I sat in the interview, surrounded by a panel asking questions, when this one hit me deeply:

“But what do you WANT to be doing in your career?”

“What DO I want??”  I asked myself.  I clamored for an answer that had all the poise of a student called on in class who didn’t want to be, and I left that interview feeling a bit defeated. “How am I 30 years old and I don’t know what I want?”  I wondered.

 

How about you?  Have you taken a good, hard look at yourself and asked this question:

“What do I want?”

Do you want to be an amazing wife and mom?

Do you want to be a top-notch grad student, with respect from colleagues and professors alike?

Do you want to be the healthiest version of yourself possible?  Do you want to be the strongest version of yourself?

Do you want to max out your potential in a particular area of life?

 

I wonder if, instead of my initial reaction of defeat, we all can utilize this question to get in tune with our desires, our deepest motivations, and ultimately, ourselves.

So the most logical question that follows is this:  How do we figure out what we want?

Before we even ask ourselves what we want, we need to be in a place where we can actually hear the answer.

Life can be noisy sometimes.

We may have kids or significant others or friends or colleagues who need us.  We may have jobs or schooling that monopolize our time.  But I think if we’re intentional, we can find a few moments of peace to ask ourselves this important question and hear how our souls respond.

And why is this question important?

Because it acts like a reset button for our lives.  It’s easy for us to get swept away in the constant craziness and before we know it, days, weeks, and even years have passed.  And as strong women who long to make a difference in this world, we can’t afford to passively let our days fly by.  When we know what we want-the legacy we want to leave, our values, desires, and motivations-we then have direction to live our days with purpose.

So these days I’m asking myself what I want, so I don’t find myself called out in an interview (and so I don’t find myself at an interview I don’t really want to be a part of in the first place!).

Won’t you join me?

 

 

Written by Brittni Paris. 

Brittni is an alum of Colorado State University, where she mingled with the greats like Kellie Walters and Chrissy Chard. She currently resides in Hoosier Country, with her husband Hunter, worki

ng for Indiana University as an academic advisor to business students and donning the IU candy-cane striped pants. She spends her time taking ballet classes, listening to podcasts, biking around town, and hosting friends at her apartment and favorite coffee shops. Brittni earned a B.A. in Psychology, an M.S. in Health and Exercise Science, and is an ACSM Certified
Clinical Exercise Physiologist. She’s excited to pursue a career in wellness coaching, helping women see how great they are and how much good they can bring to the world.

 

Photo Credits:

Tim Gouw:  https://unsplash.com/@punttim

Julia Caesar:  https://unsplash.com/@juliacaesar

London Scout:  https://unsplash.com/@scoutthecity