This morning, someone I work with asked me, “What do you want to do with your life?” After I babbled away for about five minutes about my upcoming book, career aspirations, and exciting future plans, the woman said to me, “You’ve got some big dreams, girl! That’s awesome.” I realized how energetic and alive I felt about talking about my goals and how motivated I am to achieve them. This conversation brings me to the topic of this post: how do you respond when someone asks you, “What do you hope to accomplish in your lifetime?”

Maybe you have extraordinary plans that you’re amped about and love sharing your ideas with others. In this case, keep doing whatever you’re doing and continue to dream big. But, if you feel uptight, bothered, or anxious when someone asks you about your future plans, you’re clearly not doing something right. To look towards your future with enthusiasm and confidence you can do two important things:

1) Discover your dreams.

This could include taking time daily to think about your aspirations, trying new things, experimenting with different jobs, pursuing your passions, looking up career paths online, etc. Your goals will vary from those of your neighbor, so do whatever it takes for you to get an idea of what you hope to accomplish.

2) Change your attitude towards your uncertain future.

If you currently have no idea what you want to do with your life or are unsure of your goals and aspirations – that’s perfectly fine! Sometimes it takes time (and a lot of it!) to discover and pursue what you are most passionate about. If you’re that someone who has absolutely no idea what the future holds, own up to it with confidence! Instead of becoming nervous and replying, “I don’t know” and then quickly changing the subject, answer with assurance, “I have absolutely no clue but I embrace the uncertainty of my future and know that I’ll figure it out with time!”

No matter how unclear the crystal ball of your future may seem, be optimistic and embrace uncertainty. Instead of dreading it or dwelling over it, choose to live each day with enthusiasm towards your ambiguous future. Have faith that no matter what path you choose, you’ll create something beautiful with your life.

Happy embracing uncertainty,

Jordan Brown