"I don't know what I want to do"

“I don’t know what I want to do.”

People usually conflate two different things with this statement: 

“I don’t know what I want to do to make money” and “I don’t know what my purpose is.” 

Be more precise and you can be more tactful. Conflating ‘making money’ and ‘purpose’ simultaneously makes it difficult to address. Instead, treat them as two separate things. 

“I don’t know what I want to do to make money.”

Instead of job titles, focus on job variables. Salary, type of work, size of company, job stability, in-person vs. remote, etc. – determine what you prioritize and are willing to compromise. You should be able to come up with job profiles you are willing to accept, at least temporarily. After all, jobs are not permanent. But what you don’t have to consider is whether the job will fulfill your purpose. 

Entrepreneurship? Absolutely, go for it. But that’s a completely different beast, I’ll reflect on that in another article.

“I don’t know what my purpose is.”

Purpose doesn’t come from jobs. Purpose comes from the thing that cements you in the present moment. It comes from exploring cultures, pursuing a dream, raising a family, manifesting art, empowering a movement, striving for excellence, achieving. Purpose itself is malleable, changing as the person changes. Purpose can be fleeting, and it can be durable. Purpose can even be found in wandering itself.

If you don’t currently have a purpose, go search for it, but not in your day job.