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I'm 67 years old, and I'm _still_ trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up! So far, I've been more successful figuring out what I _don't_ want to be and do than what I _do_ want to be and do.
A pivotal moment in my life was having a choice between two jobs, one which required me to gain a large number of skills at a shallow level and one which required the candidate to become an expert in a narrow field. Asking myself if I was more engaged in my work life going broad or deep was the pivotal question.
Actually, the scepter says "I have the power and resources to exploit third world nations and steal THEIR wealth that THEY dug out of the ground". The real diamond in the real scepter was stolen from India, by our UK Royalty. It's still (rightly) controversial....
I'm 44 and my driven passion for a subject or profession, and the income required to power it (training, university etc) have never intersected. I feel like the absolute definition of the jack of all trades, master of none. I have late diagnosed anxiety issues, along with long diagnosed depression, and it is incredibly difficult to feel like I'll ever make a difference anywhere at all. I have many interests, but none that feel like I could use them to drag myself or my family out of the mire we're in. It feels like every clod of dirt I've used to hoist myself higher has buried me ever deeper after a short moment of elation (we've endured much tragedy in a relatively short period of time). At the same time, I realise, we're not unique. This happens all the time, over and over.
@@Tardisntimbits, I think I can sympathize! I, too, have been diagnosed with both anxiety _and_ depression. That was _after_ finishing a BA in History, a MS in Studies of the Future, and working toward a PhD in Sociology for twelve years. I worked as hard and diligently as I could to complete my PhD work, but couldn't get across the dissertation finish line. And the real kicker to all of this was that got a diagnosis of _NARCOLEPSY!_ at age 64. Typically, one learns they've been narcoleptic by the early to mid thirties. Can you say, "Boot to the head!" ? To top it all off, my current physician had me tested for ADHD back in Fall, 2022. Learning I had ADHD at age 65 would have been a _REAL_ kick in the testicles!
Watching Adam really pause and think before he speaks is so incredibly refreshing. It's so nice to see someone who actually cares about what comes out of their mouth.
Yeah, that's one thing I love about these Q&A sessions. He gives every question the weight it deserves and acknowledges the fact that he has a lot of influence over people as a respected figure, so makes sure he's not going to give advice that could be easily misconstrued.
I find that the people that say they don't know what to do with their life really are suffering from a quiet kind of depression. The best thing for these kind of people in my experience, and I used to be one of them, is to do anything. If you have no idea what you want to do in your life, what it means is you are aimless and youre driveless. The answer to this is to stop being in your head all the time and start being in your body. Just get outside and start doing things. It doesn't matter what it is, just start doing something. Help a neighbor, build something, plant a tree. You need experiences outside of your own body and in the service of others. That is what led me to what I'm doing. And I've never been happier and more driven and purposeful.
100% Agree. I am one of these, and getting physical is the way to go. Never get an office job - sitting at a desk is the worst thing you can do. And take care of your body, so you can remain active throughout your life.
I agree with being active and getting out of one's mind. My problem now is 20 years later after a severe head injury I'm struggling with so many aspects and just last week realized my vision problem is probably from early onset dementia from the head injury/concussions. This has been a crazy time for me but i have been moving towards going into doing artwork rather than being driven from manufacturing or building projects as these have become difficult to do. And after recently losing my job which wasn't healthy i also realize i need an active job even if the pay is less as i need to lose about a #120 pounds!
@@ChoppersModelworks Wish you all the best man! Ik severe head injuries can be awful as my dad just passed away from one but thee fact that you're thining this constructively means that you'll be good one way or another. :D
Great advice. I would only add that while you're figuring out what you want to do, do SOMETHING, engage with the world. It is way too easy for some of us to slip into a mode of self-doubt, withdrawal, and paralysis.
came into the comments to say this! learning who you are, what you want, and what you want to do, it comes one step at a time as we interact with the world. and hell, you can get that interaction in a million ways. even doomscrolling *can* be a source of engagement as long as you maintain an outlet for the feelings it brings up in you. but I would also want to say to this person, don't worry! relativistically, you're *never* as stuck as you may feel. the universe is always moving you without you realizing it. and so, experience will come without you having to work too hard for it. you don't need to run yourself into the ground trying to find "inspiration". it will come as you live and learn.
Living is the only way to figure out what you want to do. I am happy with where i am in life, but if you'd have told teenage me what i would be doing now, i would not have believed you. But i strongly suspect i ended up where i am, because this is where my talents, intellect, and world view led me to. Wasn't easy, and it took far longer than maybe it should have, but it worked in the end. Plus, all the life experiences i had, also helped me to mature and find things out about myself. Even if it was a negative experience. One thing i would add, is ALWAYS do everything full ass, not half ass. Sure, working as a barrista might not be your life long passion. But you should do it to the best of your ability, and try to learn things from that crap job. Even if it's nothing more than "i never want to work a customer facing job again." ^-^
You probably can't divorce those two things. As a maker, you have to understand the thing you're making in the context of the/its world. Philosphy helps with that understanding.
This is a very serious question. In Holland we say:"Rest rusts". And that is it. Exactly. It's ok to ask other people, but it is YOUR problem. And you won't solve it by sitting round. Move. Móve. The movement of your body moves the mind. I got my best ideas during a walk. Just walk. And let you mind go free. Adam's advice is great, but ultimately it is you that has to make that decision. So move!
... here in the US, it would be: "A rolling stone gathers no moss," which I do believe is a myth/proverb that both Adam Savage and our resident folk-hero Bob Dylan are well acquainted with.
I like that he said “if you told me this in person…. And then asked for advice!” Clarifying that he would wait until you asked for advice to give it. That listening to and validating someone’s thoughts is so important
Adam and his book have made me believe that my love and OBSESSION with photography is something to be embraced and enjoyed, not left and forgotten. There’s only a few people I’ve seen/followed online who actually had a positive impact on my creative experience but Adam Savage has been massively influential in the most positive way. Thanks, Adam. Thanks to the whole Tested team.
Thank you Adam, from the bottom of my heart. I'm 30 years old and I currently found out I've had a congenital vertebral fusion that is causing my quite a bit of pain and is affecting my mobility. I went from being a full time farm manager, to now being unable to carry on that work which I've been doing for the past 10 years or so. Its been tough sitting at home, but my woodshop has absolutely kept me sane. I don't know what the future holds, but for now I know I'm going to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and will continue to fight to keep the ability to pursue my passions. So often in life we are led to believe that we need to hurry in our decisions, and we need to get to the end goal right away. I've come to learn that the process is the adventure. Keep moving forward, even if its one step at a time. To everyone else having a tough time, hang in there, and have a great weekend!
This video popping up is definitely proof of concept that the phone listens to us. I’m 45 and I’ve been going through a tough time mentally. I guess you can call it a midlife crisis, and this video was right on time in terms of needing to hear somebody with a non-judgmental tone and affect giving a very nuanced approach to discussing this particular issue. THANK YOU 🙏🏾
So often when I draw I don't start with a specific idea, I just start working and allow it to develop on its own. Some of my best pieces have evolved that way. And that's exactly what it is. The traits or aspects I like, I keep and the ones I don't are discarded.
I'm 52 and have lost my job. I don't know what my next step is going to be. Job hunting at this time of year is terrible for a full time job. I'll get there.
"The sword and the scepter are the same object at different scales" Yes. Yes. Yes. Fuck yes. Exactly the correct conclusion to come to when confronted with these two objects!
I’ll chime in on this one because I feel like I’ve “struggled” with similar questions for all of my 65 years. I say variety is a great place to begin.. consider what Adam has mentioned and explore a number of different pursuits along the lines of what trips your trigger(s). Try things and fail.. and yes, you will fail at some of them, but in trying, you will discover a great deal about yourself and you’ll be surprised at what you learn about life, work, and yourself.
