How do people know that their lives are aimed generally in the right direction? While everyone’s personal journey is unique, there are a few reliable ways to identify productive trajectories from destructive ones. A good example is career goals. Those who are still struggling to sort them out have work to do before they can truly settle down and start building a rewarding lifestyle. Careers are important, but there are additional elements.
Other telltale signs that your life is on course include issues related to education, building financial stability, starting a family, purchasing a home, donating to worthy causes, finding an interesting hobby, paying bills on time, and pondering faith-based questions.
For younger adults especially, it’s worth their time to make a list of life goals and check it periodically to see whether they’re making any progress. Here are details about each category.
Having Career Goals
Careers and education go hand in hand, particularly in a professional world driven by IT (information technology) and finance. But before graduating from college and finding the right job, individuals need to clarify their own long-term work goals. That means exploring career choices through internships, online research, reading, and other avenues.
If you’re still on the fence about what field to select, consider meeting with a vocational counselor and taking a battery of written assessments to get an accurate idea about where your strengths lie and what kind of training can help you move to the next step on your life’s career ladder.
Earning a College Degree
If you’re in a four-year degree program or are about to enter one, that’s proof that you are on the right track. But getting a degree and paying for one are quite different pursuits. Plenty have the academic talent required to finish a college program and take home a shiny new diploma.
Unfortunately, many of those same folks have no way to pay for tuition, textbooks, and related expenses. If you want to get a college loan and have never worked before, it’s likely you have little or no financial history.
Lenders look askance at young borrowers. However, if your parents agree to cosign, it’s usually much easier to win approval from the lender. Keep in mind that parents are not legally mandated to cosign on their children’s educational loans, so it’s wise to have a few alternative strategies just in case.
Future college students can use scholarship services to search for funding sources that can help pay education-related bills. Plus, several public and private colleges and community-based institutions offer work-study programs for pupils who have little or no personal resources to pay for schooling.
Helping Others
If you have the time and resources to assist a needy person or someone else who is less fortunate, then it’s likely your own lifestyle is in decent shape. But don’t assume that you must be 100% happy and healthy before joining a charitable cause or donating time to others. Millions of working adults discover something very special about themselves when they reach out to help others.
The act of being selfless has a way of bringing one’s own priorities in order. Even if you only have one hour to spare each week, consider speaking with a local social service agency to find ways to support community causes. Organizations across the US are facing volunteer shortages and are glad to hear from positive, caring people who want to give their time or money to a worthwhile cause.
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Taking Up a Hobby
Individuals who pursue hobbies tend to be happy with the other parts of their lives. Hobbies, like coin collecting or sky diving, are reliable ways to engage in an activity you like.
The possibilities are endless as millions of folks take up hobbies like painting, martial arts, playing the piano, collecting stamps, baking, dancing, rock climbing, and countless others. Hobby time can be relaxing or invigorating, but it is always a way to add an element of enjoyment to the general routine.
For some, hobbies become long-term avocations or careers. Musicians regularly turn their hobbies into paying gigs. The same is true for amateur comedians, writers, and sculptors. If you don’t already have a favorite pastime, explore several hobbies that interest you and find the one that feels right.
Paying Bills On Time
If there’s a single vital sign that demonstrates a person’s everyday life is in order, it’s on-time bill paying habits. Adults of any age who have trouble covering their monthly expenses and making timely remittances need to rethink their finances. That can take many forms, including sessions with a consumer counselor, taking out a bill consolidation loan, and more.
In many cases, all it takes is a quick review of one’s monthly budget. Making a few cuts here and there can sometimes do the trick in non-serious situations. If you struggle to pay regular bills, decide whether you need outside help. Then, begin to address the challenge before moving on to another issue.
Exploring Questions of Faith
For millions of adults, the concept of pursuing a faith-based lifestyle is easy to understand. Others struggle with the idea and never select a path, even after their reach old age. But the late teens and early twenties are ideal years for exploring all the ideas related to faith.
Online and traditional booksellers do a brisk business in titles that deal with the human quest for something higher, an existence beyond the physical world. One of the most effective ways to discover a path is to read widely and join a faith-based discussion group.
Among those who have a solid idea of their spiritual goals, the most common way to get more information and grow as a person is to join a church, no matter what the tradition.
Christians tend to be happier, lead more responsible lives, and have more social connections by attending every week. There’s no one-size-fits-all technique for discovering one’s spiritual way in life, as it’s different for everyone, but experimentation and research are good ways to begin the journey.
