With every generation, I feel existential crises hits sooner and sooner. It hit around 23-24 for me, and it took me by a storm. So if you find yourself asking the big questions – What am I here to do? Is this who I’m going to be for the rest of my life? Is this all there is? And the biggest one ever, Who am I? If you’ve been asking these questions, this episode can help you find some answers.
Hello and welcome back to the deep dive series on the Being Meraklis podcast. I am Shwetha Sivaraman, your self-awareness coach, here to help you ask the right questions.
Today we are exploring some questions we must ask in our 20s to navigate such an existential crisis. In the current pace of our lives, we never pause to reflect, step back, look at the bigger picture, and honestly ask ourselves how all we are doing today adds up and counts as our life. These existential questions were left for the late 40s and 50s after individuals proved their worth and achieved financial success in the real world. But thanks to our parents who made this journey in their lives, some millennials get to this stage faster and begin questioning life, its meaning, our purpose much sooner.
Even if you haven’t yet reached that point, these questions could help you stay in touch with your values and aspirations and lead a more aligned life to your truth.
So here are the questions you can reflect on:
- Am I investing my time wisely? If there’s one thing we all have in short supply, it is the number of years and days in our life. We don’t really have that much to spare, so we might as well optimise this resource. Where are all you investing your time? Are they all of meaningful use to you? There’s a subtle distinction here you must note – how you spend your time must make sense for you. Reading might be something that I love and can spend days, if not months, on, but for you, that might be a sheer waste of time, and you might have something better to do with your time. That’s absolutely fine. It has to be a meaningful use for you, that is all.
- Do I see myself doing what I’m currently doing 10 years down the line? Another big one. Work takes up most of our waking hours, and we need to be sure we can tolerate at least if not enjoy what we do in those hours. If you don’t see yourself doing the same thing, it’s time to start looking out and branching out.
- Am I living my values? Am I true to myself? Am I bringing my whole self to all that I’m engaging in? Your fulfilment comes from being true to yourself. If you believe in something and are doing the exact opposite in work or life, it will pinch your subconscious a few years later, if not now. So take time to spell out your values, identify which aspect of your life is not fully aligned, and start correcting things there.
- Am I truly happy and raring to get started every morning? What truly is the point of life if we cannot enjoy the gift of life itself. This question might be uncomfortable to most, but try answering as honestly as possible. And look at what you do on days you are raring to go. They could give you some insights on what you should be doing instead.
- What can I change in my current life to be more aligned with who I am and what matters most to me? Lastly, there’s no point in reflecting if you don’t take action. It can be a baby step but take action.
Deep dive on these aspects and find answers within. The sooner you do, the faster you can get on track. If you’d like more 1:1 support with me as your Coach, reach out to me for a 30 min discovery session and let’s explore if self-awareness coaching can help you find clarity and create a life that makes you want to jump out of bed with energy and enthusiasm every day of the year.