What Should I Do With My Life?

A question that’s getting harder to answer.

I had breakfast with some buddies last week, and this is what we talked about. Not that any of us are facing such a crossroad, but we have kids—in some cases grandkids—who are still sorting out their lives.

I’m glad I walked that road a long time ago, because it seems that finding a career—a lifelong pursuit—is a whole lot more confusing now than it ever was.

When I was coming up—in the age of the dinosaurs, as my adult kids would say—I just knew I was college-bound. That was the obvious pathway to success back then, or so I was told. It wasn’t even a question, if you were serious about your future.

You graduated high school, you packed your bags, and you headed off to campus, whether you knew what you wanted to be or not.

And statistically, the world looked different back then. In 1969–70, about 827,000 people earned a four-year degree in the United States. That felt like a lot at that time. Fast-forward to 2023–24, and that number has ballooned to nearly 2 million. Clearly, a lot of folks are still making the same decision I made—just on a much larger scale.

But is the potential payoff still the same?

For me, college did exactly what it promised. I walked out of school and straight into a career in my field of study, and I stayed there for forty years. A clean, neat line from Point A to Point B. No detours. No wandering in the wilderness.

My “what should I do with my life?” question got answered early on, and the rest of my life simply followed its natural course.

But today? For so many, the path is far from obvious.

The cost of college has skyrocketed, leaving graduating students with 5- and 6-digit debt and no promise of a job. Markets are shifting under our feet, like tectonic plates before an earthquake. Technology is changing entire industries faster than a guidance counselor can update a pamphlet.

Now add AI into the mix. Are educational institutions preparing their students for positive outcomes in the midst of this accelerating revolution?

Some, perhaps. I’m not a college student, but from my perch, I suspect most are not. Young people are staring at a landscape where the choices are more diverse, the stakes feel higher, and the consequences feel heavier.

College is still a good option—but it’s no longer the default. And maybe that’s the heart of the tension. When every road is open, choosing the right one feels so much harder.

There are, of course, options to college that appear ever-more promising.

For my longtime best bud, Herschel, a true international entrepreneur, being his own boss came as natural as breathing. He started by making electric guitar parts, shifted to manufacturing whole guitars from those parts, and turned this into a global brand called Schecter.

He went on to become a premier manufacturer of musical instrument bags and cases.

Not a day of college.

Today he owns 29 patents for a new multi-media support system for microphones, lights, cameras, and recording devices. Called Triad Orbit, it has revolutionized how multi-media is managed for online content creation.

And what about the trades? Plumbers who own their own businesses today can make between $100k-$250k. (And you can avoid the crushing debt that a college degree may leave you with.)

Another close friend, Bill, along with his wife Lisa, did very well building and selling single-family custom homes.

I had inclinations toward entrepreneurship, but lacked the guts to follow them. Same thing with my passions—music, drama, and American history.

I don’t envy anyone standing at such crossroads today. But I do admire them. Because asking “What should I do with my life?” isn’t a sign of confusion—it’s a sign of courage. It means you’re thinking, wrestling, weighing, and listening. It means you’re not just drifting into adulthood, or even a second career, but trying to walk into it with purpose.

If you’re someone trying to figure it out, or you love someone who’s on this journey, I pray you gain the wisdom from others to make smart, informed decisions. And if you can wrap your career ambitions with your passions…all the better.

For now, take this as encouragement from someone who’s already walked a long stretch of the road: You don’t have to see your whole life from here. You just need to take the next faithful step.