What do you want to do in life?
This question haunts almost everyone who is between the age of 20 and 25. Why?
Why should it be so daunting to decide? At the end of the day, the question is just about you, isn't it? And who knows your mind better than yourself?
As a 22 year old living in Mumbai, I think I have cracked the code of this fright.
And the answer is - Books.
No, not the text books that we read in our schools but novels, magazines, documentaries and autobiographies and many others. With the extensive use of internet, every kid is just a couple of searches away to finding out which career is good for them and which career isn't. And if that sounds oversimplification of this, at least the kid will be equipped with enough knowledge to make an informed decision in the future.
What's happening today is that an 18 or 19 year old English speaking student is given a German menu and a deadline hanging over his/her head like a sword. How do you expect him/her to make a decision and be happy with it without even knowing what they are getting into?
A good solution to this, something that I have spent quite a lot of time thinking about is to inculcate the habit of researching, reading and critically thinking among children right from 6th standard or 7th standard. Parents or teachers or anyone really, can give them assignments to research on one profession every 6 months.
Think about it, by the time they are in 12th standard they will have already done in-depth research in about 10 to 12 careers. Don't you think they will NOW be equipped with the requisite knowledge to make an informed decision, based on their preferences, what they really want to do?
The story would normally end at this junction but that would be the ideal world. The big problem yet left unanswered is Suicides, Depression, Anxiety, Pressure, Tension.. and constipation.
The thing is that the aforementioned solution tries to reduce the possibility of a person being confused about their future prospects but its still just a possibility. There's nothing absolute about it. So, what do you do when you have spent about 6 years worth of researching and still can't make a decision?
Well, the best advice to follow is the oldest. Never let an opportunity pass, never be afraid of trying new things and never wait for things to happen.
You may not feel passionate about doing taxes of an individual or delivering pizzas or selling costly suits to people who don't need them but if they pay the bills, if they put food on the table, you better do it because, at the end of the day, passion is just a feeling. And feelings are fleeting.
Don't allow yourself to be stuck in one subject/study/career-line just because you are supposed to be passionate about one thing. Allow your mind to be free and daring enough to grab opportunities life throws at you and still have enough zeal to carve your own way through this tumultuous forest of life.
And that will happen only when you are open to different cultures, open to traveling, exploring things you've never done, reading about the history of your land, watching TV shows from other countries.. the internet has literally opened doors to each and everything on the planet.
People skills play an extremely important role in this and the surest way to be fearless in that regard is to inculcate that habit from school-years in debates, extempore, dramas, speeches and many more. Both watching and performing. The failures of the early years lead to successful lives, everybody knows that.
Conclusion:
So, all I'm trying to say is make your kids read more and speak & listen more so that they can make an informed decision - not just for career but for every major decision in life.
Aaaaand if you're like me who's waaaaaaay too late for that, well just do whatever comes your way and in time you will definitely find satisfaction.
This question haunts almost everyone who is between the age of 20 and 25. Why?
Why should it be so daunting to decide? At the end of the day, the question is just about you, isn't it? And who knows your mind better than yourself?
As a 22 year old living in Mumbai, I think I have cracked the code of this fright.
And the answer is - Books.
No, not the text books that we read in our schools but novels, magazines, documentaries and autobiographies and many others. With the extensive use of internet, every kid is just a couple of searches away to finding out which career is good for them and which career isn't. And if that sounds oversimplification of this, at least the kid will be equipped with enough knowledge to make an informed decision in the future.
What's happening today is that an 18 or 19 year old English speaking student is given a German menu and a deadline hanging over his/her head like a sword. How do you expect him/her to make a decision and be happy with it without even knowing what they are getting into?
A good solution to this, something that I have spent quite a lot of time thinking about is to inculcate the habit of researching, reading and critically thinking among children right from 6th standard or 7th standard. Parents or teachers or anyone really, can give them assignments to research on one profession every 6 months.
Think about it, by the time they are in 12th standard they will have already done in-depth research in about 10 to 12 careers. Don't you think they will NOW be equipped with the requisite knowledge to make an informed decision, based on their preferences, what they really want to do?
The story would normally end at this junction but that would be the ideal world. The big problem yet left unanswered is Suicides, Depression, Anxiety, Pressure, Tension.. and constipation.
The thing is that the aforementioned solution tries to reduce the possibility of a person being confused about their future prospects but its still just a possibility. There's nothing absolute about it. So, what do you do when you have spent about 6 years worth of researching and still can't make a decision?
Well, the best advice to follow is the oldest. Never let an opportunity pass, never be afraid of trying new things and never wait for things to happen.
You may not feel passionate about doing taxes of an individual or delivering pizzas or selling costly suits to people who don't need them but if they pay the bills, if they put food on the table, you better do it because, at the end of the day, passion is just a feeling. And feelings are fleeting.
Don't allow yourself to be stuck in one subject/study/career-line just because you are supposed to be passionate about one thing. Allow your mind to be free and daring enough to grab opportunities life throws at you and still have enough zeal to carve your own way through this tumultuous forest of life.
And that will happen only when you are open to different cultures, open to traveling, exploring things you've never done, reading about the history of your land, watching TV shows from other countries.. the internet has literally opened doors to each and everything on the planet.
People skills play an extremely important role in this and the surest way to be fearless in that regard is to inculcate that habit from school-years in debates, extempore, dramas, speeches and many more. Both watching and performing. The failures of the early years lead to successful lives, everybody knows that.
Conclusion:
So, all I'm trying to say is make your kids read more and speak & listen more so that they can make an informed decision - not just for career but for every major decision in life.
Aaaaand if you're like me who's waaaaaaay too late for that, well just do whatever comes your way and in time you will definitely find satisfaction.
