Life Is Short — Here’s How to Choose Your Career Wisely (5 Steps to Find the Right Path)
Are you genuinely happy with your career? Or do you sometimes wake up, drag yourself through another round of meetings, emails, and tasks, and wonder… Is this really it?
If you feel stuck, uninspired, or unsure of what direction to take next, you’re not alone. Most people spend 90,000 hours of their lives working — that’s one-third of your entire existence. With that much time spent on your job, your career should feel meaningful, energizing, and aligned with the life you want.
Life is simply too short to waste on a career that drains you.
In this guide, you'll learn five practical steps to help you choose a career that matches your strengths, fits your lifestyle, and gives you both financial stability and fulfillment. Whether you're a student, a mid-career professional, or someone exploring a career change, this is your roadmap.
Let’s make your 90,000 hours count.
What Is a “Dream Career” Really?
Many people say:
“Just choose a high-paying job.”
“Follow your passion.”
But neither piece of advice tells the whole story.
A truly rewarding career checks three essential boxes:
1. Financial Stability
Passion matters — but your paycheck should support your life, not stress you out.
2. Personal Fulfillment
You should feel energized, challenged, or curious about the work you do.
3. Lifestyle Fit
Your job should allow you to live the life you want — not control it.
Think of your career like a three-legged stool: if one leg is weak, the whole thing wobbles.
Step 1: Identify Your Strengths & Natural Interests
You don’t need one singular passion to build a great career. Start by understanding what you’re naturally good at and what excites you.
Ask yourself:
What skills do people compliment me on?
What tasks make time fly by?
What am I curious about learning in my free time?
What skills make me feel confident or energized?
Write them down. These are the seeds of a career you’ll actually enjoy.
Step 2: Explore Your “Adjacent Possible”
Most people choose a career like choosing a train track — one path forever. But careers aren’t linear; they’re branching trees.
This is where the concept of Adjacent Possible comes in.
Your adjacent possible represents all the new opportunities unlocked by your current skills. Each step you take opens new doors you couldn’t see before.
Examples:
Marketing → content writing → SEO → digital strategy → UX writing
Software engineering → technical communication → product management → teaching
Teaching → event planning → corporate training → project management
Your next career move doesn’t have to be the final move — just the next smart step that builds on your existing strengths.
Step 3: Make Sure Your Career Choice Has Strong Demand
A dream job isn’t helpful if there’s no market for it. Thankfully, you can figure this out quickly using tools like ChatGPT, LinkedIn reports, and job trend data.
Use ChatGPT for quick market research:
Prompt:
“Give me an overview of the job market for [career] in [country]. Include salary ranges, job growth trends, and future demand predictions.”
Example: “data scientist in the U.S.”
ChatGPT will summarize:
Salary range
Job outlook
Top hiring industries
Skills needed for the future
Other great resources:
LinkedIn “Jobs on the Rise” Report
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics job outlook
Reddit and Discord career communities
Google searches like “Is [career] in demand?”
Within minutes, you’ll know if a career is promising — or a dead end.
Step 4: Test the Career Before Committing
Don’t choose a career based solely on research — experience it.
Testing prevents regret, saves time, and gives you clarity fast.
How to test a career:
Freelance on Upwork or Fiverr
Shadow a professional for a few hours
Intern or volunteer to gain real experience
Take online courses (Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning)
Start a side project in the field
Build an app
Analyze a dataset
Run a marketing campaign
Create a portfolio piece
A few weeks of testing can save you years of pursuing the wrong path.
Step 5: Choose a Career That Matches Your Ideal Lifestyle
Your job should support your life — not dominate it.
Ask yourself:
Do I want remote, hybrid, or in-office work?
Do I prefer fast-paced industries or structured environments?
How much flexibility do I need?
What salary is required to support the lifestyle I want?
Does this career align with my values?
Before choosing a career, visualize your ideal day. Your choice should bring you closer to that — not farther away.
What Most People Get Wrong About Careers
1. Careers Are Not Linear
Most successful careers take unexpected turns. That’s normal.
2. Success Isn’t Just About Salary
Fulfillment, freedom, and alignment matter just as much — if not more.
3. Degrees Don’t Guarantee Success
Skills, adaptability, and real-world experience often matter more than credentials.
Final Thoughts: Your Career Should Excite You
Your ideal career should check these boxes:
✔️ Financial stability
✔️ Personal fulfillment
✔️ Lifestyle alignment
To find it:
Know your strengths.
Explore adjacent possibles.
Choose roles with strong market demand.
Test before committing.
Align your career with your lifestyle and values.
Life is too short — and your 90,000 hours are too precious — to settle for a career that doesn’t fit who you are or who you want to become.
Build a career that makes you excited to wake up in the morning.
