“What do you want to do when you grow up?”
Actually, put a pin in that question and answer this one: Is that a worthwhile question?
Knowing what they want to do is what we expect kids to have nailed down at 17. Never mind that most of the seventeen-year-olds I knew in high school didn’t have a clue what they’d end up doing. It’s the rare high school student who has a clear and accurate idea of what they will do in their life’s work.
Set that aside, and the question is still not that helpful. Experts suggest that the typical 2024 high school student will have 5-7 careers in their life. Not jobs, careers. So why do we want them to have a ready answer?
Better questions include: what kind of change do you want to make? What kind of people do you want to work and interact with? What do you value most highly? Where do you want to go? What are you curious about? If you’re going to college, what do you hope to learn at college?
If I had been asked those questions then, or if I were asked them today, I would say – I want to teach and raise a family. I want to see the world and make music. I value honesty, empathy, and kindness. I’m curious about everything, and I wanted to get as broad an education as I could in college.
Your answers should be different. So should those of that 17-year-old you see next week. At least ask the right questions.
(And then, encourage them to not take out massive debt to figure out their answers to those questions.)
Back to the original question: How do you figure out what you want to do in life? The answer is in the doing. Do something, as best you can. That’s following a path a little distance. Then see what’s next. Keep doing things and trying things until your path is clear.