How to Find an Answer for What to Do with Your Life

Finding your true north on life’s compass

Co-authored by Luke SmithMFA Reviewed by Christina StathopoulosPCCACCC

Last Updated: December 12025 References

Everyone finds themselves in a slump now and thenespecially when they feel like progress is hard or that they don’t know what their next move is. The good news is that you don’t have to feel like you’re on track 24/7. The better news is that getting back on track doesn’t have to be all that tricky. We’ve come through with 13 profound (and profoundly simple) tips that’ll help you take stock of your life and surge forward with newfound motivation and a clear direction.

Things You Should Know

Think back on moments you consider meaningful in your life and ask yourself why they were meaningful to pinpoint what you value and what you want.
Identify a long-term or short-term goalthen break it down into simpleachievable steps to help you make progress and find direction.
Connect with friendsfamilyor a community like volunteer workers or a sports club. Social engagement is a shortcut to feeling fulfilled.

1

Clear your mind.

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Take a few deep breaths to help you think straight. If you’re asking yourself“What am I doing with my life?” chances are you’ve got quite the mental burden. Before you tackle that burden head-on relax and destress so that your mind is in order and you don’t have any unhelpful thoughts rattling around up there and distracting you. Meditating is a great way to silence brain static and get focused.^{[1]
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- Sit or lie down in a dim room and play some relaxing musicor just any music you enjoy. Inhale for 10 secondsexhale for 10 seconds. Keep breathing deeply for 5-10 minutes. Once you feel calmerit’s time to tackle the big questions.

2

Think back to times when your life felt meaningful.

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Remind yourself of what makes you feel fulfilled. Try to remember any moment in your life when you felt accomplishedor even just content. Thenask yourselfwhat were you doing? Who were you with? Were you working toward something? Why do you think the experience was meaningful?^{[2]
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Research source} Answering these questions will give you valuable hints as to how you might recapture that sense of meaning.
- For exampleif you felt content because you were with someoneit may be that your key to meaning is social connections. If you felt accomplished after overcoming some sort of adversityyou might need a good challenge or goal to motivate you.
- Also ask yourself: When was the happiest moment of my life? What’s made me feel happy recently? Is there anything different between my life then and now?

3

Identify a goal.

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Write down something you want to strive forand why. It could be a long-term goallike becoming a professional artistor even a short-term goallike meeting new people. Whatever it ismake it something that excites you—something you want for yourselfnot just something that sounds like what you think you should want.^{[3]
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- If you can’t think of anythingstart with something smalllike going for a walk every dayor seeing a new movie each week. Having something to look forward to goes a long way toward giving you a sense of direction.
- If you cantell someone about your goal. Externalizing it makes it more realand motivates you to work toward it.
- Try asking yourself these questions: What do I want to be remembered for?^{[4]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Christina StathopoulosPCCACCC
  Certified Leadership & Life Coach
  
  Expert Interview} If I could be doing anything right nowwhat would it be? What do I want my life to look like in 5 years?

4

Make a plan to achieve your goal.

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Break your goal down into simple steps. You’re not going to become a successful artist overnightthat’s why it’s a goal! But you can set aside a few minutes each day to practiceor look into classes to improve your skills. Think of what you can do right now to move toward your goaland then what you can do after thatand after that—before you know ityou’ve got a roadmap!^{[5]
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Kari Samuels
Intuitive Counselor & Happiness Coach

Expert Interview}
- Making a life plan helps make your bigger goals much more approachablewhich makes you more likely to follow through on them. Even making a plan for small goals helps kick your mind into problem-solving modegetting you on your feet and feeling better.

Quiz

wikiHow Quiz: What Kind of Reality Check Do I Need?

We all have blind spotsespecially when it comes to the ways we treat others (and ourselves). Unfortunatelyit can be pretty tough to take an objective look at what your own weak points are. We’re here to help. Take this quiz to rip off the Band-aid and see what your blind spots really are.

1 of 12

Pick a sea creature:

Sea turtle

Dolphin

Crab

Cuttlefish

5

Take steps to stick to your plan.

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Hold yourself accountable for following through on your goal. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to practice. Sign up for that class to make it a reality. It’s not enough to simply make a plan—follow that plantoo! Take the first stepand the second and third will follow.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Karuna JainMS
Life Coach & Energy Healer

Expert Interview} Once you get your feet wet and your experience starts buildingyou’ll find that your motivation buildstoo.
- If you canfind a buddy to work toward your goal with. For examplesay hi to someone in your classor recruit a friend to take that walk with you every day. When you’ve got someone depending on youyou’re more likely to follow through.

6

Take stock of your achievements.

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Remind yourself of how far you’ve come already. It’s easy to be down on yourself when all you’re thinking about is what you haven’t done rather than everything you’ve already overcome. Being kind to yourself is vital to feeling content and purposeful.^{[7]
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Research source} Think back on your achievements and make a list of themthen spend some time complimenting yourself for making it so far.
- Your achievements don’t have to be grand. Even achievements you think are smalllike landing a job or finding an apartment—even just living as long as you have—are meaningful and important.
- To help you identify your accomplishmentsask yourself: What makes me feel satisfied? What am I most proud of?