Thank you for a terrific answer, Adam. When I was ten, I read Madeleine L'Engel's book "A Wrinkle In Time." It opened my eyes to family, love, science, magic, computers, space travel, time travel, Science and science fiction, and so much more. . My Dad gave me my first instrument, a bartone Ukelele(which I still have). My passions in life are computers (technology) and music. I worked many jobs and had many adventures and finally, thirty years ago found my footing. I am a computer consultant and a musician for more than thirty years now. Find your passion and work toward that goal. Don't settle! I am 72 and have no reason or desire to retire. I love whatI do and I do what I love. 💙🌻🌟🌻💙
When i was in high school. Back in the dark ages. A teacher asked us what our dream home would look like. It would be full of bronze sculptures said I. Most of the kids laughed. I think becaues i also said the roof would be able to roll open. When i turned 50 i went to work for a company that makes bases for bronze sculpters. It just happened ,no though to it. I do have lots of that kind of work in my house now. Not live size unless you are taking about a mouse. It just goes to show if you think you might like it. You can do it. Sort of.
I would add, while all this is going on, if you don’t know what to do with your life, give it away. Being of service in whichever was you feel drawn to is an excellent way to feel satisfied with your life. I have done this mostly between jobs while unemployed and you often make connections that can lead to paid employment.
@@durangodaveI dislike the entire concept of "talent". It says that if you're good at something, it's only because you have some inherent "talent" that you're born with. I don't think I have any talents. But I do have a lot of skills. If you're interested in something, you practice it, and you become skilled at it. Most people probably have at least one thing that they're skilled at. No talents required.
For a very long time I didn't know what I wanted to do. My mother (rest her soul) was quite the disciplinarian. I know she meant well, but most of her decisions weren't supportive of the things I wanted out of life. I knew I wanted to do something in film making. Long story short, after inheriting responsibilities and a family of my own, I had even less time to dedicate to myself, much less my ambitions. My advice is run, don't walk towards the things you're certain you want to accomplish. Make room to pursue those desires with every ounce of determination. The longer you wait, the less likely you are to stay passionate.
Find someone you admire and figure out what they do that makes you admire them. Not necessarily exactly what they do, but the way they do it. That can help decide where to go in life - and how.
"... it makes me feel protective of you." Yes. That's who you are, Adam. You are protective of those who you can see need protection. That to me is noble, in the finest and fullest meaning of that word and that concept.
..And not coincidentally, I would really, really like to buy one of the T-shirts you're been wearing in this latest series of answers to questions. The words Empathy, Kindness and Respect, in gray against that black background is a logo and a mantra I'd be very pleased to wear and promote. Let me know if and when it becomes available.
Especially for guys, this can be one of the most difficult questions to answer for oneself. Some helpful questions we can ask ourselves are: Whom do you want to serve? What problem do you want to solve? What would you do for free if money wasn’t a concern? I’m sure that there are others, but these are some of the key questions that I have asked others who are searching. This is a process, some people find their answers quickly and others may take decades. Me? I’ve found many things that I don’t care for and a few that I do. I’m still a work in progress.
But it assumes there is anything that continually engages your mind. Though I suppose the completely unengaged aren't going to pose the question in the first place.
Figure out what you enjoy and find out what you’re good at. If there is some overlap, you’re set. If you can’t make a career out of what you enjoy, find something you’re good at so you can make enough money to do what you enjoy in your free time. For example, I absolutely love golf. Even if I took lessons for 5 years and trained, I could never be a pro golfer (like a tour player). It’s part of why I enjoy it so much. Because I will always have something to work upon and improve. What I’m good at is really boring analytical stuff, which pays the bills.
I knew at 16 that I’m good at explaining things and I know a lot of stuff and I like learning about the world and why things are the way they are. So I became a teacher, after 30 years I still love it.
Only 1:23 in, I’m sobbing watching this. Needed to hear this one. I have a decent job but I don’t know what I’m doing. Where I’m headed. Scared to get there alone. It’s so refreshing how real you responded to this one
Just wished to thank Adam, his previous show and these YT videos have thought me much of fabricating. And this advice really rings true - I disliked lack of efficiency everywhere around me since I had started working as an interior and graphic designer. Now I am a production (assembly) planner, which is exactly the sort of problem solving I feel comfortable at.
Dabble in everything until you find your passion and then embrace your passion. If your passion can align with a financial support system, that's fantastic - but there's nothing wrong with simply working a job to support your passion outside of work. The important thing is to find, embrace, and pursue your passion. Additionally, allow your passions to evolve or change entirely. We go through life constantly growing and who we are ten years from now will be vastly different than who we are now. Don't mourn the loss of yesterday's passion, appreciate that it was there and continue exploring the world - there's so much to see and do and never enough lifetimes to experience it all!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic. This past year, this question has been popping up in my mind frequently and I've been trying to answer it for myself. I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere and I'm taking small steps in the right direction!
Thank You, Adam. Since your Imposter Syndrome video, I have been working on my sense of Chasing Wonder to find my purpose. Your zen when addressing these life matters is monumental to many, know that you make people's lives better for every great and small reason. Namaste~ 🙏🕉️
Love this and thank you both for sharing! There’s bumps in the road of life, for me to survive I have to stay positive and find happiness. I do read the Bible and attend church and that pushes me to be creative. I graduated from high school and in a few days I started working for the local pottery where I was drawing, making, building and fixing. I had always been creative as a child and all of that ended when the pottery closed. I live between Youngstown Ohio and East Liverpool Ohio where industry is always disappearing and crime is growing and we have a far amount of gloomy weather. So I was now struggling to find good employment and I just decided to get back to being creative which makes me happy. So I started to look for space to make, build and create. Now I have a garage, I have a long bed pickup truck to haul materials and I have a job I enjoy better, it’s not a creative job. It’s organizing, inventory, material handling, receiving and shipping. In my garage I do all picture painting, picture framing, I’ve built cat trees, drawer dividers, yard decorations, wired lamps, refinished furniture, bandsaw projects and hopefully soon pottery. I may have lost you with my words (ADHD) but my example and point is do whatever makes you feel good!
I had a point in my life when I had nothing that felt mine, & within 6 months I was married, so I needed a house, and a job to pay for it, & I was very happy to have a boring job & a small house for a while so that I could live the married life. Having something to ground the other elements might feel restrictive, but necessity is the mother of invention.
So what I think I heard him say was: "start exploring when you don't know what to do" and I would agree. In the first minute of this video I realized I can consider my time in school a sort of preservation of my view of the workplace environment and how I've stayed out of the bad jobs. Instead of trying to show off about it, I can choose not to worry about what job I might get, but know that I need to make my best judgement and go forward because I'll eventually find something I like.
I recently did something "with my life", just a side project, ... I built a portable cabin out of panels that stack up in my car and set up at my campsite. By the way, I also worked as a Civil Engineer ... I had tossed around (and shelved) this idea for many years but last Winter I finally built the panels and finished the (portable) cabin. I could not find anything very close to this idea on the internet, though I have no doubt that many 1000s of people have also had this similar idea. Besides having experiences, tools and space to try it out, the extra motivations that compelled me to go through with it were that I could share what I came up with and see how others run with the idea, I was curious how to make TH-cam videos and experience "the algorithm", and maybe I could make some money selling plans for people to make their own portable, car camping cabin.
This is an excellent idea you have discovered, you should definitely proceed with this plan. I know many people will be interested in having a portable cabin of their own.
Adam talks about it as a "point of view", which is valuable. I see it as an examination of your values. It's not an easy thing to do, because so many of us give lip service to the things we reflexively say are valuable, but may not be. I became an engineer and data scientist because I dislike deluding myself and believing things that are not true/accurate. It's been something that's driven me since I was very young. I'd start with the things that are your real, honest center. And build from that. Are you focused on knowledge? Beauty? Service? Justice? Order? Freedom? Building a greater society? Individualism? Moral truths? Really, REALLY knowing these things about yourself prunes branches very quickly and efficiently. But you have to be exceptionally honest with yourself.
@@alaskansummertime I know what you mean. I just can't talk to anyone who doesn't perform surgery. But, I consider picking your own nose surgery, so...
what helped me feel unstuck was to travel around the world and see what other people are doing with their lives. theres so much out there, from cattle herder, to bitcoin trader, to muay thai fighter and to antique collector and seller and many in between. i met people who made a good living out of travelling and giving other people haircuts!
