When I’m not sure what to do next, it usually means that I need to take a step back, regroup, and check to make sure my priorities (and my efforts) are in order. Once I do this, I usually get right back on track. It’s hard to turn it into a positive all the time but that’s what I try to do – and most of the time it works.

I hadn’t had a chance to read the two guest posts on your site (by Ryan and JD) until today but I’m glad you highlighted those articles. A lot of people don’t think they have it in them to take a risk like they did…but having done the same thing myself, I think it was more difficult to imagine myself NOT taking that risk and being stuck living a life that I didn’t want than to step up and make a change. Congrats to both Ryan and JD (and yourself) for fighting to live the life of your choosing. Knowing others have been in the same boat and are blazing their own paths will help a lot of people take that leap of faith.

Paul

Your suggestions are absolutely valid, and something I need to spend more time on. I have general ideas of what I want. Vague notions of what will make me happy, but that is the one thing that has been lacking in my planning: actual planning. But I think that is a good thing. I have finally targeted what I am unhappy with and can now make progress on the remedy.

I think you are right in that small steps create powerful momentum. With each blog post I write, or person I meet, I am gaining momentum and getting closer to figuring out the question of whats next. In two short months I have made more progress than I had in the past year, so that is very encouraging.

I really appreciate you stopping by and will definitely keep you posted on how everything goes

I took a year off after finishing high school, to experience loads of different things (travel/ job shadowing various types of careers, working odd-jobs, trying out some entrepreneurial stuff, etc), so I could decide “what I wanted to be when I grow up.” I ended up struggling with depression that year, and I realise now that it was because I was telling myself all sorts of stressful stories like, “I HAVE to make the right decision/ I HAVE to find the one thing I’m meant to do and do it for the rest of my life…” It was like trying to find a (VERY IMPORTANT) needle in a haystack! I gave up that search and the bizarre thing is that, through a series of very small steps and just continually asking myself “what else would I love to do?” (and giving myself a break that I don’t have to do it ALL at once), I’ve tweaked my life into a lifestyle and work that I love – without ever really having a clear, specific goal or direction.

I’ve found it really useful to drop the stressful stories that:
- there’s 1 thing you’re meant to do. You can do many cool things. And perhaps it’s less about finding what you’re MEANT to do and more about just deciding to do something that interests you right now.
- there’s a right and wrong decision. These days I believe every decision is the right decision, and an opportunity to grow/ learn/ experience and become more. I’ve changed careers a few times, and I don’t regret any of the jobs I did. They were all the right decision at the time, to help me learn something.

My suggestion? Ask yourself, “What’s important in life/ work?” and brainstorm everything that comes to mind. Then rank them in a hierarchy, 1 to 10, etc, in order of importance to you. Then check your current situation against that list, asking yourself, “to what degree do I have this quality in my life/ work?” (use a percentage rating or something like that). Then look at each point, and ask yourself what small change you can already make right now, that would boost each of those percentages. And start making those changes. I think we have so many opportunities in such a fast-changing world these days that long-term goals may not be very relevant anymore, and the people who are happiest are those who are more present and simply following their nose to the next small step that delights them, rather than pressuring themselves with a big plan to make big changes and meet long-term goals. Small steps create powerful momentum that can amount to huge change.

All the best with your ventures and adventures, Sean!

Cath

@Colin Man, you are getting close! I am really excited to read more from you over the coming weeks, because you are actually putting to practice what so many only talk about doing. You are very right in that your next step is whatever YOU choose to make it, and you are choosing to make the most of it, which I have tremendous respect for. Good luck selling the car, and definitely keep us posted about your transition to Argentina!

@Karen, Isn’t hard knowing you are in the perfect situation to do ANYTHING you want in life, but just can’t seem to figure out the best route to take? I know that is something I am struggling with. I have general ideas and plans, but have been reluctant to make DEFINITE plans. The time for action is getting closer though, and as I continue to figure out what I really want for my life, I know the action will be easier!

@John, That has definitely been something I have considering. I know a few different people that have said teaching abroad is the best decision they have ever made. One of my considerations has been teaching in Thailand; I really think that would be an incredible experience. I definitely want to hear more about your time in Japan, so I will get in touch with you soon. I appreciate all of the comments on the site, you are providing some great insight to the community!

