Deciding what you want to do with your life and career isn’t something that is unique to you. Everyone has to choose what to do with their lives at some point and whether you do it at 18 before you go to college or you do it at 40, you have time. There is no requirement to know what you want to do with your life before you are old enough to celebrate a party with a legal drink.

In fact, given that you’re going to spend most of your life at work and dealing with having a career, you should want to ensure that you are right about what you want to do.

Deciding on a career takes time and it’s personal to you. It’s a science, because it takes time to assess and it takes logic to figure out which of the multiple careers you should choose from. From pilot school to medical school, there are thousands of options, and the one that you choose for you is going to depend on who you are as a person and what you want from life. Do you want to soar the skies or build the tunnels underground? Do you want to travel the world? Do you love the idea of being a part of some of the biggest scientific breakthroughs? Whatever you want is there for the taking – you just have to choose!

1. The first step is a self-assessment. You need to figure out the things that you’re interested in, what your personality matches and what you value as a person. You then have to figure out what your skills are and where you can fit them in with your interests. They should line up so that you can match it to your chosen career ideas.
2. Do some research on your specific areas of interest so that you can see whether you have options for work. If you love to help people you might find a career in science is a good idea, but if your interests surround space, you could find that a career in NASA works. Your research will tell you whether you are able to fit your skills into a specific career.
3. Align what you know about yourself with your career choices and work environment. You will find that matching a career to your personality will result in much better fulfillment and satisfaction. This will then lead to much less stress and much improved health. You need to weather the challenges that come with your chosen career, but that starts with knowing what you want!
4. Start developing a career plan that matches your needs. You should get some specific advice and guidance on goal setting, too, because no employer out there likes an unsolicited resume with no requirements! You need to make sure that you aren’t left by yourself trying to figure out what to do. Take the initiative to make it happen with your career. Sitting around and waiting is a nice way to waste your time and your life away.