I answer this question with “the 3 circles”. The circles are arranged in a Venn diagram where they overlap each other. One circle is “things you like to do”, another circle is “things you are good at”, and the last circle is “things that pay you enough to live the lifestyle you want to live”. Think through possibilities and put them in the diagram. Then pursue whatever items fit in the place where all 3 things overlap. This is most useful to prevent you chasing things that won’t work for you. For example don’t pursue what you like and are good at if it doesn’t pay what you need to make. Don’t pursue things that pay well that you don’t like. Don’t pursue things you like but aren’t any good at (I like singing - but I’m no good at it), etc.
And if some things land in a spot where two of the three circles overlap, but you're having trouble finding ideas to go in that middle sweet spot, maybe look into offshoots of the things that meet 2/3 of the criteria? There may be something perfect that you just haven't heard of or considered yet. Or a specific related need you could fill, even if it doesn't have a job title yet.
When I was young, I was terrified of having to pick what my career would be, since I had so many varied interests.. One day, a very wise person told me "Just because you pick one thing, it doesn't mean you have to give up the rest." My mind was blown! Most people have three or four different careers during their life. Find something interesting, but don't worry about it not working out since you can try something else!
This resonates with me in a deep way, because I recognize something of a process here: To wit, when you are poised to create, when you ask that first question " what do I want to be/ to do/ to have etc?"--then you ask the SECOND question: What wants to come out? Not what YOU want to come out, but whatever thing/stuff/aspect that is waiting inside wants to come out? Because that aspect is a deeper part of you, very often hidden so far down that it feels unrecognizable, but it is still an HONEST part of the self. And you open the door for it, to let it loose and it comes out into the world to show you what YOU want. And your heart and your hands follow those cues and bring into the real that thing that dwells inside. It's almost an unconscious thing ( because it comes from the unconscious) so it's not so much a cognitive direction as a feeling......and a feeling that, the longer it stays out, the greater the recognition you gain of it because it coalesces its meaning in front of you.
This is excellent advice! As someone who is really struggling with know what to do with my life, I appreciate any advice I can get. It is such a unique endeavour for everyone so it is difficult to find helpful advice.
Love your perspective. I enjoy my job but consider myself to be a designer. I built a forge and started blacksmithing about 25 years ago, eventually teaching the Metalworking Merit Badge to Boy Scouts. I started working more w/ nonferrous metals - copper, aluminum & brass and especially got into Christmas Ornaments. Developing a prototype by Thanksgiving and about 20 ornaments by Christmas, I would always get 2 or 3 that fully realized my concept; archetypes that revealed the truth. I believe that they reveal the relationship between the Spiritual and the Physical. There are some things you must do whether you get paid or not.
Love hearing your philosophy of life. What we see and experience is a mirror of who we are. Finding yourself is finding the meaning in what we see. That SSdraws asks the question at all is the beginning of the journey, and Adam's reply was great...pure and honest. The point of life is to express yourself. That expression is called Art. And it's also about trying something new every day. And sometimes that takes courage, to go outside of just thinking of yourself to thinking of things greater than yourself. If the sky inspires you, reach for the sky, if the ocean inspires you, dive into the sea. If the moon inspires you, go to the moon. Just go and express what comes naturally. Also Adam I'll guess you're a Sagittarius.
This one hits home for me personally as I’ve often drifted existentially through life.. my 2 cents and what it all boils down to for me: what is my intention? What driving factor (however small it may be) does my mind subtly point towards. Hold it softy - if you think on it too hard it will evade you. You might spin a web that might not be yours. Meditation is very important personally as it helps to stand back and look at impulsive “should’s” and helps you observe the roots of thoughts. Life is felt through the mind AND the body too. What gives you goosebumps? What arouses a sense of awe/inspiration in your chest/stomach? As Adam said, what irritates you? What makes you want to tell someone? Once you hold that question “what is my intention” softly, get out of your head into your body, and get out into the world.. you’ll create some intuition.
That was one of the most impressive answers to this sort of question I've seen. Thanks to the person who asked for triggering that, and I hope they appreciate the gold nugget that they just got from the master here.
I was talking about this with a family friend before they passed away and they said that underneath everything I was saying, they heard a desire to be in a position where I'm in control of my situation because it sounded like I felt powerless over my own life. I try to show my creative output to people but they just don't take it seriously and that can be the most frustrating thing in the world.
I was laid off from a job after four years. I've had the same career for most of my life. The last couple of years I realized that I no longer enjoyed what I was doing. I feel that being laid off was fate's way of telling me to move on. Now, I need to figure out just what it is that I want to do for a living...
I feel you friend. Laid off after 6 years. Jobless for 3, then I found part time work in a college makerspace and it felt like a dream, but in between shifts i lose hope that anything like it exists on the outside. Good luck to you and may we both find where we belong!
I spent a whole year thinking about what I wanted to do with my life after leaving my last job. It didn't work out. So, I started making stuff. I read, I wrote, I drew, I designed until something came to me. Now I'm trying to become an app designer, it's hard, but I know I'm getting there. Make stuff until something sticks on the wall. Love you, Adam.
It seems to me that finding something that you are passionate about and pursuing it would be the most fulfilling path of life. The lucky ones finds their passions early, others may take a long time and some will never find them.
I do not believe you can answer that question for yourself without first experiencing severe boredom. I did not find that answer until I was 40, then it took time to get my life where it felt like me. Good luck, it is a process for sure.
After being stymied by the lack of help getting a Masters in Education (History) without needing to take out a crapton of student loans, my dad helped me take a bunch of exams for city jobs, like subway conductor, paralegal (my history BA counted!) and a few other things. I’ve been working as a Paralegal for about 15 years now. I do regret passing on the subway conductor job (I was already working the Paralegal job) but I guess being indoors in an office is slightly better. Maybe…
Something to consider, is that people tend to need both mental exercise and physical exercise. We need socialization as well as creative outlets. All too often, we neglect one for the other because one is just more natural to us. I would suggest that keeping all in mind when you choose what you want to do for hobbies, and what you want to do for a career, might be a helpful way to maintain a balanced life. Have a creative and stimulating outlet, and have something that keeps you physically healthy. You can also look to find ways to overlap, like walking and brainstorming with a recorder, or hiking to places to do landscape drawings/paintings. But if your job is at a desk, try to find enjoyable hobbies that get you exercise.
SSDraws: Lots of people don’t know what they want to do with their life until they’re much older. I’m guessing you’re young, which I relate to in some ways…I was lucky; I figured out at 22 that I didn’t actually want to major in religious studies - I wanted to major in Drawing, and become an exhibiting artist. Six years later, I’m now emerging as a fine artist, though I’m still finishing up school. But my plans had to change numerous times for me to get where I am today, and they’re still changing. Point being: you may figure out tomorrow what you want to do. You may figure out in thirty years. And that’s OKAY. Adam’s advice stands so well: figure out what you value, what you love, what drives you. And then engage with it. I hope all of the advice from Adam and us here in the comments can help. I’m probably just shouting into the void and you won’t ever see this, but…hopefully somebody will. And hopefully it helps.
I was lucky seeing Rescue 8 reruns, I knew instantly what I wanted to do with my life. I have several friends who never did and a couple who just settled
I am at a junction in my life where Im not sure what is coming next. I am now 61 years old, have worked hard my entire life and I am now tired and no longer have the ability to force myself to punch a timeclock for a job I cant stand. I may live for a very long time. Many of my family have lived into their late 90s and even early 100's. On the other hand a nearly equal number of family have succumbed to cancer after the age of 50. I am in excellent health, proper weight for my height and all that. No medications, I havent seen a doctor in more than a decade and plan to keep it that way. Part of me does not want to linger on as a retiree year after year slowly getting more frail as I approach my 90s. Prior to this I lived my whole life with a plan or some goal in mind that I was working towards. All my goals are either done or I dont care anymore. I dont know what Im going to do. Im single, I live alone, my children are grown and likely to never marry and have any grandkids. Im bored as F*ck and dont know what to do. When I was young I wanted to travel and see the world. Now that Im getting old, all I want to do is sit and watch others do it for me.