Man I am realizing that I need to do a MUCH better job of responding to comments sooner. But I really do want to let you know how much I appreciate them. I love hearing about how other people have handled the situations I am in, and learning about all of you in the process! Now moving on…

@Ross I know what you mean about keeping a regular job while exploring your options. I have been doing that all year, yet the time for action is becoming closer. I think that at some point you just have to take the leap, otherwise you will always keep making excuses. Necessity breeds action, and until you HAVE to find a way to support yourself, you will always find excuses. Im getting ready to stop making excuses and start taking action. Even if it is just in the form of extended travel. I can always work in hostels for awhile to keep myself afloat!

@Brandy Well I look forward to hearing about what happens when you do make the leap! Definitely keep us posted, and thanks for the comment!

@Nate I have definitely found that having a blog makes the whole process easier. I get to connect people that have either already done what I am trying to do, or in the process of doing the same thing. Not to mention being forced to write on a regular basis allows me to discover things about myself that I may have never realized.

@James, Your comment hit me a little bit harder than most. Tick-tock. Thats all you have to say. Time is just going to keep on ticking, and the longer I “plan” the more time is wasted. While that may be a little extreme, it is true to a point. There are definitely days where I feel like I have made more progress than others, and I need to make it a priority every single day to get a few steps closer to my end goal. But I do have to figure out what works for me, and that is what I am doing, and will continue to do. I hope you will keep stopping by to help hold me accountable though! Thanks for the comment!

On what to do next..there’s a balance to strike between how nomadic and cheap you want to be, and how you want to build up income to live a lifestyle of your choosing. We can’t all be driving Ferrari’s but we don’t all want to be in apartments in Bali working at internet cafe’s either.

It sounds like you, I and several of the commenters know what we want, we just don’t know the best roads to put us there. Since I’ve made a unrelenting resolve to live the life I want some 60 days ago, I’ve gotten lost a lot on what to do next. Here’s what’s helped.

Reality Checks – Knowing life needs to change, these are the areas that always came into play.
–financial basics, stop wasting on liabilities.
–minimizing useless physical belongings
–maximizing productive efficiency process for generating ideas for income, or for the ideas you already have that are generating income
–minimizing time wasting processes in my life (constant e-mail checks, making dinner every night, etc.)
–plan out your dream life style, treat them like business goals. achieve them.

Talking to Like Minded People
–making blog friends, asking questions and advice, meeting people with ideas to start anything and everything. i’ve met real estate consultants, “muse generators”, landing page developers, etc in search of a free lifestyle.

Write about it, as you’re doing and don’t give up!
-I started a project just like you called thelifedesignproject to chronicle my steps from absolutely nothing, a desk job, and plenty of debt to a lean efficiently dream filled auto income generating life! … I’m still working on it. Writing about it reminds me what steps I’ve taken and what should be next.

The rubber meets the road somewhere and separates the people that are doing it from people just talking about doing it. I’m really starting to hit strides with efficiency at work, I’ve decided what I want out of a designed life, with the free’d time I’m focusing on other lifedesign reading. I now have a more clear vision, and so I’m moving to the big next step…income generation. I can’t live out the dreamlines, travel or escape work until passive income is greater than monthly expense. Income generation will look a little different for all of us (but only a little), for me, its been talking with a consultant, being a consultant, niche exploitation of myself, and training myself to see in “opportunity vision” and then testing the potential products I see. I’d be glad to talk to one and all about what I’m doing and help anyone if anyones interested in it, or just needs a wall to bounce things off of. Here’s to all of us helping each other make it happen!

I’m less than three weeks from moving out of LA, a place that has been very good to me for the past two+ years, and now that the idea of moving to a place (and then more and more places after that) where I don’t speak the language, know a thing about the culture, etc etc etc is becoming more and more a reality, I can’t help but think ‘what exactly is my next step?!’

At the end of the day, though, I know that the next step is whatever I choose to make it, and THAT is the reward of all the uncertainty and risk. The same goes for you, brother, and I have no doubt that whatever path you end up choosing, you’ll make the most of it (and hopefully keep us all updated on your progress

I totally understand what you are going through…. I’m struggling with many simialr things right now. I feel like i can do ANYTHING… no attachments, kids, serious career positions, car payments… I have nothing tying me down. Which almost makes it harder to know which way to head. I agree about knowing that I want to work for myself, and be much more mobile. But, beyond that I am not sure about much. I guess we have to start with what we know for sure, no matter how small, and just concentrate on that.
Good luck with your journey, I’m sure you will find the answers you are looking for.