Predicting the future is not easy but we should influence it. I didn’t know what I wanted my life to be when I was 10, now I have some ideas. Yet, despite narrowing the range of possibilities, I remain unsure: am I on the right path? You wouldn’t like your last emotion to be regret, wouldn’t you?
Proceeding by eliminating
I have chosen an industry to work in by projecting myself in all available field then filtering out which one weren’t for me. HR? I was an introvert. Culture? My mom couldn’t drag me in a museum. Sales? Presenting was my nightmare. This introspection helps to reduce opportunities but should be with more maturity by taking into accounts my wishes rather than fears. Presenting isn’t bad when you care about the subject and the audience!
Selecting by dreaming
We can draw inspiration from the way we plan holidays: the destination, how to get there, costs, requirements, etc. Where do you want your life to lead you to: a calm and sunny beach, a crowded and vibrant city, a wild and peaceful ranch? Once selected, the harder parts remain to be done: book transports, fetch hotels, checks visas. Do that for your several paths and see if your dream changes.
Knowing by living
No matter how much you dreamed of and prepared for that trip, or in our case that life, you can’t know for sure that you’ll like it until you live it. When I was a teen, I thought I’d go snowboarding every year because it’s so cool. Now, I also want to change continent for a mid-winter sunny break. While it is great to set a destination, give yourself room for changing direction.