For me, learning from and about other people and things helped me learn more about myself. Do you like to create, do you like to help others, work with your hands, challenge yourself, learn just to learn, etc. Once you chisel away at yourself and find more of your core values, it becomes easier to answer that question. It doesn’t always have to be “what do I want to do,” but also “how do I want to live”. Simon Senek’s Infinite Game is a good read to help with that question of purpose that I highly recommend.
30 year It veteran and commercial machine learning engineer here. Fell into it. Only thing certain is 6 x 7 = 42 and change is enevitable. What you are now will not be what you are in 10 years time. Live in the moment.
39 years old, worked in security all my life. Now have to work from home due to a disability but previous work doesn’t allow. Now i need to switch my whole profession.
Hey Adam, you flew a lot in Mythbusters. The lawn chair in the pilots, a blue angels FA 18 and the dragon lady to name a few. Can you describe those experiences and can you talk more about the dragon lady. I still tear up watching you in low orbit space because that was such a huge moment and you were clearly affected by it. Thx!
Just go out and start doing *something * instead of watching TV or any free time activity that doesn't involve using your brain, pick up an instrument or practice card tricks or something instead. That helped me a lot. Just to start spending my time saying "hey at least I'm developing a skill"
I would suggest to write out your day in detail then, also what you think about and then review where you spend your time. Maybe you don't spend a lot of time thinking about something but maybe there's something you spend a lot of time doing. You watch TH-cam videos for instance, could you be interested in marketing or editing or production, etc
I call this the filter method. You should write a list of things that other people say you are good at doing and be as exhaustive as possible. Thirty items on the list is a good start but if you can think of more, please keep going. Order it from most complements to least complements. Now take the top two thirds and re-order them into a second list according to how enjoyable they are to do. To find a potential career path, take the top third from the second list and make a third list in order of compensation. This way, you can be sure it is something you are good at, enjoy doing, and can be reasonably compensated for. Go in peace and may you find prosperity.
I've always had a fear of doing the things i love professionally. I've been fairly well convinced it would suck all of the joy out of it and just turn it into an obligation and a slog. Adam has me thinking, maybe I've been wrong.
Be careful doing what you love for work, because you may turn what you love into work.... ( I can't remember who I heard that from, certainly not my original idea.) I've suffered from that- working on things that I care about and put my heart in to, and had the end result pushed (by business concerns, budgets, and just plain bad management) into bad endings that were painfully frustrating and that I was embarrassed to have been associated with. There is something to having a crap job you don't care about, that just pays the bills, and keeping what you care about separate. When what you care about and what pays the bills align it can be wonderful, that whole "do what you love!" meme can be good advice. But damn it can be painful when that train goes off the tracks.
I went to college for engineering, but I work in a field complete unrelated. I'm in education and work specifically with kids that have special needs and behavioral needs. It's okay to try something, find out it's not for you, and reevaluate the direction you want your life to go in.
My old fire chief once told me something that stuck with me. "If you do something that you love, that's good. If you do something and do it well, that's good. If you do something you love and you do it well, that's GREAT." Find that something.
I think Adam's response is great. The other angle I would mention is that the idea of choosing what to do with your life is kind of a myth. You might find something you want to do, but if there aren't people who need that thing bad enough to pay for it, you're not going to make any money doing it. There aren't enough movies for everyone who likes acting to be a professional actor. There aren't enough concert goers to make every singer a rock star. Even more mundane jobs like mail carriers and park rangers can be surprisingly competitive. You have to take the opportunities that are actually available to you. I think if someone had told me that when I was 17/18, instead of the "You can be ANYTHING! Follow your dreams no matter what!" that I actually got, I could have been a lot happier and more successful in my 20s.
What do want to do with your life? Professionally? Try everything, within reason, and note what makes you happy. Keep the stuff that makes you happy, change the stuff that dosen’t until there is more happy and less unhappy. That is litterally how everyone does it. Some people have a better sense of direction than others but that doesn’t matter. Some people find the answers right away, others take a life time to sort it out. That doesn’t matter, either. There is a lot of opportunity to learn about yourself while you try everything. That is what ultimately leads to what makes you happy, knowing yourself.
I’m in a similar position, shop’s about to close in a few weeks, bankruptcy. The inevitability of it is what’s eating at me. Gotta think of something to support myself and wife.
I think one thing I have heard a lot when someone doesn't know what to do is to just go out and travel and experience the world. See how people live, eat, love, speak.... This will then give you some perspective and make you understand yourself better. Go find yourself!
As a Mechanical Engineer, the people who go into Civil Engineering have a deep need to be a CE, because you need to be able to carry the weight that if you get things wrong, people will likely get hurt or worse, potentially a lot of people. As an ME, my designs also have the potential to hurt people if I'm not careful, but it's at most a half dozen people at risk at any one time, and peer reviewing generally catches risky situations. A CE needs to be able to sign off on something that could potentially be around for years if not decades and have hundreds to tens of thousands of people interacting every day.
I find the question about what I enjoy is not easy to answer. I'm not sure if I even have something that I like to do purely for myself. Meaning, if nobody on earth would know about it (so I'd have no impact on other doing it) would I still do the thing? I don't know. If I'm honest with myself I do many things also because I want to be seen and be considered good at it. And one could say that's fine (and it's not JUST about that), but that makes you dependant on how your "audience" sees you. And that's outside of ones's control. I'm rambling. But an interesting topic I think.
Good Question, And the simple answer really is, very very few people have the rare gift's of being super clever, able to be able to make or design stuff or turn their hands to producing amazing items Like good Adam Savage Here does have that rare gifts to do. The rest of us are unable to do anything like those things and unlike the lucky few are stuck in terrible over worked under paid stressful jobs which we never get out off? The lucky few with the super minds and abilities we don't have they enjoy the freedom of tons of time and money and can do the jobs they love. That is the sad fact of being human, only 00.1% of us are gifted a great life where they can enjoy their jobs and life. the rest of us can't no matter the amount we wish to?
I’m trying to figure out what to do in the next part of my life too. What is productive, helps other people, is impressive, and doesn’t take up all of my time or limits my ability to travel? Those are my requirements, and my expenses are low and I’m without debts, so making a lot of a little bit of money isn’t too big of a deal.
How do -- or did -- YOU approach understanding your OWN next steps in life?
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I'm 67 years old, and I'm _still_ trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up! So far, I've been more successful figuring out what I _don't_ want to be and do than what I _do_ want to be and do.
A pivotal moment in my life was having a choice between two jobs, one which required me to gain a large number of skills at a shallow level and one which required the candidate to become an expert in a narrow field. Asking myself if I was more engaged in my work life going broad or deep was the pivotal question.
Actually, the scepter says "I have the power and resources to exploit third world nations and steal THEIR wealth that THEY dug out of the ground". The real diamond in the real scepter was stolen from India, by our UK Royalty. It's still (rightly) controversial....
I'm 44 and my driven passion for a subject or profession, and the income required to power it (training, university etc) have never intersected. I feel like the absolute definition of the jack of all trades, master of none. I have late diagnosed anxiety issues, along with long diagnosed depression, and it is incredibly difficult to feel like I'll ever make a difference anywhere at all. I have many interests, but none that feel like I could use them to drag myself or my family out of the mire we're in. It feels like every clod of dirt I've used to hoist myself higher has buried me ever deeper after a short moment of elation (we've endured much tragedy in a relatively short period of time). At the same time, I realise, we're not unique. This happens all the time, over and over.
@@Tardisntimbits, I think I can sympathize! I, too, have been diagnosed with both anxiety _and_ depression. That was _after_ finishing a BA in History, a MS in Studies of the Future, and working toward a PhD in Sociology for twelve years. I worked as hard and diligently as I could to complete my PhD work, but couldn't get across the dissertation finish line. And the real kicker to all of this was that got a diagnosis of _NARCOLEPSY!_ at age 64. Typically, one learns they've been narcoleptic by the early to mid thirties. Can you say, "Boot to the head!" ?
To top it all off, my current physician had me tested for ADHD back in Fall, 2022. Learning I had ADHD at age 65 would have been a _REAL_ kick in the testicles!
Watching Adam really pause and think before he speaks is so incredibly refreshing. It's so nice to see someone who actually cares about what comes out of their mouth.
