How Can I Choose My Own Life Path as a Millennial?
As millennials, it can be difficult to know how to create our own life paths. We’re often inundated with images of what our lives “should” look like, even as we’re just beginning the journey of adulthood. But there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question.
Instead, it’s important to remember that it’s okay to want something different than what is traditionally presented to us. With a desire to take control of our lives and make a real difference, we can make the conscious decision to form our own paths for ourselves. This could mean entering a new career, hosting events, or simply creating something from nothing. After all, there are no boundaries to our potential.
By being intentional and proactive, you can make strides towards carving out a life path that is true to you and your own unique goals. Here are some tips that can help you get started:
- Acknowledge Your Passions and Strengths
One of the best ways to get on the road to creating your own life path is to make a list of your passions and strengths. From there, you can narrow your focus to the areas of your life you’d like to explore or pursue. What do you love to do? What do you excel at? What do you want to learn more about?
This simple exercise can help you zero in on the things that bring you joy and provide potential career opportunities. Make sure to also make note of what you’ve done in the past—it’s easy to overlook experience gained from volunteer positions or internships.
- Evaluate Your Resources
In order to enable yourself to make the best decisions, it’s important to be aware of the resources you have available to you.
For instance, if you’re considering changing paths or starting a business, you need to be sure that you have the financial means to do so—or at least the ability to access external funding. Take the time to research any grants or scholarships that you could use to help you get where you want to be.
You should also consider additional resources, such as mentors or even online resources that can offer some guidance. And don’t forget to think big. Going after big changes or dreams can take some effort, but it can ultimately be fulfilling and rewarding.
- Develop a Plan
Once you’ve acknowledged your passions and learned about the resources available to you, it’s time to develop an actionable plan. Make sure to consider both short-term and long-term goals and milestones, including smaller goals if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Start by breaking your goals down into a timeline. Doing this will help you track your progress and measure success. Additionally, this will prevent burnout from leading too many projects at once.
From there, create outlines and S.M.A.R.T. goals to provide structure and prepare you to stay focused on the measurable results you’re after.
- Take Action
Now that you’ve outlined your goals and a timeline to achieve them, it’s time to take action. Avoid dwelling on thoughts and focus on actual productivity. Set aside specific times of the day to focus on taking steps towards working towards what you want and staying on track.
This process may take some trial and error since there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. That said, it’s important to accept that failure can happen. Don’t be hard on yourself if things go awry, and use what you’ve learned to adjust and try again.
Also, if you’re carrying out a project or business venture, take the time to look over the way things are going and always try to stay one step ahead.
- Utilize a Support System
Embarking on a journey to create our own paths can be intimidating, but it can be made easier with the help of a support system. Make sure there are people you can turn to for guidance and accountability as you work towards achieving your goals.
Your support system could include friends, family, your employer, or even colleagues. Let them know what your long-term and short-term goals are. That way, they can encourage and motivate you when the going gets tough or if you’re having trouble achieving those goals.
You can also consider joining a mastermind group. These groups are all about fueling one another with ambitious actions and encouraging mindsets. They often take the form of a community or network—where you can share your progress and receive valuable insight from others who share your journey.
- Continuously Question and Re-Evaluate
As your journey continues, it’s important to make self-reflection a priority. Ask yourself hard questions and re-evaluate often. This may mean examining why you initially set that certain goal for yourself and whether it still brings you the same sense of purpose.
As you examine further, ask yourself if that goal needs to be adjusted or if you need to focus more on the steps towards achieving it. Don’t be afraid to make changes if need be.
Choosing your own life path as a millennial—or any lifestyle for that matter—is never easy. It can be tempting to feel like we need to follow a certain trend or meet a certain standard, but don’t forget that it’s possible to create something that suits who you are and what you’re looking for.
Speak up and trust your intuition. As long as you’re remaining intentional and aware of how fulfilling taking control of your life can be, you can carve out a path made just for you and become an expert in your newly-paved destiny.
