For most of my life, Ive just drifted.
This post originally appeared onThe Simple Dollar.
I would often hear people ask questions like What do you want to do with your life?
and I would come away with the conclusion that there was some sort of scam involved.
I never really had any sense of what I wanted to do with my life.
That overall lack of direction went a long way toward fueling my overspending back in the day.
I think that feeling is common for a lot of people.
My friends have had very similar experiences in life, actually.
Most of them blanch at the question of what they want to do with their life.
And, based upon the emails Ive read from many,manyreaders, its a common feeling.
They spend money on short-term fixes and pleasures and give a shot to not think about it too much.
So, how do you answer that question?
This is about whatyouwant.
What do you want out of life?
For some people, it may happen when theyre working.
For others, it may happen when theyre spending time with people.
For still others, it may come when theyre engaged with a hobby.
Where did the hours go?
Youre lost in the experience of the moment.
To me, thats incredibly joyful; to me, thatswhy people were put here on this earth.
For me, it happens sometimes when Im writing.
It happens sometimes when Im hiking.
It happens sometimes when Im doing things with my children or with my wife.
It happens sometimes when Im reading.
It happens sometimes when Im playing a game that makes me think in some fashion.
It happens sometimes in the midst of a great conversation with a thoughtful friend or two.
It happens sometimes when I pray or meditate.
Those moments truly are the best moments of my life.
I feel incredibly fulfilled and happy when that happens.
To me, thats really the answer of what I want to do with my life.
Obviously, this means that time management needs to play a role.
How do you get these things?
Here are several strategies for achieving that.
You should strive in every possible way to minimize the time and money you commit to those things.
There are countless frugal strategies you’re free to adopt along the way.
All of those kinds of endless things.
Those uncompressed days serve as an incredible motivator to get me through my compressed days.
They just take up time and energy, but we still keep chugging along with them.
For those commitments, commit instead to winding down your commitment.
What about the ones you have to follow through on?
For example, I really dont enjoy doing laundry.
Its a task that is just… drudgery for me if I look at it in isolation.
However, when I put it in a different context, its not bad.
Its that laundry task that makes it possible for me to have clean clothes to wear.
What about things like parenting?
Many people have children but dont find deep meaning in being parents.
What if you have a real responsibility in life that doesnt lead to something deeply meaningful?
Without those, its often much more difficulteven impossibleto reach that joyful flow state.
I find that four things go a long way toward preserving and enhancing my physical and mental health foundation.
Many days, this just takes the form of a two to three mile walk.
I use that time to relax my mind and to brainstorm ideas.
I find that exercise is good for both my mental and physical health.
I use guided mindful meditation routines like those found atcalm.com; sometimes, I do them while Im walking.
How would you arrange that week?
How would you kick off the door to as many deep and joyful activities as possible?
Id fill my hours with big blocks of time for the things that bring me into a flow state.
Id go on a big half-day or full-day trail walk / hike twice a week or so.
Id spend at least a couple hours a day reading.
Id spend three or four hours early in the morning writing.
Id spend enormous chunks of time one-on-one with my children after school and on weekends.
Id make a lot of homemade meals from scratch.
Id make a much more formal exercise routine.
Id be involved in several different community board game nights.
Wed host a ton of dinner parties to boot.
That life soundsincredibleto me.
Its a life that would be deeply fulfilling to me, day in and day out.
So, how do I get there?
Its as simple as thatspend less than you earn and make that gap as big as possible.
Satisfaction and joy comes from the oppositecomplete engagement with whatever youre doing at the moment.
Financial independence is onebigtool for overcoming that challenge.
I hope that you might find that central meaning in your life, too.
I encourage you to seek out those moments of natural flow and see how meaningful they are for you.
What Should I Do With My Life?
Photo byDavid Marcuvia Unsplash.