Adam is an enrichment for our minds and our lives. There are definitely too few people like him.
Yeah, that's one thing I love about these Q&A sessions. He gives every question the weight it deserves and acknowledges the fact that he has a lot of influence over people as a respected figure, so makes sure he's not going to give advice that could be easily misconstrued.
I find that the people that say they don't know what to do with their life really are suffering from a quiet kind of depression. The best thing for these kind of people in my experience, and I used to be one of them, is to do anything.
If you have no idea what you want to do in your life, what it means is you are aimless and youre driveless.
The answer to this is to stop being in your head all the time and start being in your body. Just get outside and start doing things. It doesn't matter what it is, just start doing something. Help a neighbor, build something, plant a tree. You need experiences outside of your own body and in the service of others. That is what led me to what I'm doing.
And I've never been happier and more driven and purposeful.
It also helps you learn what you don't enjoy doing.
100% Agree. I am one of these, and getting physical is the way to go. Never get an office job - sitting at a desk is the worst thing you can do.
And take care of your body, so you can remain active throughout your life.
I agree with being active and getting out of one's mind. My problem now is 20 years later after a severe head injury I'm struggling with so many aspects and just last week realized my vision problem is probably from early onset dementia from the head injury/concussions. This has been a crazy time for me but i have been moving towards going into doing artwork rather than being driven from manufacturing or building projects as these have become difficult to do. And after recently losing my job which wasn't healthy i also realize i need an active job even if the pay is less as i need to lose about a #120 pounds!
@@ChoppersModelworks Wish you all the best man! Ik severe head injuries can be awful as my dad just passed away from one but thee fact that you're thining this constructively means that you'll be good one way or another. :D
Great advice. I would only add that while you're figuring out what you want to do, do SOMETHING, engage with the world. It is way too easy for some of us to slip into a mode of self-doubt, withdrawal, and paralysis.
That is what I need to do. Thank you.
Analysis Paralysis is the bane of my existence.
came into the comments to say this! learning who you are, what you want, and what you want to do, it comes one step at a time as we interact with the world. and hell, you can get that interaction in a million ways. even doomscrolling *can* be a source of engagement as long as you maintain an outlet for the feelings it brings up in you.
but I would also want to say to this person, don't worry! relativistically, you're *never* as stuck as you may feel. the universe is always moving you without you realizing it. and so, experience will come without you having to work too hard for it. you don't need to run yourself into the ground trying to find "inspiration". it will come as you live and learn.
Living is the only way to figure out what you want to do. I am happy with where i am in life, but if you'd have told teenage me what i would be doing now, i would not have believed you. But i strongly suspect i ended up where i am, because this is where my talents, intellect, and world view led me to.
Wasn't easy, and it took far longer than maybe it should have, but it worked in the end. Plus, all the life experiences i had, also helped me to mature and find things out about myself. Even if it was a negative experience.
One thing i would add, is ALWAYS do everything full ass, not half ass. Sure, working as a barrista might not be your life long passion. But you should do it to the best of your ability, and try to learn things from that crap job. Even if it's nothing more than "i never want to work a customer facing job again." ^-^
The more I watch your videos, the more I find myself thinking of you as a philosopher as well as a maker.
You probably can't divorce those two things. As a maker, you have to understand the thing you're making in the context of the/its world. Philosphy helps with that understanding.
He's a modern-day Renaissance man.
This is a very serious question. In Holland we say:"Rest rusts". And that is it. Exactly. It's ok to ask other people, but it is YOUR problem. And you won't solve it by sitting round. Move. Móve. The movement of your body moves the mind. I got my best ideas during a walk. Just walk. And let you mind go free.
Adam's advice is great, but ultimately it is you that has to make that decision. So move!
Simple but imperative advice
“Rest Rusts” I like that. Kind of like “Motion is Lotion”
... here in the US, it would be: "A rolling stone gathers no moss," which I do believe is a myth/proverb that both Adam Savage and our resident folk-hero Bob Dylan are well acquainted with.
@@maplesugarbush Amusingly, in Japan it's used the opposite way: that patience pays off, to keep working at it (moss is desirable)
@@Call-me-Al that's still assuming activity though
I like that he said “if you told me this in person…. And then asked for advice!” Clarifying that he would wait until you asked for advice to give it. That listening to and validating someone’s thoughts is so important
That's what separates Adam from 99% of youtube . He makes endless content that isn't content.
Adam and his book have made me believe that my love and OBSESSION with photography is something to be embraced and enjoyed, not left and forgotten. There’s only a few people I’ve seen/followed online who actually had a positive impact on my creative experience but Adam Savage has been massively influential in the most positive way. Thanks, Adam. Thanks to the whole Tested team.
Thank you Adam, from the bottom of my heart. I'm 30 years old and I currently found out I've had a congenital vertebral fusion that is causing my quite a bit of pain and is affecting my mobility. I went from being a full time farm manager, to now being unable to carry on that work which I've been doing for the past 10 years or so. Its been tough sitting at home, but my woodshop has absolutely kept me sane. I don't know what the future holds, but for now I know I'm going to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and will continue to fight to keep the ability to pursue my passions. So often in life we are led to believe that we need to hurry in our decisions, and we need to get to the end goal right away. I've come to learn that the process is the adventure. Keep moving forward, even if its one step at a time. To everyone else having a tough time, hang in there, and have a great weekend!
I like keeping my work separate from my hobbies. I don’t want what I love doing to become a chore.
This video popping up is definitely proof of concept that the phone listens to us. I’m 45 and I’ve been going through a tough time mentally. I guess you can call it a midlife crisis, and this video was right on time in terms of needing to hear somebody with a non-judgmental tone and affect giving a very nuanced approach to discussing this particular issue. THANK YOU 🙏🏾
I’m going to be the same age later on this week, and I also am in the same place.
So often when I draw I don't start with a specific idea, I just start working and allow it to develop on its own. Some of my best pieces have evolved that way. And that's exactly what it is. The traits or aspects I like, I keep and the ones I don't are discarded.
I'm 52 years old I am a successful businessman and I still don't know what I want to do with my life
That’s the gross individualism that’s destroying the planet, AND YOU’RE PROUD
I'm 52 and have lost my job. I don't know what my next step is going to be. Job hunting at this time of year is terrible for a full time job.
I'll get there.
@@cycoholicbest of luck. Job hunting is never fun
I hear you I'm 53 I've worked for myself my whole life and I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up
54, self employed, still trying to figure it out
"The sword and the scepter are the same object at different scales"
Yes. Yes. Yes. Fuck yes. Exactly the correct conclusion to come to when confronted with these two objects!
wow, that really struck a chord with you. love it
I’ll chime in on this one because I feel like I’ve “struggled” with similar questions for all of my 65 years. I say variety is a great place to begin.. consider what Adam has mentioned and explore a number of different pursuits along the lines of what trips your trigger(s). Try things and fail.. and yes, you will fail at some of them, but in trying, you will discover a great deal about yourself and you’ll be surprised at what you learn about life, work, and yourself.
Thank you for a terrific answer, Adam. When I was ten, I read Madeleine L'Engel's book "A Wrinkle In Time." It opened my eyes to family, love, science, magic, computers, space travel, time travel, Science and science fiction, and so much more. . My Dad gave me my first instrument, a bartone Ukelele(which I still have). My passions in life are computers (technology) and music. I worked many jobs and had many adventures and finally, thirty years ago found my footing. I am a computer consultant and a musician for more than thirty years now. Find your passion and work toward that goal.
Don't settle! I am 72 and have no reason or desire to retire. I love whatI do and I do what I love. 💙🌻🌟🌻💙
When i was in high school. Back in the dark ages. A teacher asked us what our dream home would look like. It would be full of bronze sculptures said I. Most of the kids laughed. I think becaues i also said the roof would be able to roll open.
When i turned 50 i went to work for a company that makes bases for bronze sculpters. It just happened ,no though to it. I do have lots of that kind of work in my house now. Not live size unless you are taking about a mouse.
It just goes to show if you think you might like it. You can do it. Sort of.
