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That’s a question we’ve all heard many times.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
There’s no right or wrong answer to this question, as it is different for everyone.
A few common desires we hear include becoming a doctor, lawyer, fireman, policeman, or entrepreneur.
But what about those of us who take a step back to find out what would make us happy?
This is what I did a few years ago and why the Wilde Escape even started.
If you haven’t read that post, I suggest you do so and leave me a comment with your answer. You might be surprised to see that others have the same answers as you.
As you might not realize, it’s okay not to have all the answers; focus on growth and learning.
Here is what we will cover in this post, and if you’re short on time, jump to a section by clicking on one of the links below.
- Self-discovery: Encourages taking time to explore what makes you happy and how that can guide your career.
- Embracing Change: Highlights that changing careers or paths is okay and often necessary for personal growth.
- Continual Learning: Emphasizes lifelong learning and questioning assumptions as a way to discover new passions.
- Flexibility: Life’s path may change unexpectedly, and adapting is essential.
What do you want to do?
This is a question that people have asked for centuries.
It is the question that has led to the development of many professions. For example, a doctor wants to do something to help people, while a lawyer wants to protect people’s rights.
Many other professions, such as the painter or musician, have developed over time.
However, there is no single answer to this question. Everyone has unique interests and desires.
This means taking time to figure out what you want to do is okay.
It’s crazy that the school system forces young people to decide what they want to do for their lives!
Many of them are still too young to drink legally!
It’s up to you to decide what you want to do with your life.
Don’t be surprised if you choose to make a change. It happens to the best of us.
Change Can Be a Good Thing!
Some people cannot stand change. If that is you, bear with me for a minute, open your mind, and you might find that change can be good.
Think about it.
If you are constantly growing, adapting, and discovering new interests, there isn’t anything you can’t do.
For example, I knew I wanted to be a cop at the age of 6. This decision leads me to make choices throughout my life.
What I didn’t know was all that came along with that career.
As I’ve mentioned before, I have slowly become my old self since leaving my post. It’s incredible what regular sleep and doing the things that bring you joy do for your life.
Not to mention having less stress!
The one thing I’ve learned from my life is always to grow. Change can be challenging, but it’s necessary.
It doesn’t matter what job or career you have. The key to success is continuing to learn and grow.
It’s Okay to Change: A career doesn’t have to be permanent
If you have read this blog or my About page, you know that I left my career two years ago.
Recently I’ve been asked what I will do with my life.
If you are wondering, I started my own business and even recently decided to quit my steady job.
You never know the twists and turns your life will take. Life can throw in some curve balls, and you either fall or learn how to adapt.
In the last three years, I have gone from working the streets (in law enforcement, not the thing you were thinking about), having a blast in the outdoor sales world, and cleaning to promoting other businesses and content writing.
As you can imagine, this has been a pretty radical change.
It can also make you start questioning life in general.
Looking back at what we discussed today, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It is not an easy question to answer.
You have heard people asking this for your whole life. But what happens if you never know?
So, let’s try to figure this out together.
It’s okay not to know.
You might be younger, still in school, starting college, or not enjoying your current work.
Better yet, maybe you have been thinking about this question for a while and don’t know what to do.
You might like to know that many of us are in the same boat.
You might think you know what you want to do, only to find out it’s awful and stressful.
Maybe you realize you no longer do what brings you happiness.
Or maybe you don’t even remember what brings you joy!
If you don’t know what you want to do when you grow up, it’s okay.
In today’s world, all the knowledge you could ever want is at your fingertips, which can be a blessing and a curse.
Becoming a lifelong learner, speaking from experience, has been amazing! If you are interested in something (such as editing videos), you can do this all from the comfort of your home.
This exposes you to so many exciting things that you might find your new passion.
As you learn new things, you will continue to grow. This might even lead to new opportunities!
Always Growing: There are many opportunities to learn and grow
When you constantly grow, you may question things you disagree with, which is good. It may also allow you to discover what you truly want out of life. 
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always taken orders and followed what I was told.
Questioning why it was not allowed.
This was an important lesson to learn in the police academy.
A fun fact is a few of us quickly learned three ways you could question an order.
Yes, only three.
If you are interested, something that I still live by is questioning anything illegal, immoral, or unethical.
That’s it. Otherwise, you must follow the order.
