Even if it’s unnoticeable at the time, everyone changes as they grow older. The transition period between the teenage years and adulthood is undoubtedly one of the most obvious times in your life when you’ll undergo some major changes. Not only do you learn a lot about yourself during this time, but also you tend to find your place in the world. You figure out what it is you’re good at, what you’re passionate about, and better yet, what you believe in. Some people don’t figure this all out until later in life, but if you open yourself up to experiences and opportunities during your young adulthood, you’ll find it easier to figure out who you are.
You’re not just going to have an epiphany one morning. It takes exploring, questioning, and experiences to understand who you really are. While you shouldn’t search too hard, there are questions you can ask yourself and experiences you can seek out as you transform into an adult.
What excites you?
You’d be surprised how hard it is for some people to answer this question. In high school your response might be friends, family, your favorite sport, or maybe a summertime activity you’ve been doing since you were little. Usually as a kid, you have had limited experience with the real world. Once you enter college or leave your parents house, you face new opinions, different cultures, innovative ideas, new places, and even causes. You might shift your passion from sports to coaching or teaching, from video games to graphic design, or from hanging out with friends to event planning. You can find a way to take the things you love to do and give them purpose.
How do you learn?
Figuring out what excites you doesn’t always come at an opportune time. Sometimes it’s not until after college that you figure out you should have majored in nursing rather than accounting. Finding your passion late happens to the best of us, but that doesn’t mean you can’t follow it. It is important to figure out how you retain information and learn. You can take learning style assessments to further understand yourself. If you learn through a hands-on approach, make sure you immerse yourself in an environment where you can accumulate experience. If you love reading, set aside time in your day to catch up on an informational book. It’s great to be a life long learner.
What are your goals?
Sometimes life just happens and you grow your career, your family, or even your fortune as it happens. It’s hard to set goals that are strict and specific, but they are great soft guidelines that help you measure your growth overtime. Maybe you want to have a home and children by the time you’re 30, or maybe you want to graduate with a PhD at 27. Everyone has goals even if they’re not quite sure where the future is going to take them.
What do you need to be happy?
It’s crazy how much the answer to this question will change overtime. In high school you might think that in order to be happy you need to be making six figures, marrying your current boyfriend, and living in the heart of NYC. Wait it out and see if those are still your priorities in a few years, they might just be. You should organize in your head or write down the things you know you need in order to be happy. After that, figure out a way to get them.
Take chances
Harder than you might think, taking chances can lead to a million open doors. It might require taking a chance on a certain person, moving away from home, or taking a financial risk. Make educated decisions, but don’t be afraid of what’s coming next if there’s a possibility it could lead you to something incredible.
