If you’ve been reading my Sabbatical Sundays series long enough, you know that I’ve been struggling to find my purpose.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what I want to do with my life. Additionally, I’ve been reading books, watching TED talks, listening to podcasts, talking to people, thinking, and journaling.
I’m a few months away from quitting my job, without much of a plan. Some days, I feel truly spectacular about that. I mean, who doesn’t want to just have a bunch of free time to read, exercise, clean out closets, cook, and travel?
But other days, I don’t feel so spectacular about my plan. I worry about money, and I start browsing LinkedIn, looking at job opportunities. I begin to question if maybe it’s just another job I need, not some extended sabbatical or a life’s purpose.
I’ve also been listening to Glennon Doyle’s podcast, We Can Do Hard Things, for a while. (Side note – her daughter’s song is absolutely phenomenal).
On her podcast, she talks about “What’s the next right thing?” Usually, this is related to relationships, communication, or something a little more emotional.
So, after months and months of listening to the podcast, it finally hit me today how what she asks relates to my life quandary.
I need to stop asking myself: “What do I want to do with my life?”
Instead, I should be asking myself: “What do I want to do with my life NEXT?”
It’s a simple word, but it completely shifts the question. I don’t have to figure out the rest of my career. Instead, I just have to figure out the next right thing.
So if you are struggling with figuring out what you want to do with your life, stop asking yourself that question. Instead, ask yourself what you want to do next.
Hopefully, you too will find that to be a question you can actually answer.
This post is part of our Sabbatical Sundays series. To read more, click here.
