I'm 29 and still have no idea what I want to do with the rest of my life. What steps can I take to start to figure this out?
I only want to answer this because I'm old and know a lot of kids who ask that question. First, you don't have to know what you're going to do for the rest of your life. You only need to figure out what will inspire you to be a productive member of society for the time being. Gone are the days when most people found employment and stayed in the same field the rest of their lives. Ask yourself what do you enjoy doing that others would appreciate? If you need help deciding what that is, talk to others who know you....starting with your parents. Ask lots of questions. There are two reasons to do this. The first one is to learn what others have done or what others regret. The second reason is to flatter them into supporting your efforts. People love to talk about themselves and/or give advice. That makes them feel good. If you make them feel good, they'll like you more. If they're older, they have connections. I'm sure you've heard "It's who you know."At 29 you should be figuring out that the older you get, the more things you don't know. You may have been pretty smug in your early 20s, believing as many do, that you were unique and special. You're now ready to realize you're just like everyone else and it's time to put it in gear. Just don't get bogged down with the notion that you have to pick a thing to do the rest of your life. Life gives us lots of opportunities. Pick something for now and learn to be good at it. Move to something else later.Good luck.
I have no idea what career I want?
You like traveling and languages. I don't know if you're in the US, but if you are, I'd have you check out the careers available in the foreign service/State Department, and see if something there appeals to you. It seems ideal. Perhaps your country has something similar? Check these out to get some ideas: Department of State: https://careers.state.gov/work/foreign-s... Foreign Service: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_Se... Another option you might like is a career in travel and tourism. There, you might manage a major hotel or hotel chain, or be a cruise ship director (my cousin does this), or work in a casino, or tons of other things. Still another idea is to teach a foreign language at the kindergarten+ level. Or be an interpreter. Or work in university admissions, with a special focus on recruiting foreign students. Each of these requires different education and skills. Some require uni, others do not. Some require specific majors, others do not. I'd have you take a bit of time here and explore these options, and more. See what you think about careers in industries that allow you to use some of your strengths and interests. Find careers you think you might like. Look up things like demand and pay, living situation, etc. (for example, if the only jobs in your field are in one specific location in the world that you aren't legal to work in, and pay only $10k/year, then maybe you pick something else...)
I'm 17 and have no idea what I want to do with my life?
I'm 17 and about to be a senior in high school, and I don't know what in God's name I want to do after I graduate. Okay, scratch that. I know perfectly well what I WANT to do. I WANT to be a musician. I WANT to be a film director. I WANT to be a photographer. I WANT to be a writer or and author. I WANT to be an onstage actor. These things that I really want are irrelevent. The problem is, none of these are particularly useful. But these are the careers I would be happy with. The worst thing one can do is have a career they despise, and getting out of bed every morning becomes a chore. Yes, I know, "But think about the money!" I've heard it many times. An engineer. A radiologist. A CNA. A professor. A marine biologist. Fields that everybody says makes big bucks. I just don't know if I would enjoy these careers. I like science, don't get me wrong, and chemistry can be fun. But it's not something I would like as a career. If I seem fussy, think about it. Imagine waking up every morning from the time you're 28 till you're in your 60s, and every morning you're thinking "I hate this sh*t. I want out. I do not want to go to work today, or ever again." That's my biggest fear. Out of the "wants" i mentioned earlier, I could be any one of them. However, success in those fields has a heavy reliance on blind luck, which I would be an idiot to let the outcome of my life depend upon. So what should I do? Should I sell out and do something I hate with success? Or should I do something I love where the chance of success varies? And before anybody talks about the military, don't. I don't like war, obsession with guns, or any other excuse to kill or help kill another woman's son.
I'm 44 and still have no clue what I want to do with my life. How do I figure that out before it's too late?
All of the answers so far have great merit. I am answering you from the perspective of a life of almost 7 decades. And I have spent the last 30 years in the art field. I love it, but I happened into it fairly accidentally (fell in love with an artist), and then determined to make it successful. In the course of that, I came to love it. And that is my thought for you. I have done many diverse things in my life. I have administered contracts. I have been a real estate broker. I have run a bar/motel/restaurant. I have worked in resorts. I have written one published book and worked on others. I have been a consultant to artists and galleries. And I am quite certain that any one of these could have been (or could be) wonderfully satisfying and worthwhile fulltime occupations for me then or now. The only difference is the amount of commitment, passion and time I choose to give to them.When we give our full attention and energy to anything, we discover in it - and in ourselves - an amazing kaleidoscope of possibilities, challenges and satisfactions that commence and then continue to open. We automatically enter into a new world, because that is what every occupation is - a world. And all worlds are interesting and engaging if you give them the opportunity to reveal themselves to you. Also, nothing pulls one forward as powefully as genuine commitment. So, all you need to do is pick something - anything - and commit to it. Everything else will follow.Oh, and it is also useful to remember one more thing. No matter what each of us chooses to do in our occupational life, our essence is otherwise. We are human BEings, not human DOings. Sometimes we forget that.