I would add, while all this is going on, if you don’t know what to do with your life, give it away. Being of service in whichever was you feel drawn to is an excellent way to feel satisfied with your life. I have done this mostly between jobs while unemployed and you often make connections that can lead to paid employment.
Indulging and nurturing your creative side is so important mental well being and increases the happiness for life. 🙂
Heck, I'm 62 years old and I still haven't answered the old question: "What do you want to do when you grow up?" 😂
60 here and no clue why i am here or what my talent is.
@@durangodaveI dislike the entire concept of "talent". It says that if you're good at something, it's only because you have some inherent "talent" that you're born with.
I don't think I have any talents. But I do have a lot of skills.
If you're interested in something, you practice it, and you become skilled at it. Most people probably have at least one thing that they're skilled at. No talents required.
For a very long time I didn't know what I wanted to do. My mother (rest her soul) was quite the disciplinarian. I know she meant well, but most of her decisions weren't supportive of the things I wanted out of life. I knew I wanted to do something in film making. Long story short, after inheriting responsibilities and a family of my own, I had even less time to dedicate to myself, much less my ambitions. My advice is run, don't walk towards the things you're certain you want to accomplish. Make room to pursue those desires with every ounce of determination. The longer you wait, the less likely you are to stay passionate.
Find someone you admire and figure out what they do that makes you admire them. Not necessarily exactly what they do, but the way they do it. That can help decide where to go in life - and how.
"... it makes me feel protective of you." Yes. That's who you are, Adam. You are protective of those who you can see need protection. That to me is noble, in the finest and fullest meaning of that word and that concept.
..And not coincidentally, I would really, really like to buy one of the T-shirts you're been wearing in this latest series of answers to questions. The words Empathy, Kindness and Respect, in gray against that black background is a logo and a mantra I'd be very pleased to wear and promote. Let me know if and when it becomes available.
Especially for guys, this can be one of the most difficult questions to answer for oneself. Some helpful questions we can ask ourselves are: Whom do you want to serve? What problem do you want to solve? What would you do for free if money wasn’t a concern? I’m sure that there are others, but these are some of the key questions that I have asked others who are searching.
This is a process, some people find their answers quickly and others may take decades. Me? I’ve found many things that I don’t care for and a few that I do. I’m still a work in progress.
Great T-Shirt/Message on it! 👍🏻😉
The things that you can’t stop thinking about and continually engaging your mind are a great way to begin your journey
But it assumes there is anything that continually engages your mind. Though I suppose the completely unengaged aren't going to pose the question in the first place.
Figure out what you enjoy and find out what you’re good at. If there is some overlap, you’re set. If you can’t make a career out of what you enjoy, find something you’re good at so you can make enough money to do what you enjoy in your free time.
For example, I absolutely love golf. Even if I took lessons for 5 years and trained, I could never be a pro golfer (like a tour player). It’s part of why I enjoy it so much. Because I will always have something to work upon and improve. What I’m good at is really boring analytical stuff, which pays the bills.
I knew at 16 that I’m good at explaining things and I know a lot of stuff and I like learning about the world and why things are the way they are. So I became a teacher, after 30 years I still love it.
Only 1:23 in, I’m sobbing watching this. Needed to hear this one. I have a decent job but I don’t know what I’m doing. Where I’m headed. Scared to get there alone. It’s so refreshing how real you responded to this one
Viewer: How do I find meaning in life?
Adam: Check out this sceptre
Just wished to thank Adam, his previous show and these YT videos have thought me much of fabricating. And this advice really rings true - I disliked lack of efficiency everywhere around me since I had started working as an interior and graphic designer. Now I am a production (assembly) planner, which is exactly the sort of problem solving I feel comfortable at.
Dabble in everything until you find your passion and then embrace your passion. If your passion can align with a financial support system, that's fantastic - but there's nothing wrong with simply working a job to support your passion outside of work. The important thing is to find, embrace, and pursue your passion. Additionally, allow your passions to evolve or change entirely. We go through life constantly growing and who we are ten years from now will be vastly different than who we are now. Don't mourn the loss of yesterday's passion, appreciate that it was there and continue exploring the world - there's so much to see and do and never enough lifetimes to experience it all!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic. This past year, this question has been popping up in my mind frequently and I've been trying to answer it for myself. I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere and I'm taking small steps in the right direction!
Thank You, Adam. Since your Imposter Syndrome video, I have been working on my sense of Chasing Wonder to find my purpose. Your zen when addressing these life matters is monumental to many, know that you make people's lives better for every great and small reason. Namaste~ 🙏🕉️
Love this and thank you both for sharing! There’s bumps in the road of life, for me to survive I have to stay positive and find happiness. I do read the Bible and attend church and that pushes me to be creative. I graduated from high school and in a few days I started working for the local pottery where I was drawing, making, building and fixing. I had always been creative as a child and all of that ended when the pottery closed. I live between Youngstown Ohio and East Liverpool Ohio where industry is always disappearing and crime is growing and we have a far amount of gloomy weather. So I was now struggling to find good employment and I just decided to get back to being creative which makes me happy. So I started to look for space to make, build and create. Now I have a garage, I have a long bed pickup truck to haul materials and I have a job I enjoy better, it’s not a creative job. It’s organizing, inventory, material handling, receiving and shipping. In my garage I do all picture painting, picture framing, I’ve built cat trees, drawer dividers, yard decorations, wired lamps, refinished furniture, bandsaw projects and hopefully soon pottery. I may have lost you with my words (ADHD) but my example and point is do whatever makes you feel good!
Decide on the person you want to be and do something to work towards that goal everyday.
I had a point in my life when I had nothing that felt mine, & within 6 months I was married, so I needed a house, and a job to pay for it, & I was very happy to have a boring job & a small house for a while so that I could live the married life. Having something to ground the other elements might feel restrictive, but necessity is the mother of invention.
So what I think I heard him say was: "start exploring when you don't know what to do" and I would agree. In the first minute of this video I realized I can consider my time in school a sort of preservation of my view of the workplace environment and how I've stayed out of the bad jobs. Instead of trying to show off about it, I can choose not to worry about what job I might get, but know that I need to make my best judgement and go forward because I'll eventually find something I like.
This is the best answer to this question I have ever heard, unbiased and can be used by anyone.💯
Life is infinite, an overwhelming source of wonder. But yes, doing what you enjoy is a good place to start.
I recently did something "with my life", just a side project, ... I built a portable cabin out of panels that stack up in my car and set up at my campsite. By the way, I also worked as a Civil Engineer ... I had tossed around (and shelved) this idea for many years but last Winter I finally built the panels and finished the (portable) cabin. I could not find anything very close to this idea on the internet, though I have no doubt that many 1000s of people have also had this similar idea. Besides having experiences, tools and space to try it out, the extra motivations that compelled me to go through with it were that I could share what I came up with and see how others run with the idea, I was curious how to make TH-cam videos and experience "the algorithm", and maybe I could make some money selling plans for people to make their own portable, car camping cabin.
This is an excellent idea you have discovered, you should definitely proceed with this plan. I know many people will be interested in having a portable cabin of their own.
If no one else has done this, you could possibly get your idea patented. Look into it before you start selling.
Adam talks about it as a "point of view", which is valuable. I see it as an examination of your values. It's not an easy thing to do, because so many of us give lip service to the things we reflexively say are valuable, but may not be. I became an engineer and data scientist because I dislike deluding myself and believing things that are not true/accurate. It's been something that's driven me since I was very young. I'd start with the things that are your real, honest center. And build from that. Are you focused on knowledge? Beauty? Service? Justice? Order? Freedom? Building a greater society? Individualism? Moral truths? Really, REALLY knowing these things about yourself prunes branches very quickly and efficiently. But you have to be exceptionally honest with yourself.
"An unexamined life is not worth living."
I can't even talk to people who don't do hard science. And I'd even include a roofer or plumber in hard sciences.
@@alaskansummertime I know what you mean. I just can't talk to anyone who doesn't perform surgery. But, I consider picking your own nose surgery, so...
what helped me feel unstuck was to travel around the world and see what other people are doing with their lives. theres so much out there, from cattle herder, to bitcoin trader, to muay thai fighter and to antique collector and seller and many in between. i met people who made a good living out of travelling and giving other people haircuts!
