What should I do with my life? It’s a question on the minds of most young people. But you should be asking this question no matter your age. If not, you’re in danger of living by default instead of design.
That’s the argument made by Suzy Welch, a prominent professor at the NYU Stern School of Business. And it’s an argument I happen to agree with.
But how do you actually answer the question?
Professor Welch has a three-part recipe for finding your purpose. (By the way, she argues that happiness is an emergent property of purpose— so we should be chasing purpose instead of happiness.)
Anyway, back to her recipe: she says purpose can be found at the intersection of these three dimensions:
Values. It’s an anodyne term, and yet, it’s a vital concept. Values are the things you actually care about, the stuff that drives your decisions (when you’re honest with yourself). According to Welch, only about 7% of people can name their values clearly. She has created an online test, the Values Bridge, if you want to discern your own values.
Aptitudes. This is your natural wiring—how you’re built, how other people experience you. Are you a generalist or a specialist? More about the future or the here-and-now? Do you thrive on throwing out wild ideas or quietly grinding? If you’re out of sync with your wiring, you’re probably going to be miserable at work. So how do you figure out your aptitudes? Welch suggests noticing when work has felt natural versus forced — she compares it to writing with your dominant versus non-dominant hand — and asking people around you how they experience you. Aptitudes aren’t just what you think you’re good at; they’re also how the world perceives you.
Economically Viable Interests. Translation: the work you actually want to do and can get paid for. Most of us box ourselves into just a few obvious options, but Welch points out there are 135 industries out there, plus a bunch of megatrends shaping the future. Her advice is to widen your aperture: don’t just settle for the three or four jobs you already know. Get curious about industries you’ve never considered, explore how new trends like AI or renewable energy are reshaping the landscape, and imagine what roles might align with your values and aptitudes.
Together, these three layers form a kind of Venn diagram. Your purpose sits in the overlap.
For more on how to find your purpose—and how to keep yourself from drifting into “default mode”—check out today’s episode of the 10% Happier podcast with Suzy Welch.
Paid subscribers also get a companion meditation from our September Teacher of the Month, Vinny Ferraro. This one’s called “For When You Feel Lost” and is designed to help you realign with what matters most to you, so you can make choices that reflect your deepest values.
Vinny is next going live tomorrow, Sept. 16, at 4:00 p.m. ET with our executive producer, DJ Cashmere, for a guided meditation and Q&A exclusively for paid subscribers. Don’t miss it.
Sunday, Sept. 21 from 1-5 p.m. ET, join me and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as we lead a workshop titled, “Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety.” This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here.
Finally: Jeff Warren, Sebene Selassie, Ofosu Jones-Quartey, and I are doing another version of our annual Meditation Party retreat this Oct. 24-26. It’s at the Omega Institute in upstate NY. You should come. You can sign up here.
Paid subscribers get the 10% Happier podcast ad-free, as well as:
A cheatsheet for each episode — with key takeaways, time-coded highlights, and a transcript
The ability to comment on posts and participate in subscriber chats
Access to our weekly live video sessions, in which I and/or our meditation Teacher of the Month guide a meditation and take questions
Tailor-made meditations every Monday and Wednesday, led by our meditation Teacher of the Month and designed to pair with the podcast episodes
Join the party.
Episode cheatsheet
The big takeaway
Suzy Welch joins Dan to unpack a practical process for answering the age-old question, “What should I do with my life?” Her approach isn’t just for career starters, but for anyone at any age feeling the need for a reset. Suzy’s "Becoming You" framework helps you get clear on your values, aptitudes, and interests—offering a rigorous, compassionate roadmap to crafting an authentic, fulfilled life.
Designing (not drifting) into your purpose: Suzy Welch’s roadmap for what to do with your life
Key takeaways:
Living by design means intentionally shaping your life around your authentic values, instead of defaulting to what others expect or old plans that no longer fit.
“Purpose” and “happiness” aren’t identical—pursuing real purpose creates deeper, more sustainable happiness than chasing fleeting moments of pleasure.
You can (and should!) redefine your path at any age; purpose-seeking isn’t only for the young or the lost.
Success is personal—knowing your unique mix of values and aptitudes, and how you define “winning,” is key to meaningful work and life choices.
6 practical tips for crafting your own authentic life:
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Dan Harris to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.