Why it’s So Hard to Know What You Want, and 3 Ways to Overcome it

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The first step to creating the career you want is knowing what you actually want. Easy enough, right? But for some reason, many people—myself included—get stuck here.

I've done a lot of thinking about why we're so quick to say “I don’t know." I think that we often do know, but we’re afraid of putting it out there because we’re scared of failure, or rejection, or looking lame. Or, maybe we are so used to questioning ourselves that we literally don’t know what having an answer feels like.

Here are my three favorite ways to get to the bottom of what you really want, in your career or any aspect of life:
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1. Feel the answer in your body. Think about the question and try to quiet your mind. Take a few slow, deep breaths, and feel what comes up. Do you feel excitement, or dread? Your body cannot easily be tricked, and so it holds the clues to what you really want.
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2. Think about what you don’t want. If you’re not happy in your current situation, it should be easy (and maybe fun?) to list what you don’t like about it. Get really granular with your list of dislikes. Then, turn it around and make a list of what you do want by writing the opposite.
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3. Get envious. If someone you know has something you want, take notice. Think about what it is you’re really envious of. For example, if a friend’s Instagram posts from her mid-morning hikes have you feeling stabby, it may be that you’re craving more flexibility in your own schedule.

If you’re asking yourself what you want and coming up with a lot of "I don't knows," I’d love to hear from you. Book a free discovery call and let’s connect.
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