I answer this question with “the 3 circles”. The circles are arranged in a Venn diagram where they overlap each other. One circle is “things you like to do”, another circle is “things you are good at”, and the last circle is “things that pay you enough to live the lifestyle you want to live”. Think through possibilities and put them in the diagram. Then pursue whatever items fit in the place where all 3 things overlap. This is most useful to prevent you chasing things that won’t work for you. For example don’t pursue what you like and are good at if it doesn’t pay what you need to make. Don’t pursue things that pay well that you don’t like. Don’t pursue things you like but aren’t any good at (I like singing - but I’m no good at it), etc.
And if some things land in a spot where two of the three circles overlap, but you're having trouble finding ideas to go in that middle sweet spot, maybe look into offshoots of the things that meet 2/3 of the criteria? There may be something perfect that you just haven't heard of or considered yet. Or a specific related need you could fill, even if it doesn't have a job title yet.
Somewhere I've seen a dark meme labelled This is My Life. The circles don't overlap.
When I was young, I was terrified of having to pick what my career would be, since I had so many varied interests.. One day, a very wise person told me "Just because you pick one thing, it doesn't mean you have to give up the rest." My mind was blown!
Most people have three or four different careers during their life. Find something interesting, but don't worry about it not working out since you can try something else!
This resonates with me in a deep way, because I recognize something of a process here:
To wit, when you are poised to create, when you ask that first question " what do I want to be/ to do/ to have etc?"--then you ask the SECOND question: What wants to come out?
Not what YOU want to come out, but whatever thing/stuff/aspect that is waiting inside wants to come out?
Because that aspect is a deeper part of you, very often hidden so far down that it feels unrecognizable, but it is still an HONEST part of the self.
And you open the door for it, to let it loose and it comes out into the world to show you what YOU want.
And your heart and your hands follow those cues and bring into the real that thing that dwells inside. It's almost an unconscious thing ( because it comes from the unconscious) so it's not so much a cognitive direction as a feeling......and a feeling that, the longer it stays out, the greater the recognition you gain of it because it coalesces its meaning in front of you.
This is excellent advice! As someone who is really struggling with know what to do with my life, I appreciate any advice I can get. It is such a unique endeavour for everyone so it is difficult to find helpful advice.
Love your perspective. I enjoy my job but consider myself to be a designer. I built a forge and started blacksmithing about 25 years ago, eventually teaching the Metalworking Merit Badge to Boy Scouts. I started working more w/ nonferrous metals - copper, aluminum & brass and especially got into Christmas Ornaments. Developing a prototype by Thanksgiving and about 20 ornaments by Christmas, I would always get 2 or 3 that fully realized my concept; archetypes that revealed the truth. I believe that they reveal the relationship between the Spiritual and the Physical. There are some things you must do whether you get paid or not.
Love hearing your philosophy of life. What we see and experience is a mirror of who we are. Finding yourself is finding the meaning in what we see. That SSdraws asks the question at all is the beginning of the journey, and Adam's reply was great...pure and honest. The point of life is to express yourself. That expression is called Art. And it's also about trying something new every day. And sometimes that takes courage, to go outside of just thinking of yourself to thinking of things greater than yourself. If the sky inspires you, reach for the sky, if the ocean inspires you, dive into the sea. If the moon inspires you, go to the moon. Just go and express what comes naturally. Also Adam I'll guess you're a Sagittarius.
This one hits home for me personally as I’ve often drifted existentially through life.. my 2 cents and what it all boils down to for me: what is my intention? What driving factor (however small it may be) does my mind subtly point towards. Hold it softy - if you think on it too hard it will evade you. You might spin a web that might not be yours. Meditation is very important personally as it helps to stand back and look at impulsive “should’s” and helps you observe the roots of thoughts. Life is felt through the mind AND the body too. What gives you goosebumps? What arouses a sense of awe/inspiration in your chest/stomach? As Adam said, what irritates you? What makes you want to tell someone? Once you hold that question “what is my intention” softly, get out of your head into your body, and get out into the world.. you’ll create some intuition.
That was one of the most impressive answers to this sort of question I've seen. Thanks to the person who asked for triggering that, and I hope they appreciate the gold nugget that they just got from the master here.
I was talking about this with a family friend before they passed away and they said that underneath everything I was saying, they heard a desire to be in a position where I'm in control of my situation because it sounded like I felt powerless over my own life. I try to show my creative output to people but they just don't take it seriously and that can be the most frustrating thing in the world.
I was laid off from a job after four years. I've had the same career for most of my life. The last couple of years I realized that I no longer enjoyed what I was doing. I feel that being laid off was fate's way of telling me to move on. Now, I need to figure out just what it is that I want to do for a living...
I feel you friend. Laid off after 6 years. Jobless for 3, then I found part time work in a college makerspace and it felt like a dream, but in between shifts i lose hope that anything like it exists on the outside. Good luck to you and may we both find where we belong!
I spent a whole year thinking about what I wanted to do with my life after leaving my last job. It didn't work out. So, I started making stuff. I read, I wrote, I drew, I designed until something came to me. Now I'm trying to become an app designer, it's hard, but I know I'm getting there. Make stuff until something sticks on the wall. Love you, Adam.
Wow, I woke up lost and have been thinking about this very question all morning. This video came just in time!
I believe everybody has a skill of some kind. You know what you are good at doing.
I'm old and I have no idea. I just exist. Any interest/passion I find is only temporary and then I exist some more.
Boy did I need this today! Thank you!
one of those gems of this channel I subscribed for n cherish so much - thank you so much
It seems to me that finding something that you are passionate about and pursuing it would be the most fulfilling path of life. The lucky ones finds their passions early, others may take a long time and some will never find them.
I do not believe you can answer that question for yourself without first experiencing severe boredom. I did not find that answer until I was 40, then it took time to get my life where it felt like me. Good luck, it is a process for sure.
After watching this video, I feel like you could be an advocate for mental health if you aren't already. Thank you for this video.
After being stymied by the lack of help getting a Masters in Education (History) without needing to take out a crapton of student loans, my dad helped me take a bunch of exams for city jobs, like subway conductor, paralegal (my history BA counted!) and a few other things. I’ve been working as a Paralegal for about 15 years now. I do regret passing on the subway conductor job (I was already working the Paralegal job) but I guess being indoors in an office is slightly better. Maybe…
Something to consider, is that people tend to need both mental exercise and physical exercise. We need socialization as well as creative outlets. All too often, we neglect one for the other because one is just more natural to us. I would suggest that keeping all in mind when you choose what you want to do for hobbies, and what you want to do for a career, might be a helpful way to maintain a balanced life. Have a creative and stimulating outlet, and have something that keeps you physically healthy. You can also look to find ways to overlap, like walking and brainstorming with a recorder, or hiking to places to do landscape drawings/paintings. But if your job is at a desk, try to find enjoyable hobbies that get you exercise.
The biggest question I appreciate your insight
SSDraws: Lots of people don’t know what they want to do with their life until they’re much older. I’m guessing you’re young, which I relate to in some ways…I was lucky; I figured out at 22 that I didn’t actually want to major in religious studies - I wanted to major in Drawing, and become an exhibiting artist. Six years later, I’m now emerging as a fine artist, though I’m still finishing up school. But my plans had to change numerous times for me to get where I am today, and they’re still changing. Point being: you may figure out tomorrow what you want to do. You may figure out in thirty years. And that’s OKAY. Adam’s advice stands so well: figure out what you value, what you love, what drives you. And then engage with it.
I hope all of the advice from Adam and us here in the comments can help. I’m probably just shouting into the void and you won’t ever see this, but…hopefully somebody will. And hopefully it helps.
I was lucky seeing Rescue 8 reruns, I knew instantly what I wanted to do with my life. I have several friends who never did and a couple who just settled
A sceptre is basically an “elevated” version of a mace or club. The symbolism of violent power is still there.
I am at a junction in my life where Im not sure what is coming next. I am now 61 years old, have worked hard my entire life and I am now tired and no longer have the ability to force myself to punch a timeclock for a job I cant stand.
