Here’s a number that should worry all of us: after years of volunteering with students, I can tell you that most young people reach Grade 12 without ever discovering what they truly want to do. They pick a program because a parent suggested it, a friend chose it, or the deadline arrived. And then a large share of them drop out in first year — not because they aren’t capable, but because they were never working toward anything.

Start with the question nobody asks

Before “what pays well?” or “what’s safe?”, there’s a harder and more useful question: what do you actually want your days to look like? Not job titles — days. Do you want to build things? Solve problems with people? Work with numbers? Be outdoors? A career is thousands of ordinary days; choose for the days, not the title.

Make it visual

At eighteen, I learned to visualize my goals — and it changed the direction of my life. I pictured my future clearly enough that I went back, rewrote my school exams, and chose accounting when everyone expected something else. What you can see clearly, you can work toward. That’s why every career coaching client of mine builds a vision board.

Then test it in the real world

• Talk to three people who do the job you’re considering — ask what an ordinary Tuesday looks like
• Volunteer or shadow before you commit to a program
• Write down what energized you and what drained you after each experience
• Review and adjust — a career decision is a series of experiments, not one big leap

You don’t have to figure this out alone. Book your free Discovery Session →