How to decide where to go next

It’s amazing how easy it is for others to make important decisions. They seem to intuitively understand what they want, where they are going, what career to choose, what area to live in, and even whom to marry.

And you… you can’t stop at just one, all the time «changing lanes» while driving along the «road of life», constantly interested in something new. Coach Barbara Sher calls such people “scanners”: they feel best in the face of constant change, trying to try (“scan”) as much as possible, even if superficially.

All this is great when you are actively doing something — but what if you can’t even start?

It can be difficult and scary for the Scanner to decide what to do next. Fortunately, there are certain strategies that can help you figure out where to go and start taking action,” says British coach John Williams, author of Fuck Work, Let’s Play!, which hosts Scanner Night in London every month. Here’s what he recommends.

1.Select a project

Many of us last really immersed ourselves in a project while in school, but projects are very useful because they give us the opportunity to focus on one area and at the same time discover a lot of new things.

To get started, decide on the area of ​​​​life in which you want to make progress: it can be a hobby, career, sports, travel, personal life. Make a list of all the development options in this area that are attractive to you. Write everything without limiting or «censoring» yourself. Do you want to change occupation? List all the possible professions that you might be interested in — from a stockbroker to a writer or coach.

Once you’ve made a list, choose the one that seems most appealing so you can experiment a little first. If you can’t decide at all, flip a coin. It doesn’t matter what you decide, the important thing is to decide.

2. Work on the project for a month

Set aside a small amount of time — say, half an hour a day — that you will devote to your project every day.

Do not waste it on endless thinking, reading or searching the Internet for all kinds of information. Take practical steps that bring you closer to your goal.” For example, if you are going to improve your personal life, go on dates or at least actively communicate on the Web, and not just browse the pages of potential partners on dating sites. If you decide to become a web designer, talk to people who are already doing it, try to join their company, read professional publications or take courses.

As long as your interest remains solely in your head, you will never be able to understand whether it really suits you or not. Must try in practice.

3. Don’t give up on your idea too soon

This rule should be followed, making any decision. If what you started doing doesn’t work or doesn’t bring you joy, don’t quit right away. Take some time to think. Ask yourself what else you can do to make it work. Often, just by sitting and thinking, you will discover new possible paths. Scanners are especially likely to drop new activities without really trying them.

If things don’t add up, ask yourself why? If you’re bored or don’t get along with the people your project is connected to, consider if you’ve had similar problems in the past. It can be very helpful to see the patterns that constantly arise in your life.

For example, if you quickly get bored with what you decide to do, realize that this is a normal reaction for you at the initial stage of the journey, after passing which you can really focus on business.

4. Be flexible

If you put in the effort, you can do almost anything, but it’s worth remembering that success in some areas is much more difficult and the competition is much higher there. This is especially true of creative professions, such as a writer, actor, singer, musician.

This does not mean that you need to drop everything that seems too difficult and look for something easier. But sometimes it’s worth realizing that you can get what you’re really looking for by doing something a little different.

For example, if you want to become a writer, think about what it is about this craft that attracts you. Do you like to play with words or maybe you want to create fantasy worlds? If the latter is true, then you can pursue your passion in other areas, such as setting design, writing computer game scripts, or working with children.

5. Remember that the decision can always be changed

Many are afraid to choose one thing and direct all their efforts there, because it seems to them that now they will always have to do this and only this, even if they don’t like it later. But once you make a decision, you can almost always back out of it over time. It’s important to adjust your path as the situation evolves, but in a pinch, you can always change your choice.