present builds our future, the future will always be fluid – and require us to adjust and adapt to things daily.  

And we owe it to ourselves to remember that there is no stopping point in living – you didn’t graduate high school and stop – you won’t graduate college and stop – you won’t get a job and stop – and you won’t retire and stop. 

Instead – you will find joy in each of those accomplishments, appreciating the obstacles and triumphs along the way, and continue to invest in and build yourself up as you go, helping others along the way.

So keep this in mind in your college journey – you aren’t working your way to some stopping point – you are building – you are getting there.

And getting there is where the joy is.