How to Figure Out What You Should Do With Your Life

How to Figure Out What You Should Do With Your Life How to Figure Out What You Should Do With Your Life Job satisfaction: We all want it, but were not exactly sure how to secure it. Partially, thats because we believe our satisfaction is dependent on factors we dont control, like the work/life balance at our current organization, the way a manager chooses to motivate us, or the specific tasks our supervisors delegate to us. And while it is true that some of the job satisfaction factors are outside our control, that doesnt mean we have no control at all! Not satisfied in your job? Cant quite put your finger on why? Heres a quick exercise many career coaches use to help you get to the core of what it is you should be doing with your life: What Drives You? What did you dream about doing when you were a kid? What would you do if you didnt have to worry about making money? Make a list of the above. You should start to see commonalities in terms of general skills. It should come as no surprise, but those general skills will probably be related to your biggest strengths. What Are Your Natural Talents? What do people most appreciate about you and what you do? What are the unique skills you have that people comment on at work or at home? What areas do you excel in? For example, are you always being thanked for your insight, objectivity, organizational skills, etc.? What Are Your Work Values? What do you value in your work? Do you appreciate the ability to work independently, or is a team environment something you value more? Do you prefer constantly learning new skills, or do you value having the opportunity to really fine-tune one particular skill? â€" Your combined answers to the questions above can guide you in your job search and will help you figure out if youre on the right path or way off course. The good news is that even if you discover youve gone astray, youll now have a roadmap to get you back on track. A version of this article originally appeared on  the Atrium Staffing blog. Michele Mavi is  Atrium Staffings resident career expert.