7

Think of what you’re grateful for.

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Keep a gratitude journal to focus on the good things in your life. Making a conscious effort to be more grateful for the positives in your life is a proven way to boost your long-term mood.^{[8]
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Research source} And it’s easy to do—start by writing down everything around you that you’re grateful for: your homeyour friendsyour next meal. Orat the end of each day keep a gratitude journal where you write down everything that happened to you that day that you’re grateful forand why.
- For examplea journal entry might read: “Today I saw a bird I’d never seen before and stopped to admire it. I’m glad there are such interesting animals all around me to enjoy.”
- To help get your imagination goingask: Who’s been kind to me recently? What’s made me smile? What makes life easier for me?

8

Help other people.

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Find satisfaction by lending a hand. One powerful and effective way to lead a meaningful life is using your time to connect with and aid other people. You don’t have to start an entire food bank (though you could if you like!)but try volunteering at one for an hour or two each week. Orsign up for a community cleanup daywhere you can meet other people while doing a good deed. Making tangible change with your hands is a great way to feel purposeful.^{[9]
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- Alternatively help feed the homeless by handing out groceries or gift cards to those in need.
- Orask your local old folks’ home if you can come in and talk with the residents. Retirement homes are often grateful for anyone looking to give some carehowever smallto their clientsand the residents will appreciate a listening ear.

9

Take a break from social media.

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Avoid comparing yourself to others online. Social media tends to show you the best parts of other people’s liveswhich can leave you feeling crummy about your own.^{[10]
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Research source} Onlineit’s easier to forget that everyone else struggles with direction and other mental health troubles from time to time. Take a social media break by logging off of InstagramTwitteror any other accounts for at least a week.
- After a weekask yourself if your short-term cleanse helped you feel any better. If it diddo it again for another weekor consider an indefinite break.
- Distract yourself from checking your socials by redirecting your thoughts. Any time you feel the urge to log ongo for a quick walk around the blockmake a cup of tealie down for a whileor even open your photos app and reminisce on your own fond memoriesinstead.^{[11]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Christina StathopoulosPCCACCC
  Certified Leadership & Life Coach
  
  Expert Interview}

10

Travel to someplace new.

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Go somewhere you’ve never been to experience new perspectives. Sometimes all you need is to expand your mind a little in order to see your possibilities. Travel is one of the best ways to do that.^{[12]
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Research source} If you canvisit an unfamiliar country— travel solo to have a realindependent encounter with other ways of life. You’ll find that life holds more for you than you thought it could.
- If you don’t have the means for long-distance traveltake a day trip to a state parkor even spend a few hours in the next city over. Lives are led in all sorts of waysall over the placeand you don’t have to go far to encounter them.

11

Start an exercise routine.

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Exercise regularly to feel better physically and mentally. Exercising releases chemicals in the brain thatin a nutshelltell it to stop being so down on itself and boost your mood. A little exercisethengoes a long way to helping you feel better about yourself. You don’t need to aim for weight loss or muscle gain—the only goal you need is to get on your feet.^{[13]
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Trustworthy Source

HelpGuide
Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing freeevidence-based mental health and wellness resources.

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- Shoot for 30 minutes of physical activity most dayswhether that’s a runa bike rideor just a walk through the park.
- Consider joining a club sports teamor even playing an active videogame that gets you moving—rhythm and dance games are great for those looking for a fun way to break a sweat.

12

Get a pet.

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Take care of an animal to help you take care of yourself. It’s true that pets are a big commitment and a hefty responsibility. Sometimes thoughthat sort of commitment and responsibility are just what you need to feel like you’re doing something worthwhile. What’s morecertain petslike dogscan help you get outside and meet new peoplewhich boosts your mood.^{[14]
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Trustworthy Source

HelpGuide
Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing freeevidence-based mental health and wellness resources.

Go to source}
- If you’d rather not sign up for the life change that comes with a dog or a catgo for something smallerlike caring for a fish or a hamster. These are hugely rewarding pets that don’t require too much maintenance.
- Orif you’d rather skip the commitment volunteer at an animal shelter. Taking care of animals in need and helping them find homes is a worthy undertakingand a great use of your time.
- Want more help finding direction in your life? Check out what wikiHow users have to say on our I don't know what to do with my life forum.

13

See a therapist.

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Sometimes it takes an educatedprofessional perspective to make sense of our own lives or untangle our feelings.^{[15]
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Trustworthy Source

HelpGuide
Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing freeevidence-based mental health and wellness resources.

Go to source} There’s no shame in that! Talk to a therapist or a psychologist to chat about your mental health and explore your possibilities. Tell them that you’re feeling a bit directionless. They’ll help you determine what you want out of your lifeand offer some specificpersonalized ways to start pursuing it.