Same story. I’m 25 now and have been drifting from one activity to another. It’s not easy to enjoy life when you’re not financially secure. Here’s my advice: don’t rush to move out. Living with parents is actually a great opportunity to save up. You need to find some source of income, but it doesn’t have to be a full-time office job. Any gig will do. Your expenses are probably next to nothing atm, once you get older and finally decide to move out, that extra money you’ve saved will be a big game changer. It’ll help you in all kinds of emergencies. I wish someone had given me that advice when I was younger.
Hey, I don’t know if this will help, I’d like to at least encourage you. It’s OK to not have big ambitions. Life is not all about money. No one says on their deathbed, “I wish I’d made more money”. When you zoom out and try to see the bigger picture, very few things really matter. Living a happy and healthy life is worth much more than a splendid career. The one step you should take is finding something that will sustain your way of life and still allow you to have free time for hobbies. You may consider freelancing or a job that allows you to work from home. It’s about finding a balance between enjoying your free time and providing for yourself. You can use this time to learn new skills and prepare yourself for a better future. Don’t overthink about the “mission” etc. Life is simple, and most of us don’t have a plan or a predetermined path. We just do what we can, and sometimes we find what we love doing by accident.
This is SO normal. I presume you’re young. Your parents are acting like average modern grownups, worried you won’t succeed by modern capitalistic standards. Our culture is geared towards consumerism and earning even more money to buy more. At least you realize you aren’t sure what you want yet, instead of choosing a career you don’t care about and being stuck in it. I hate my job, and if I could turn back time I’d spend more years exploring my true values and maybe would end up with my own business.
Also, seek professional help about your depression, before it’s too late. This lack of motivation you’re feeling is no good.
The only way to find your passion is trying everything and figuring out if it suits you. You won’t know until you get a taste of certain professions. Start by volunteering and doing internships. It won’t eat up your whole day, so you’ll still have plenty of free time, and your parents will stop bothering you, seeing you’re up to something.
I feel you so much, was once like this. It's almost as if me from 8 years ago wrote it. I dropped out of college and explored passive income and investments for a while, until I got used to the idea that these things only work for relatively rich people. Eventually, I found my passion and made some sort of career. I can tell you that for me it’s not always important what I do, it’s more important why I’m doing it and for what purpose. I may not much enjoy the process, but if the end goal feels right, then I can put my back into it. Perhaps you should look into service-based jobs, the ones that are helping other people
You are more than a job! What are those things you want to try? Can you make your hobbies profitable? If you really care about something and can monetize it, do it.
Here’s the thing. You need to get a job! Work is foundational to most people's lives, and it will save you from living on the streets. Most young people have this view that you must love what you’re doing. It’s a very privileged position, and it’s great that some people follow their passions. But for most of us, a job is just a way to pay our bills. I can’t say I love my job. It’s good enough, but it’s not the meaning of my life. What makes me happy is that I don’t need to rely on anyone to pay for my food and rent. You say you love freedom, and a job is the key to that freedom. If you look at it that way, you might find the desire to make some decent income. Any job will do, for a start. Google your local job openings and pick something less stressful. You can do it! Best wishes on your journey.
@Wandering Owl8) Thank you. I’m not overthinking, it’s my father. He complains about it every single day, how I’m old and should be more responsible yada yada… Many of my peers I went to high school with - those who had big plans - ended up hating their choices or changing them. I don’t want to settle before I’ve tried everything and can regret nothing. Freelancing sounds cool, but I don't know how to start?
@Angry I agree with you, I'm already very minimalistic and don’t have many belongings. My daily activities cost me little to nothing, I don’t want more. However, my mom says I lack ambition. And I want to travel which will require a lot of money. It all comes down to stupid money, always...
@ScaryMary IDK my hobbies are rather useless. I dreamt of becoming a writer but my father thinks that’s pretty unstable. It also seems to me that as soon as I try to monetize my hobbies they’ll stop being fun.
It's ok if you feel like you have no purpose. Good news is you wont spend your entire like feeling like you have no purpose if you put in the effort to find it. Putting yourself out there in the world is scary, challenging. but this is the way you can discover new things. Lot's of people take years and years to find purpose.
# if you had one week to live then how would you spend that week, what would get you joy in your life?
# if you see yourself 20 years from now how do you think your past should have been, what do you think you would have done in past 20 years
Your purpose of life is to be happy, to grow, thrive and to experience life to the fullest.
It seems like you're in a transition period and I can understand how trying to figure out what you want to do next can be challenging, especially given the social pressure. We're all different, moving at our own paces, and there's nothing wrong with you if you're not drawn to the same things others are aiming for. It's good that you're questioning yourself about what is valuable to you right now before going any further.
I can suggest that the most difficult part for you right now is not knowing where to start. We tend to think that when we choose a certain path, it will determine our life. In reality, as we go on about our life and learn more about ourselves, our goals and missions can be changed, and many people change their speciality or even entire career. The best way to figure out what we enjoy doing is by trying to do something.
To get a better understanding of where to start, I suggest trying this visualization technique:
First, take 3 deep breaths (for example, inhale for 5 seconds and exhale for 8 second). Then close your eyes and Imagine that you wake up 5 years from now on a typical work day, in your ideal life. Imagine everything in details, and answer to yourself:
- What time do you wake up? Where are you and what does your space look like? What town or country is it in?
- Who is there for you? Do you have any pets, a partner or friends you live with?
- What is the first thing you do? What is your morning routine like? Do you exercise or meditate? What do you have for breakfast?
- If you have a job, do you have to go somewhere or work from home? What time do you leave and how do you get there?
- What work are you doing exactly? Does it involve communicating, creating, or learning?
- Are you working for a company or is it more like a freelance or business if your own? If it's a company, what kind of company is it? Do you work in a team or by yourself?
- What is your goal today, what are you trying to achieve?
- How much freedom and flexibility do you have in your schedule?
- What do you do after work to relax and have fun? What time do you go to bed?
If you want, for a better effect, write everything down. If you get more than one scenario with different kind of jobs for example, you can imagine each ot them one by one and choose to which one you are drawn to the most right now. After doing the visualization, reflect on what this vision tells about your values (perhaps you noticed that you care about freedom, teamwork, an ability to create, etc.)
Then think of what steps it took for you to get there - you can imagine them in reverse, from the last step to the first one. For example, moving to the appartment, getting the job, applying for positions, saving some money while doing freelance, finishing a course, etc.
Now, ask yourself, what is one simple step that you can do today or in the nearest future that can help you getting to a next stage. It doesn't have to be something difficult.
It might be writing a plan after this exercise, looking at positions in this area or courses, or watching a video from your favourite authors as you said.
I hope that this excercise gives you some idea or inspiration on what you want your life to look like and what is important to you. It takes time and effort to get where we want (or even figure out what we want) but don't take too much pressure on yourself - start by taking one step at a time.