projects needed wrote:
I am not complaining or looking for sympathy. I realize I have things pretty good. I am just having a hard time feeling any sort of excitement about life. It doesn't seem like I have anything to really ever look forward to, or anything to feel passionate about. In school, there were always projects, grades, new classes, etc, as well as races and upcoming seasons to look forward to. Now that I've been out of school a while (about 7 months) and have a steady job, it just seems like every day is more or the less the same, that I'm not working towards anything. I'm finding it kind of monotonous. I'd like to change things, but I'm not really sure what to do.
What do you do to keep yourself excited about life? What projects do you give yourself to keep you motivated and engaged?
You're not looking for sympathy and, despite the terse nature of this post, I am not judging you or how difficult it can be to find meaning in this stage of life. So here are some suggestions:
+ Join a road running or track club;
+ Volunteer at local road races;
+ Join a book club;
+ Join a bowling league;
+ Look for a local chapter of your college's alumni association and go to lectures or social gatherings;
+ Join a recreational, intramural sports team (soccer, rugby, frisbee, etc.);
+ Join a civic organization (Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions, etc.) and begin volunteering;
+ Find a volunteer opportunity aligned with a social challenge close to your heart (education? public health? the environment?) - look to your State Commission for National and Community Service or City Hall for suggestions about how to start finding ways to give back;
+ Become a Big Brother or a Big Sister and become a mentor;
+ Get some friends from work to go to a pub trivia night together and start a regular routine;
+ Take dance lessons;
+ See if your company offers an internal professional mentoring program and apply to be assigned a mentor;
+ See if your company offers a company-wide community service project and get involved;
+ Join a men's or women's discussion group at your place of worship if you attend one, either a discussion group geared towards young adults or one that is multi-generational because the older folks have been young too, and it's good to meet new people who can teach you cool things;
+ Go to programs at your public library;
+ Make Skype dates with your parents, siblings, or other family members who may not live nearby;
+ Make Skype dates with friends from high school or college who may not live nearby;
+ Invite friends to go running together;
+ Take up rock climbing and meet people at the rock gym;
+ Gain as experience and build your skill set and then see if you can find a new position with your present company or new one that is more in line with your (a) values, (b) interests, (c) passions, because if you love what you do your work becomes a passion (but we all have to start somewhere to figure that out);
+ Adopt a dog and take your dog to the park - dogs are pretty awesome at helping you find meaning in the little things;
+ Don't be afraid to ask others for help, guidance, and time.