I may live for a very long time. Many of my family have lived into their late 90s and even early 100's. On the other hand a nearly equal number of family have succumbed to cancer after the age of 50.
I am in excellent health, proper weight for my height and all that. No medications, I havent seen a doctor in more than a decade and plan to keep it that way.
Part of me does not want to linger on as a retiree year after year slowly getting more frail as I approach my 90s.
Prior to this I lived my whole life with a plan or some goal in mind that I was working towards. All my goals are either done or I dont care anymore.
I dont know what Im going to do. Im single, I live alone, my children are grown and likely to never marry and have any grandkids. Im bored as F*ck and dont know what to do.
When I was young I wanted to travel and see the world. Now that Im getting old, all I want to do is sit and watch others do it for me.
For me, learning from and about other people and things helped me learn more about myself. Do you like to create, do you like to help others, work with your hands, challenge yourself, learn just to learn, etc.
Once you chisel away at yourself and find more of your core values, it becomes easier to answer that question. It doesn’t always have to be “what do I want to do,” but also “how do I want to live”.
Simon Senek’s Infinite Game is a good read to help with that question of purpose that I highly recommend.
More than the really good advice you always give it's amazing to see your process of answering the question and how you think to reach a conclusion
I'd love to see Adam do a cosplay of Captain Britain, including the Amulet of Right, the Sword of Might, the quaterstaff and the later Star Sceptre.
30 year It veteran and commercial machine learning engineer here. Fell into it. Only thing certain is 6 x 7 = 42 and change is enevitable. What you are now will not be what you are in 10 years time. Live in the moment.
39 years old, worked in security all my life. Now have to work from home due to a disability but previous work doesn’t allow. Now i need to switch my whole profession.
Hey Adam, you flew a lot in Mythbusters. The lawn chair in the pilots, a blue angels FA 18 and the dragon lady to name a few. Can you describe those experiences and can you talk more about the dragon lady.
I still tear up watching you in low orbit space because that was such a huge moment and you were clearly affected by it. Thx!
I admire Adam, so much. Thank you.
That Sceptre? An object of power...
What if you investigate yourself and find nothing - asking for a friend
This is going to resonate with a lot of people
Or, your answers aren't practical because you have to give financial support to others.
Just go out and start doing *something * instead of watching TV or any free time activity that doesn't involve using your brain, pick up an instrument or practice card tricks or something instead. That helped me a lot. Just to start spending my time saying "hey at least I'm developing a skill"
I would suggest to write out your day in detail then, also what you think about and then review where you spend your time. Maybe you don't spend a lot of time thinking about something but maybe there's something you spend a lot of time doing. You watch TH-cam videos for instance, could you be interested in marketing or editing or production, etc
A friend told me : Start with what you don't like... And work from that.
I call this the filter method. You should write a list of things that other people say you are good at doing and be as exhaustive as possible. Thirty items on the list is a good start but if you can think of more, please keep going. Order it from most complements to least complements. Now take the top two thirds and re-order them into a second list according to how enjoyable they are to do. To find a potential career path, take the top third from the second list and make a third list in order of compensation. This way, you can be sure it is something you are good at, enjoy doing, and can be reasonably compensated for. Go in peace and may you find prosperity.
Thank you for this, I wasn't looking for advice on anything today but your words have got me thinking. I often enjoy your perspective on things.
I've always had a fear of doing the things i love professionally. I've been fairly well convinced it would suck all of the joy out of it and just turn it into an obligation and a slog.
Adam has me thinking, maybe I've been wrong.
Be careful doing what you love for work, because you may turn what you love into work.... ( I can't remember who I heard that from, certainly not my original idea.) I've suffered from that- working on things that I care about and put my heart in to, and had the end result pushed (by business concerns, budgets, and just plain bad management) into bad endings that were painfully frustrating and that I was embarrassed to have been associated with. There is something to having a crap job you don't care about, that just pays the bills, and keeping what you care about separate.
When what you care about and what pays the bills align it can be wonderful, that whole "do what you love!" meme can be good advice. But damn it can be painful when that train goes off the tracks.
Amen.
I went to college for engineering, but I work in a field complete unrelated. I'm in education and work specifically with kids that have special needs and behavioral needs. It's okay to try something, find out it's not for you, and reevaluate the direction you want your life to go in.
My old fire chief once told me something that stuck with me. "If you do something that you love, that's good. If you do something and do it well, that's good. If you do something you love and you do it well, that's GREAT." Find that something.
That was the most thoughtful answer to the question I’ve heard. ❤
Wow, this was kinda emotional! Thanks for the answer!
I'm 60 and I still haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up 😊
Never clicked so fast. I’m at a huge changing point in my life and I have no idea what I want to do
I think Adam's response is great. The other angle I would mention is that the idea of choosing what to do with your life is kind of a myth. You might find something you want to do, but if there aren't people who need that thing bad enough to pay for it, you're not going to make any money doing it. There aren't enough movies for everyone who likes acting to be a professional actor. There aren't enough concert goers to make every singer a rock star. Even more mundane jobs like mail carriers and park rangers can be surprisingly competitive. You have to take the opportunities that are actually available to you. I think if someone had told me that when I was 17/18, instead of the "You can be ANYTHING! Follow your dreams no matter what!" that I actually got, I could have been a lot happier and more successful in my 20s.
Thanks Adam for the advice.
What do want to do with your life? Professionally?
Try everything, within reason, and note what makes you happy. Keep the stuff that makes you happy, change the stuff that dosen’t until there is more happy and less unhappy.
That is litterally how everyone does it. Some people have a better sense of direction than others but that doesn’t matter. Some people find the answers right away, others take a life time to sort it out. That doesn’t matter, either. There is a lot of opportunity to learn about yourself while you try everything. That is what ultimately leads to what makes you happy, knowing yourself.
I’m in a similar position, shop’s about to close in a few weeks, bankruptcy. The inevitability of it is what’s eating at me. Gotta think of something to support myself and wife.
Pimping is a growth industry.
I think one thing I have heard a lot when someone doesn't know what to do is to just go out and travel and experience the world. See how people live, eat, love, speak.... This will then give you some perspective and make you understand yourself better. Go find yourself!
As a Mechanical Engineer, the people who go into Civil Engineering have a deep need to be a CE, because you need to be able to carry the weight that if you get things wrong, people will likely get hurt or worse, potentially a lot of people. As an ME, my designs also have the potential to hurt people if I'm not careful, but it's at most a half dozen people at risk at any one time, and peer reviewing generally catches risky situations. A CE needs to be able to sign off on something that could potentially be around for years if not decades and have hundreds to tens of thousands of people interacting every day.
❤❤❤ we all can benefit from self examination ❤❤❤
Most people are thinking about how to get out of work!
I find the question about what I enjoy is not easy to answer. I'm not sure if I even have something that I like to do purely for myself. Meaning, if nobody on earth would know about it (so I'd have no impact on other doing it) would I still do the thing? I don't know. If I'm honest with myself I do many things also because I want to be seen and be considered good at it. And one could say that's fine (and it's not JUST about that), but that makes you dependant on how your "audience" sees you. And that's outside of ones's control. I'm rambling. But an interesting topic I think.
Thank you Adam
Good Question,
And the simple answer really is, very very few people have the rare gift's of being super clever, able to be able to make or design stuff or turn their hands to producing amazing items Like good Adam Savage Here does have that rare gifts to do.
The rest of us are unable to do anything like those things and unlike the lucky few are stuck in terrible over worked under paid stressful jobs which we never get out off?
The lucky few with the super minds and abilities we don't have they enjoy the freedom of tons of time and money and can do the jobs they love.
That is the sad fact of being human, only 00.1% of us are gifted a great life where they can enjoy their jobs and life. the rest of us can't no matter the amount we wish to?
if you dont know where you are going any road will get you their. start walking and where you are going will resolve its self
I’m trying to figure out what to do in the next part of my life too. What is productive, helps other people, is impressive, and doesn’t take up all of my time or limits my ability to travel? Those are my requirements, and my expenses are low and I’m without debts, so making a lot of a little bit of money isn’t too big of a deal.