This is the opposite of my two-year-old nephew, who asks “why” to everything.
Once you start to question why something fascinating happens, you will often hear one reply, “Because that’s how we’ve always done it.”
Or my personal favorite, “Because I said so.“
You can guess how that would cause anyone to find better solutions or want to escape what they are involved in.
So what would you do in this situation?
Would you go with what you were told or dig deeper for a clear understanding?
This is something only you can answer. It all depends on the outcome you are looking for.
Personally, if I don’t agree with something, I speak up.
Take Your Time
This brings me back to the question at hand. What do you want to do?
Determining what you want to do in life can take a lifetime.
At this point, you might not know what to do with your life.
The best suggestion is to write down anything that makes you happy or even what you are passionate about.
So many people work hard for the American dream and are never truly happy. This is when they realize they are just living for the weekend.
You should enjoy life and the time we have!
Something that has helped me since I, too, am still figuring it all out. It is to plan different goals and adventures that keep me excited.
Here are a few to help you get started.
- Reading one book a month
- Going on a weekly hike
- Learning to build a business
- Planning the next road trip.
Need Some Help?
You may have big dreams but are unsure how to make them a reality.
The key is to start somewhere. Start with something small and build on it.
And never be afraid to take risks!
You should spend some time on this. Most importantly, turn your phone off. We all get distracted, and you need to spend some time alone for this one.
Take an afternoon for yourself, get outside, or go on a hike. It’s incredible how good this feels and gets you to start thinking.
Take those thoughts and include them in your daily and weekly life. I suggest putting these things on your calendar. This causes you to see it and remember you need to do it.
Just like change, planning isn’t a bad thing.
Remember that it’s okay not to know or have what you want to change as you age. Sometimes that can be a good thing.
Something I think about is if I were content in my previous career, I wouldn’t have started this blog!
What do YOU Want to do When You Grow up?
Thinking about what you want to do with the rest of your life is important.
Your career should be something you are passionate about, and that makes you happy. Many options are available to you, so take your time and find the right fit.
Don’t be afraid to change your mind if something else comes along that you’re interested in.
The most important thing is to stay positive and keep moving forward.
Let me know in the comments below what you want to do with the rest of your life. After all, it starts now!
There is no correct answer.
Never be afraid to change your mind, and always keep learning!
Many people do not have an answer to this timeless question.
Thanks for giving us permission to be in that category.
It seems most people have a job that just kind of happened … opportunities that were available when needed.
Interview questions are so annoying, like the typical, “Why do you want to work here?”
Most of the time, the real answer is: For a paycheck.
I enjoyed your blog about What Makes You Happy.
It is a good reminder that we need to find joy in our lives. I believe it is rare for someone to actually love their job.
Reading your blog over the years, it has been interesting to read about your thirst for knowledge. Reading. A LOT. Learning bits of different languages. And taking a deep dive in business, finance, and technology. Good for you!
So for now, I will go to my office every day and be thankful for paydays.
That said, I will also ponder about what I want to do when I grow up.
Maybe develop better photography skills…
Thanks! I think we all need to keep learning, either for ourselves or to find out what truly brings us joy.
Finding what you want to do is so tough. I never thought I would be where I am right now. If you stop and think about it, all experiences and decisions have led us to where we are. It’s pretty crazy but true.
Finding what brings you happiness (for work or on the side) is excellent! I recently started learning video editing. If you begin photography, you can share your images online (and sometimes make a little extra cash)! Just saying…I use a lot of those type of images 🙂
Thanks for that tip!
Maybe I can start a side gig with photography … something that I truly enjoy!
Yeah!
I want to be a police officer. But I’m a little older now (28) and not sure if I should pursue it. With the state of things how they are here in the U.S, do you think I should pursue this?
Hi Stewart!
That is a great question, and there is a lot to it.
I totally agree with you and what the US is going through. With that said, I don’t think you are too old. I had a guy in my academy class that was 45. Just make sure you can do the basics for the academy (running, situps, pushups, pullups, etc.). I would also like to throw out there that I wouldn’t change my time serving my community. There were good and bad times on the streets, but overall it was a lot of fun (and I learned a lot).
As I said, this is a long answer, and if you want to email me, feel free: Eric@WildeEscape.com, and I would be happy to discuss it more.