5 Ways to Begin ‘Figuring Out’

3 min readMay 10, 2022

One of the biggest reasons I started Figuring Out was because I know firsthand the feeling of being lost when someone asks you what plans you have for the future. More than something that demands a staple answer, it’s a question that digs deep into your life and prompts serious thinking. Often, there is no simple response.

In my podcast with Papa CJ, we spoke quite a bit about what the answer ‘figuring out’ entails and why it might be something crucial for all of us:

1. Attitude of openness

Something I’ve always practiced in life is the habit of approaching and viewing every stranger I interact with as a person who could have something invaluable to teach me. This encourages an aura of free reception where you’re ever-ready to learn and absorb lessons or be available for opportunities, regardless of who the stranger may be or what they offer.

2. The mindset game

Building on that first point, an attitude of openness, in turn, creates a mindset sorely needed to actually ‘figure yourself out’ in life. It’s no exaggeration to say that maintaining a mindset where you’re open to all possibilities can be hugely beneficial in the long run. So, if we already know the ABC’s of how to get doors to open for us, why delay the process?

3. Ignoring the call to ‘settle’

I’m sure a lot of you will have heard the age-old familiar dialogue: “Stop experimenting now and start to settle down.”
When you hear this from elders or the rest of society, what they have in mind is the rigid template of life that has always been followed. Graduate from a good college, bust your back at your job, get married when you’re told, work your way up, and have kids when it’s the ‘appropriate’ time. There is no space for your individual growth curve which is stifling.

4. Understand that nobody has it sorted

While it always looks like peers your age and every Sharmaji ka Beta has life figured out, Papa CJ assures that nobody really does. After all, this is life, it’s something unpredictable and dynamic, and there has to be space for changes along the way. Even the best college degree or highest-paying job can’t determine where you’ll end. Putting everything in a box is a crime we’re all guilty of. But there’s no point in tethering yourself to a timetable that pleases everybody else but doesn’t work for you.

5. Drive to innovate

You don’t need to live life-based on the same box that everybody has always asked you to get in. There’s a whole big world and so many new things and fields waiting to be discovered. A crucial part of the ‘figuring out’ journey is also realizing that you can merge two or more fields that you’re invested in and create your own path. There doesn’t need to be one already decided for you. Innovation brings out a part of us that automatically drives us towards what sparks joy, so why should you choose to have a quick, concrete answer if ‘figuring out’ can help you get there eventually?
Don’t let anyone place unnecessary pressure on you, and you’ll be just fine.

To follow the rest of the fun discussion, check out the podcast here.