For as long as I can remember I’ve had the ability to listen, gather and then relay to others; “You know what you’d be great at?” with perfect accuracy. I could see the sparkle in their eyes when I said it out loud. My mentioning this is not to highlight my abilities, not at all. It’s to ask you; “Why don’t you know what you’re great at?” If I know, then you certainly should, right?! Well, not necessarily.

I remember being so envious of those who knew exactly what they wanted to do in life. I thought; “Wow, they have it all figured out.” Me, I was floundering.In actual fact, no one has it all figured out. Curveballs will still be thrown. Those that know may know the direction they’re coming from. But they’re still flying. It’s inevitable. For us, the only difference is that they’re flying from all directions.

In hindsight, always being 20/20, there were so many signs for me. So many clues as to, in my humble opinion, what I was great at. I know one thing. I was great at telling other people what they were great at. Who knew that could be a thing! Being mindful of what your instincts are telling you is an important factor in helping you discover what excites you. What inspires you. What ignites a spark for you.

When speaking at Colleges and Universities the #1 question I get all the time is: “I have no idea what I’m going to do after graduation.” I’m here to tell you, you don’t need to know. You go to College and University to learn and grow. You’re acquiring new skills. You’re learning to think. You’re gaining wisdom. You’re maturing. You don’t have to ‘be’ what you studied. Your major doesn’t have to be ‘that thing’ you do for the rest of your life. Unless of course you know the profession in which you’re going into.

My hope, if you’re a student, is that this information helped to decrease your anxiety by at least 50%. One thing is for sure, pay attention to what excites you rather than chasing shiny objects. You will find your way when you feel your way. One way to get started is to consider the following:

1. Ask Yourself. Look within. See what transpires when you look back and see what you instinctively enjoy doing. It will come easily to you. What comes easy is not always aligned with what you want to be doing, and yet it’ll bring you closer to what you do want.
2. Start An Energy Log. Track when you feel energized and enthusiastic. Also track when you feel drained. When you are engaged in activities that are in sync with your strengths, it’s often invigorating. The opposite is true when you’re not excited about something that you’re doing.
3. Take Action. Get out and do things. Try things to better determine if it reinforces what you thought you’d be great at, or perhaps it’s not sustainable enough to keep you energized.
4. You As A Kid. What did you gravitate towards when you were a kid? What did you like doing?
5. Where Do You See Yourself? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I’m not talking about your career. I’m talking about what do you see yourself doing? This will trigger all the things you don’t want to be doing. If you dig deep however, it will reveal what you gravitate toward. Even if you’re scared to death. Don’t let that stop you from really diving into where you see yourself. This is a big ‘tell.’ Please don’t dismiss this.
6. Write A Personal Manifesto. This will help to better align you with what you want. It will help you to figure out what you care about, how you perceive yourself, and how you want to act moving forward. Use words like “I will,” or “I am.” Write it as you believe it to be.
   
   

If you’re stuck let me know, and yet you’ve got this. Trust yourself. Don’t let fear get in the way of what you want.