Self-doubt during the Life Purpose Course

[FredFred]

Hi!

I've done a lot of progress during the Life Purpose Course, but something caught my attention a few episodes ago.

I'm currently at the beginning of the Life Purpose Exercices (episodes 57-58). My answers are typically converging between 2 or 3 subjects. How do I know that these 2-3 subjects are really authentic? For all that I know, I could be coming back to those simply because I'm uninspired about finding new ones. There could be thousands of interesting domains of study out there that I don't even know about.

How do I make sure my answers are really authentic to me? Am I going through the exercices too fast? Have I skipped a step? How have you guys dealt with this kind of uncertainty towards the progress you've made?

It's fucking with my mind...

[Dan Arnautu]

@FredFred Given that LP takes decades to actualize, keep in mind that if you are young you will have a tasting/testing phase.

You don't really know what you will like until you try it and give it a fair shot. That might mean that you give, 1-2 years pursuing each of the three options. If you find out after 6 years that none are quite the perfect fit, time was not lost, because skills are very transferable between domains.

And, remember that you need to figure your life purpose only once. So if it takes 20 years just to find it, it's ok because after that you can go full laser focus on it and you will be like a race care between bicycles, because you are 200% clear on your purpose while others are constantly doubting themselves and will probably just keep doing that.

I'll give you a personal analogy. My LP vehicle is music.

I gave a somewhat fair shot to philosophy for 3 years (I have an undergraduate degree), and then I saw that most academics live miserable lives. That made me 100% clear that I don't want to be a researcher, or an academic professor, or anything else similar. But I can integrate skills acquired through that degree (reading, writing, dissecting and connecting ideas, looking at things from different points of view, teaching, debating) into educating musicians, creating content for musicians, writing books, teaching, coaching and mentoring 1 on 1 and in groups, podcasting etc.

I was also very passionate about life coaching and fitness. Through honest self-reflection, I eventually eliminated those too, because music goes much better with my values, natural strengths, goals, and background.

I also don't want anything to do with math, agriculture, investing, finances etc, so those were also easily eliminated. Through this process of elimination and constant reassessment, you eventually remain with your LP.

So, don't get discouraged, you are just early in the process. Confusion should be expected and embraced while you are going through this.

[Michael569]

as you continue with the course, you will tend to zoom in more and more towards one of those options, I had the same doubts but as you assault those topics from various angles a pattern will start to emerge. Keep on working on the course, it is in my opinion one of the best tools currently available on the market for the price. 

And as Dan has said, you will likely still spend some time finding yourself even after you finish this thing. Don't try to sprint the marathon just do what you have been so far and you'll break through 

[Dan Arnautu]

@Michael569 I agree.

[aurum]

@FredFred

You don’t know. Try and see.

[FredFred]

On 12/11/2018 at 6:47 PM, aurum said:

@FredFred

You don’t know. Try and see.

This is what I came up with after really thinking about the problem.

I'm still young, I haven't tried much things in my life. Yet I always feel that pressure on me, the world pushing me towards finding something QUICK before time runs out. These are just artificial constraints after all, nevertheless very difficult to back-out from.

[aurum]

2 hours ago, FredFred said:

 Yet I always feel that pressure on me, the world pushing me towards finding something QUICK before time runs out. These are just artificial constraints after all, nevertheless very difficult to back-out from.

A sense of urgency in your actions is important. But it shouldn't be so much that it's debilitating and causing you to hate yourself and quit. Always keep your center.

[Joseph Maynor]

Which one of those would you pay to be able to do let alone turn into a career where you get paid for it?

Edited December 18, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[FredFred]

8 hours ago, Joseph Maynor said:

Which one of those would you pay to be able to do let alone turn into a career where you get paid for it?

That's also one of my concerns.

I think money plays a huge role here. I'm not sure if everyone feels like I do or it's because I have had some traumas in the past, but I feel like I'm really scared of not having enough money to fill out my basic needs. Sure I could start a business in the domain I love, but what if I don't succeed?

I just re-watched the Failure is Good video. I understand that failure isn't a bad thing. But how do you make ends meet? If I'm constantly failing at the beginning of my career how will I pay my rent? How will I eat? Isn't this a bit utopia-like?

[FredFred]

@rounder Thank you for you response

I think you're right, I could be more committed to the LP I'm heading in. I don't think it's because it's not a good LP though, it's simply because I'm afraid of the changes that will happen in my life if I follow this LP.

Or is it? I'll have to reflect on that!