Being a teenager can be very overwhelming. At this stage in your life, you probably have already discovered various interests. You might enjoy reading, playing soccer, painting, or playing video games. As you continue to grow, you are bound to discover many more interests. But, how do you connect your interests to your future?

Most people want to find a career path that coincides with their interests. This sounds like a relatively easy task, but it is harder than you might think. Let’s say you love playing soccer, so you might naturally love a career coaching soccer. Of course, coaching is a possible career path; however, you must also consider your values along with your interests when considering your career.

Values are your standards or how you judge what’s important in life. So, what is important to you? Again, this might sound like an easy question, but it is one that requires a lot of serious thought and attention as you get older. As you move closer to attending college, choosing a major, and then choosing a career path, you will need to take time to reflect on your values and interests. In order to truly reflect and get an answer to these questions, you must first know yourself. This process takes time and is constantly evolving, and that is completely normal. Many people don’t realize who they are or what matters to them until they are an adult. While there’s nothing wrong with that at all, it does help to have some sense of who you are as you enter college.

According to Meg Selig, author of Changepower!, there are many reasons why it is necessary to understand who you are. For instance, you live a happier life when you can express who you are and what you want. When you don’t have to hide your true self, you end up getting more out of life. You live to make yourself happy and don’t feel pressure to make anyone else happy. You trust that the people in your life will support you for who you are and what you believe in, so building and maintaining relationships aren’t a burden. This makes life much more enjoyable!

The toughest part is deciding who you are, what you value, and who you want to become. Who you are is a combination of many things and can include your personality, who you surround yourself with, your interests, and your career. Additionally, deciding your values is equally important. Do you value family time and being with loved ones? Do you value independence and the ability to create your own schedule? Is making money the most important thing to you? These are important questions to ask yourself before you decide on a career path. For example, a job where you are on call whenever you are not at work might not be a wise path for you if you answered yes to the first two previous questions. Furthermore, when you are able to connect what you do with what you believe in, you have less inner conflict and a greater ability to resist social pressure. Social pressure can be very hard to resist and create anxiety when you don’t have an understanding of who you are or what you value. On the other hand, when your career aligns with your beliefs, you have more self-control because you know what you want and can take the appropriate steps to achieve your goals. Overall, knowing yourself gives you a life that is richer, less stressful, and more exciting!

Now that you have a better understanding of who you are and what you value, take some time to consider your interests. What do you spend your spare time doing? What classes do you find the most fun and interesting? Do you enjoy working with your hands and creating crafts or projects? Or maybe you enjoy motivating others and working in groups?

Your interests don’t necessarily have to be things that you do or things you have experience with yet. They might be something you care about or are curious about. An example of this may be that you find yourself spending time with young children whenever you have the opportunity, or you might enjoy reading articles about government and how you can get involved in your community. 

Sometimes experiences you had as a child will follow you throughout life. You may have had a very positive experience the first time you flew on an airplane, and you’ve been interested in aviation or traveling the world ever since. Maybe you broke a bone when you were little and were fascinated by the doctors and nurses that took care of you. All of these experiences make you who you are, and some of those experiences end up creating your interests.

Take some time to really decide what interests you. Think of things that you genuinely love doing and would continue to do them for free. Do you notice any interests that may turn into a college major or career? At the end of the day, everyone needs a career; life will be so much better if you can pick one that incorporates your interests and values!