At 18 years old I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. There was no ideal job or career. I did not have a burning desire to be….well, anything. I had friends who knew they wanted to be lawyers and teachers and film-makers, but me? Not a clue.

It was only in the middle of my university degree that it struck me that I could make some money doing what I already like doing: being active. And through research I found a programme that said it would train me to help keep others active.

But still, I had no idea what I ‘wanted to be’.

A good few years later, I’m convinced the question we should ask ourselves is not ‘what do I want to be?’ but instead ‘what do I want my life to look like?’ This question gets you to think about how you want to live your life, and what you want to be doing during your days.

It’s not a secret that by knowing where you want to go, you’ll have a better chance of getting there. I’ve found often we only think about where we’re going in the context of ‘work’ and forget to look at all facets of life. If you identify what you would like to have at home, work and play, the likelihood of achieving your goals in all areas increases significantly.

By following the path that’s simply laid out in front of you without asking if it’s a path you’re interested in, you might find yourself in a place you don’t really want to be. Ask yourself; what do you want to be doing today? Sleeping in? Training? Meeting with different people? Raising kids?  Travelling?  Whatever it is, figure that out first. Then design your career around that.

While you define what you want at home, work and play, remember life happens while you make plans. Be prepared to change what you thought you wanted. But most of all be prepared to get what you asked for.