How To Figure Out What You Want To Do With Your Life

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares three reflective exercises to help find clarity and direction in life. The Gravestone Technique encourages long-term thinking by imagining what you’d like others to say about you posthumously. The Odyssey Plan explores potential life paths over five years, considering different scenarios. Finally, the Ideal Ordinary Week method helps envision a balanced, fulfilling weekly routine. These exercises aim to spark self-reflection and guide individuals toward living a more purposeful and meaningful life, blending personal values, professional aspirations, and long-term goals.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Gravestone Technique helps you reflect on your life’s legacy by considering what you'd want written on your gravestone, focusing on key life roles and values.
• 😀 By imagining what others might say about you at your funeral, you can understand the personal qualities and relationships you want to prioritize over achievements.
• 😀 The Gravestone Technique also prompts you to consider what you want to be remembered for in terms of professional accomplishments, like what might be on your Wikipedia page.
• 😀 The Odyssey Plan is a tool to help you envision different life paths. It includes imagining your life five years from now if you stay on your current path, take a different path, or disregard societal pressures.
• 😀 Writing out these three potential futures in the Odyssey Plan can provide clarity on which path feels most fulfilling and aligned with your true values.
• 😀 The Ideal Ordinary Week exercise encourages you to create a vision for your ideal routine two years in the future, balancing work, personal time, and hobbies.
• 😀 The Ideal Ordinary Week exercise helps identify potential barriers to living your desired life now, allowing you to take actionable steps toward your goals.
• 😀 These exercises (Gravestone Technique, Odyssey Plan, and Ideal Ordinary Week) offer a structured way to reflect on your life and clarify your personal and professional direction.
• 😀 Long-term thinking, as emphasized in the video, is crucial for finding meaning and fulfillment in life, rather than just getting caught up in short-term goals or societal expectations.
• 😀 Writing down your reflections (such as in the Odyssey Plan or Ideal Ordinary Week) is a powerful way to gain clarity and motivation, making your goals feel more tangible and achievable.

Q & A

What is the Gravestone Technique, and how does it help in finding life’s purpose?

The Gravestone Technique involves imagining what you would want written on your gravestone, what people might say at your funeral, and what your Wikipedia page would look like. This method helps in long-term thinking and clarifies what aspects of life are truly meaningful, such as relationships, achievements, and overall impact.

Why did the speaker find the 'Inspirational Teacher' phrase surprising in their Gravestone Technique reflection?

The speaker was surprised to realize that teaching, whether through direct interaction with students or through online platforms like YouTube, was a significant source of fulfillment and meaning in their life. It showed them that being a teacher should play an important role in their life plan.

How does the Gravestone Technique help to balance career and personal relationships?

By reflecting on what people might say at your funeral, you are encouraged to focus on character traits like kindness and the value of relationships. This exercise helps avoid overemphasizing career achievements at the cost of personal connections.

What are the three key aspects of the Odyssey Plan?

The Odyssey Plan involves imagining what your life would look like five years from now under three scenarios: 1) Continuing on your current path, 2) Taking an entirely different path, and 3) Living a life where money and societal expectations don’t influence your decisions.

What did the speaker realize about their own life path after doing the Odyssey Plan exercise?

The speaker realized that the life path they were currently on felt too easy and unchallenging, which made them feel unfulfilled. This realization led them to reconsider their choices and explore more meaningful and challenging alternatives.

How does the Odyssey Plan provide clarity for someone uncertain about their future?

The Odyssey Plan provides clarity by prompting individuals to write out detailed visions of their future under different scenarios. This helps uncover what truly excites or concerns them about different paths and can provide insight into what they really want from life.

What is the Ideal Ordinary Week exercise, and why is it effective?

The Ideal Ordinary Week exercise involves planning what a normal week in your life would look like two years from now, including all routine activities. It’s effective because it helps visualize how your ideal life can fit into a realistic schedule, and allows you to identify obstacles preventing you from achieving it.

How did the speaker incorporate the Ideal Ordinary Week into their own life planning?

The speaker created an ideal week that balanced work, personal activities, learning, and leisure. They also used the exercise to identify what was stopping them from living this life now, highlighting areas where they had control and could make immediate changes.

What role does the concept of 'seeking discomfort' play in the speaker's life planning?

The speaker embraces the idea of 'seeking discomfort' because they believe that challenging themselves and stepping outside their comfort zone leads to more growth and fulfillment. This mindset influences their decisions about career and personal development.

How can the three techniques shared in the video help someone struggling to find their passion?

These techniques—Gravestone Technique, Odyssey Plan, and Ideal Ordinary Week—help individuals reflect on long-term goals, visualize different life paths, and plan for a fulfilling, balanced life. They encourage introspection and provide a structured way to consider life’s direction and purpose.