The question isn’t “What will make me happy?” The question is “What will make me come alive?”
This question is important for me, and important for any millennial, to hear. Whether you’re contemplating college, contemplating dropping out of college, just graduated, or in your late-twenties trying to figure out your next step, it’s important to ask yourself “What will make me come alive?”
A little background
I’m 26 years old, and in a couple of months I’ll be 27. If you asked my 22 year-old self about my life at age 27, I probably would’ve painted a luxurious picture of myself. 27 year-old me would be happy, successful, and have the world figured out. I can write, as of today, my 27 year-old self will not be living a life of luxury. And that’s okay!
Since graduating George Mason I’ve done more than I ever could’ve imagined. I’ve traveled the country, traveled to new countries, transplanted cities, held multiple jobs, and met really awesome people along the way. I also haven’t found what I want. But I keep looking.
When I was living in Washington, D.C. I was working in public accounting. After two tax seasons, and eons in traffic, I decided I had enough. I quit that job in order to find the life I really wanted. That led me to Denver, but again at a public accounting firm. That didn’t come close to making me come alive and I quit within 7 months. After that I gave up on public accounting and became a staff accountant for a private firm. It was invigorating for a while, but again failed to make me come alive. I’ve since quit, and deliberately asked myself “What will make me come alive?”
The curse of accounting experience
I could say I’m a fool who kept trying to make happiness out of something that obviously wasn’t going to make me happy. In hindsight I’m well aware my decisions weren’t going to lead to happiness. But, with a degree in accounting, and over four years of experience (including CPA experience), it’s always been easy to get an accounting job. Each time I accepted a job I convinced myself it’d be different. That I would find happiness eventually and I’m dumb to pass up a paycheck. My mindset has changed.
Finding “Your Thing” isn’t easy, but isn’t that hard
Here’s the advice that I hope you take away, and which I have finally started learning. You can find what makes you come alive pretty easily, quickly, and cheaply, no prior experience required. Before you enroll in a 4-year university, or sign-up for a 12-week training program, think about a quick way to find if you’re even passionate about something.
Just because it sounds cool to be a data scientist doesn’t mean you should spend $3,000 and 12 weeks to start becoming one. Instead come up with a 15-day or 30-day objective. Have an actionable plan which will end in a deliverable. Maybe it’s coding a simple cellphone app, or building an info-graphic with a software. If you do it for 15 days, and your mind obsesses over it, then it’s probably something that makes you come alive. If it’s a struggle to get yourself motivated, then maybe it isn’t for you. And if it’s not for you, aren’t you glad you didn’t waste 3 months and $3k to find out?
My search for “My Thing”
For me, I’ve been building a company website. It’s taken a lot of research on marketing, content writing, and WordPress integrations, but it’s been a wake-up call. Not only am I passionate about the business I’m building, but the process also makes me come alive. It’s an opportunity to find innovative solutions to the problem at hand. It’s also taught me a lot about time management, and delivering even if you’re not 100% satisfied.
Because of the lessons I’ve been learning, I can see uses for my skills as a value creator for others. Before I pigeon-holed myself into thinking “I’m an accountant.” Now, I see myself as whatever I want to become. That’s invigorating. It’s extremely exciting to know that I can use my brain, my time, and online learning to create value “out of thin air.” Although it took me a while to figure it out, I’m starting to learn how to quickly find what makes me come alive. I still need to work out some logistics, but I am inching ever closer to being happy with my life, and not living for contentment.