Clarifying what you want out of life...

[Nikki Sahagin]

Hi all,

 

I am basically going through what I'd consider to be a quarter life crisis. I'm 23 and single, I have an English degree and have done some travelling. I also have a full time job, not in my ideal field, but one with pay and perks.

 

The issue? I'm cripplingly bored. My life is the static rotation of 9-5 with little to no job satisfaction.

 

I tried to target the crux of what was making me unhappy.

 

I decided it's:

 

* Feeling that what I do is not fulfilling any real need/desire

* Feeling frustrated in a very 'indoors' society where you go to work and go home (weather is bad and the cost of living is expensive)

 

What brought me alive when I travelled was new people, new experiences, volunteering feeling that I was fulfilling some primal urge to be genuinely useful and an outdoors life.

 

Now i'm making some decisions about where my life should go, but at times I wonder if my restlessness will be quelled by these experiences or if i'm just a divine malcontent.

 

I was wondering what any of you have done, if anything, to clarify a goal or need out of life?

 

* Do you meditate?

* Do you just do it and see what happens?

* Speak to people who've done it

* Pray

 

Is there anything that brings clarity to you that this IS the right direction, or do you just take the plunge?

 

Maybe my over-analyse is a form of procrastination and enabling me to not move anywhere. At the same time i'm scared my change of life direction will be the wrong one for me (potentially).

[Exit]

I think most times it comes down to just taking the risk and doing it. Seems most people who get somewhere in life are risk takers. The only other thing that might be somewhat useful is talking to people who have done what you're thinking of doing. Other than that, things like thinking, meditating, praying, can lead to just getting stuck. I've been there before, thinking about the same issues in my life for weeks on end, never really getting anywhere.

 

With your English degree and desire for travel it sounds like you should sign up for one of those programs that let you go teach in a different country.