What should I do next?

Someone asks what you plan to do with your life. You are still trying to get through this week.

Your friends seem to know what they want. One has a job lined up. Another has plans for more school. You are still trying to decide, and you wonder if you are falling behind.

But do you want the same things they want?

It is easy to treat someone else’s next step as a sign of where you should be. Yet you do not know all that led to it. You may not even want the same day-to-day life they want.

You may have bills to pay or people who need your help. Those needs matter. You still need to know what you want from the choice you are about to make.

If you choose that job or course, what will you do each day? Who will you work with? What will you learn? Will you enjoy the work itself?

You could ask one person who does that work: “What did you spend time on today? What was hard? What did you enjoy?” A real day can tell you more than a job title.

You do not have to plan your whole life at once. Find out what you can about the choice you face now. Use what you learn to decide.