Day 16: Finding the compass

Question of the day: who am I?

Or, more specifically, what makes me unique?

Every part of my day today was in service of the answer to this question. I woke up and went on a long walk along the river with no specific intention in mind. Once I returned, I opened a mind mapping tool and elaborated as much as I could about the tangible aspects of who I am. It started with broad concepts like my personal identity, my interests, and my priorities. Then, I drilled deeper into those concepts, asking questions about what specifically about those things I care most about. Finally, I ended the day with another stroll to the park with, once again, no clear intention in mind.

A mind-map I created about myself

No, I haven’t arrived at some miracle answer. Instead, I learned more about what I don’t know about myself. The mind-map contained lots of hobbies and physical aspects of myself, but notably absent were the driving forces that led me to hobbies and core values that keep me going.

Late at night, I concluded with a friend what the issue might be. I don’t have a clear goal anymore. No clear goal for the next month, the next year, or the next 5 years. Without a goal in mind, every opportunity will seem just as attractive as the next, and I’ll keep jumping around with this “shiny object syndrome.” For tomorrow at least, my goal will be to write something down. Something ambitious enough to fend off mediocrity, and something personally fulfilling enough to keep me going.