I found quite a few young people online who seem lost in life and don’t know what to do. A lot of them are either on Threads, or on subreddits like r/findapath or r/studentloans.
My advice is always the same, and it remains the same for anyone male or female of any age.
1. Pick a job that’s in high demand.
2. Do that as your main job and follow your interests and passions on your off time.
That’s it! This can look like a million different things, depending on what the in demand field is and what your interests and passions are. Working with kids and elderly are always in high demand, but if that’s not your cup of tea, people on those subreddits have more ideas of what fields really need people. I got into working with elderly in their homes because I was burned out working with kids, and the caregiver for my aunt and uncle gave me the idea. I got into inventory service years and years ago when I was working in a store and an inventory service came to do our inventory. I was envious that they didn’t have to deal with customers!
There are several fields that really need people. List the ones you know of, and pick one that suits you.
Then when you have off time, follow your interests, no matter what they are. I don’t care if it’s basket weaving, drum lessons at a music store, collecting a specific thing, learning a language, gardening, tinkering, a class that teaches you the basics of your passion, a YouTube education on your passion, even if you don’t think you’re good at your passion, just do whatever you can and know how to do that has to do with that thing you’re so interested in.
For me, this was crafting and sewing, real estate class (My real estate class taught me about house flipping. Kevin was “trapped” owning a house with a bad foundation but didn’t think anyone would buy it. I called an investor who snatched it up, thus Kevin always says I saved him from his old house. He didn’t think investors like that were out there.), some writing, cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, learning about prehistoric man, and studying some religion. For Kevin, this was studying the Japanese language, playing doom, watching people getting arrested on YouTube and helping his stepfather maintain this ten acre property. For my daughter, it looked like many different things over the years. She used to be very musical- I signed her up for classes in several different instruments (one at a time) at a music store downtown, but when the pandemic happened, she lost interest. For her it has also looked like art (drawing), making her own YouTube videos about games she plays, wildlife biology and conservation, and animal rescue organizations. For my mom, it has looked like going to church and Bible study, watching talk shows that do paternity tests, and playing bejeweled blitz.
I firmly believe that when you follow whatever your passions lie, even if it seems frivolous or foolish, it leads to something meaningful. I’m not sure what watching paternity test talk shows is good for, but it entertains her, and that’s important! My partner Kevin’s Japanese lessons have led to some fun excursions I wouldn’t have gone on otherwise, such as to Japanese stores like Nipon Daido and Daiso which is a Japanese dollar store.
For fun, here are some pics- two scrap wreaths I made, Kevin’s old house with the bad foundation, and him laying with Mitchell in the old house.
Your advice is spot on!
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