How to figure out what to do with your life

Executive overview

Most people wait for clarity before acting, but clarity comes from trying things, not thinking about them. The hardest parts of any path — uncertainty, financial stress, self-doubt — are roughly equal regardless of what you choose to pursue.

Choose the problem that excites you most. The struggle is the same; the results and meaning are not.

Passion and drive trump knowledge and experience.

The founder mindset: difficulty is constant, stakes are your choice

• Blake Scholl (Boom Supersonic) sold a barcode app to Groupon, then asked what he wanted to exist in the world
• He had no aerospace experience but started a supersonic airline anyway
• The "F word" (difficulty) is the same whether you build a flower shop or an airline — but the results differ sharply
• Choose the problem that delivers the best results and excites you most
• Applies equally to careers, professions, and businesses

Steps for finding your direction

• Talk to many people; ask specifically about the problems that come with their jobs
• Try as many things as possible — say yes to opportunities, even unexpected ones
• Failures and wrong turns are data: they narrow down what actually fits
• Lifelong learning is the norm; switching careers or products is not failure
• Give yourself permission to start somewhere without committing to it forever

The two-column exercise

• List the things you want in a job; score each from 1–5
• List the problems you're willing to tolerate; score each from 1–5
• Mismatches surface fast — e.g., if speaking English scores 5, audit work may score low
• Career tests and counselors can surface values you haven't articulated yet

Setting a useful benchmark

• Assign yourself a time-bound, quantifiable goal before you start
• Revenue growth (doubling week-over-week) is a better metric than follower counts
• Choose metrics you can influence; output metrics only measure luck
• If you can't stay consistent with the activity, that's a signal in itself

The opportunity cost question

• Always ask: what am I giving up by taking this path?
• Name the trade-off explicitly — it reduces ongoing second-guessing
• Stability vs. upside is a real choice; neither is wrong
• The daily question: am I excited to wake up and keep doing this?