Choosing a Major for 2026 (Or Job, Focus, Interest, etc)

2026 has arrived, and with that some new goals as well as some old goals with new revisions. And just as you have to take care in choosing your goals, you have to take care in choosing your interests, college major, career path, and even the jobs you apply to. 

#Goals2026 #WhatTheFocus

WORKSHEET: Know Thyself

WORKSHEET: Friend Interview

Transcript

Introduction

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Hello and welcome to the Thinking Ahead Podcast. My name is Ronaldo Stevens, and I'm your host on this journey to find out more and discover the truth about careers, college, and finance. Confucius, ancient Chinese philosopher, once said, The man who chases two rabbits catches neither. While he may very well have been talking about actual hunting, or Elmer Fudd antics, I take this quote to mean the person who chases two targets at the same time ends up getting neither. And I think he means that literally as well as figuratively. When rabbits run, they scatter in different directions, they split. As in splitting your attention. And while you have multiple goals in life, and you should be working toward your goals with daily practice, when it comes to choosing a career, a major, or even a job change, you can't really be chasing two positions at the same time. You can't become a top doctor with a master's in English at the same time as trying to become an aeronautics engineer and the world's top archer. Oliver Queen has that covered. So in today's episode, we're going to discuss some questions people usually ask themselves when they're trying to find focus. After all, the new year is usually a time that people stop and reflect on where they've been and where they're going. If you're a junior or senior in high school, you're probably thinking about your post-high school trajectory. If you're in your final year of college, you're probably thinking about your work life. And if you're not in school and working, you might be thinking about how to make this year better, with interests, jobs, or even time spent with family. In all these cases, you might find yourself asking one of these five questions. First, what should I do with my life? This is a very generic question when it's broken down, but it is still a good question to ask, and probably the first question a lot of people come to. I like to refer to Maslow's hierarchy of needs when we're talking about this, because if you're dealing with that first level of needs, the shelter, food, safety, and the bottom level, you're probably not asking yourself this question because you're still trying to get yourself situated. However, once you have your basic needs met, you start looking at money versus fulfillment. There comes a time in your working life when you're making money at what you do, but you don't feel fulfilled. Some people actually never get this feeling. They feel that a job is only there to make money, and that retirement is the ultimate goal in life. If you're like me, however, you know that work doesn't have to be drudgery all the time, and that the golden vision of retirement is not what you should be aiming for. You know that there should be moments in your current job or in your career where you feel rewarded and worthwhile. Sometimes this is found more in who you are around than in what you're doing, but that ties partially into lifestyle design, which we'll discuss a little bit later. My point is this. Early in your work life, or early in your life in general, you will have to make some crucial financial and work decisions, and those decisions are going to play a huge role in setting up your life and success as you go through the years and your daily decisions and choices compound. However, you also need to pay attention to your inner health and find out what fulfills you. People call it foolish to take a pay cut for a job that's more fulfilling, but the people that took that pay cut to get that job, they know what they want. And they know what it costs to not get what they want. The next thing that you consider when asking yourself what to do with your life is the warm body problem or the warm body dilemma. This refers to finding a job, interest, or path that is available versus you wanting or desiring it. If you look for jobs according to what's available only, you may never find your purpose and feel empty over time. And it's not necessarily a bad thing to look for a job based on availability, especially early in your work life. Because heck, when I was in high school, I didn't seek out my calling at Brahms Ice Cream. It was just where several of my friends worked, it wasn't too far from the house, and it paid decent. I needed the job. And yes, I was the best milkshake maker in the place, earning me the nickname Shake Master, but it wasn't my calling. Most of you listening probably don't have the goal of working fast food your entire life, or even your current job, or, you know, at the ice cream shop, no matter how fresh and tasty the milkshakes and burgers are, but what does end up happening to a lot of people is that they get complacent because they have a job and are earning money, and they consider that good enough. But good enough often keeps you from the next level, especially if it's not your main goal. To avoid the warm body dilemma, sitting in a job or an interest simply because you have it, continue to question yourself and hone your skills towards what you desire and what you feel in your spirit. Something else to consider when asking yourself the question what I should do with my life, is that many people feel that they should turn their hobbies into careers, but this can be a misguided track. I was going to say dangerous, but I think misguided is a better word. The biggest question to ask when considering a hobby as work is do I want to do this for myself or for other people? Not everybody that tends their own yard and garden wants to be a gardener. They may enjoy the outdoor time and relaxing, but when something becomes a job, there is an extra level of care that must be tended to since it's for others. An extra level of social interaction also. Another thing to consider on turning your interests into careers is how strongly the spark is in you to pursue it. One way to figure this out is how you feel when people compliment you on something you do or some aspect about you, whether it's part of your job or hobby. When people compliment you, you should feel either what I call the spark, the fire, or the ash. If it's a spark and someone says you're good at something, or they compliment how great it is, you might feel, or you might think to yourself, hmm, this is something worth pursuing, or I should look more into this. You know, there's wonder and curiosity. If you have the fire in you, then you'll probably think in your head, or say to them, Thank you, I've been putting time and work into this for a while, I'm glad it's paying off. Again, the emotion would be a healthy pride or a sense of accomplishment. And if it's ash, then you might say to them or say to yourself, Yeah, yeah, I know, I get it. And there's sort of a bitterness in there. If you're feeling more of that last one, it might be time to find another passion or another interest, or another job, so that the bitterness doesn't start leaking over into other parts of your life. My final note on asking the question, what should I do with my life, is this. Work is work. You're going to have to do something that you don't necessarily feel like doing at some point. Think of all the all-star athletes that have to do practice, the entrepreneurs that have to do legal meetings. Heck, even if you're in a normal job, networking for like 90% of people is undesirable, yet everyone knows how beneficial it is. When it comes down to the daily work, there are going to be times you'd rather be doing something else. However, as a famous book once said, all hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Moving forward in your 2026 decision making or focus tree, you might ask yourself, as far as career and future opportunities go, what should I major in? Or what job do I want? The first thing I'm going to say is controversial for some people, but it shouldn't be. For those that are in high school or even post-high school and considering what major or degree they should get, first thing you need to know is that college is not for everyone. People always use the stats of college graduates earning more, but just as there are jobs that require degrees that pay very little, there are jobs that don't require degrees that pay a lot. Elevator mechanic anyone? You have to consider your learning style and path before considering if college is needed, which comes before choosing a major. And this leads us to the education path. Yes, you'll have to learn something, but now you have to consider whether it's going to be a degree, versus getting a certificate, versus getting experience. And all three are best, but you have to start somewhere. Vocational school, apprenticeships, volunteering, and military are a path to consider besides college, but if you've done the interest and know thyself worksheet that I mentioned in episode 2, you should have an idea of your strengths and interests, and that will help you out with finding out which path you should take. Something else to consider is that 85% of work is determined by past experience, but future goals don't have to be. If you want to be a lawyer in five years, you have to spend the next five years gaining lawyer knowledge and experience. If you want to be a dancer in five years, you have to spend the next five years gaining dancing knowledge and experience. One of the most difficult parts of finding work is becoming the person you need to be for the job or career you want. Many adults, and I've been guilty of this as well, fall into the trap of finding what's available now, what you have the skills for now, i.e. the warm body dilemma. Now, for some other follow-up questions that also play into the choosing a career or job or interest focus. three, what kind of lifestyle do I want? Most people don't think about this until they get over the mid-20s hump of their defining decade in life. This was told to me by the book Defining Decade, it's a great read. But let's be honest, when you're young, you just want to make sure you have enough money and time to hang out with your friends, go out on occasion, and enjoy time alone on occasion. However, if you like city life and want to be a wildlife park ranger, there may be some disconnect going on between what you want to do and where you'd like to live. Most of the times you can find a pleasant compromise, but that does take work and research. For the park ranger, I'm sure that Three Forks Montana has a decent nightlife. A few things to consider when thinking about your lifestyle. Do not chase only money. Many people think that more money equals more freedom, but if you are not consciously spending your money, unconsciously earning more won't help. Determine what it is you want first, and then you'll probably realize you actually don't need that much to get it. Especially if you avoid large debt like student loans and overpriced housing. Next to consider is your family, your friends, and your free time. Who do you want to spend your free moments with and doing what? Yes, we work for eight hours a day, but for most adults, when asked what we did on a given day, we focus on one or two hours worth of action. What you do with your other eight waking hours is just as important as what you do with your working ones. Last on the lifestyle is that it will change with age. That is, your desires will change with age. As I mentioned, when we're young, we mostly want to spend time around all of our friends from high school or college. As we grow older, we form deeper connections in work, hobbies, and relationships, and we change. The trope of kids change everything is played out, but it's true that having little ones to take care of changes your priorities. You should plan for what ifs, but also be sure to not forsake the present for the future. You are here now. You know what you like now. You don't know for sure what you will like in five years, but don't be surprised if it changes. The next question that comes up when people are trying to find a career track is usually the one people start with, and that is what am I good at? The answer to this should not surprise you, especially if you've already done the Know Thyself worksheets, but it's still very important to keep in mind and refresh your skills list over time. As I've said, 85% of work or interest is determined by past experience. This goes for college majors and vocations too, which is why it's important to have many different experiences throughout your life so that you can gain insight into natural ability as well as your learning style. However, the best question to ask when determining your educational track, your interest, your jobs, anything that you want to improve on is what do I want to be great at? I re-emphasize, this is not just a college question. This is equally important in vocational skilled labor, current ongoing employment, life in general, and any aspect of your being. Where you actively put your time and energy is usually where you grow. I use the word active because some people believe that passive time doing something will gain them the knowledge and experience. This should clearly not be the case because many children sit in the same classes with the same teacher but grow and learn differently. And it has been shown that those actively participating, taking notes, asking questions, even doodling related items or sketches retain the information and apply it better inside and outside of the classroom. You must be active in choosing what you want to grow in. If you want to see more growth, it's important that you participate in daily practice in what you want to be great at. This can be in the form of classes, but also in just doing the thing that you want to do. With the internet, there is no end to the amount of online classes, forums, and videos that can help you grow in your focus. Do the work, see the results. A final thought, and something to remember through the years as you consider your career, your majors, and your interests and hobbies. Your goals, choices, and desires will naturally grow and change with you. I'm going to borrow from John Holland's Making Vocational Choices book and point out there are a number of factors that determine what you do. He states that cultural and environmental exposure lead to the activities that you do. Those activities lead to interests being developed. Those interests over time become competencies. Competency leads to personal disposition and preference, which in turn makes you believe and think a certain way, which means you will seek out certain environments while avoiding other environments. When I was a child, watching cartoons was my jam. This led to me drawing a lot. I got better at drawing, but then I became obsessed with it. I went to college for it, and I kept seeking work for it. But then I changed. I realized I wanted to not just entertain but help people. I also wanted to tell full stories, some that may not be best in the comic medium. And of course I got the itch to tell some of my warning stories so that others wouldn't make some of the mistakes that I or my friends made. Thus, this podcast. People change and grow. And thus goals will change and grow. And I'm looking forward to seeing your growth as well. That's all I have for today. Hopefully this episode helps you start your new year with focus. If you haven't already done so, write down your top three goals of the year. Mine are earn more than$100,000 through creative work, post a podcast episode every two weeks, and have a clean house. They don't seem groundbreaking, but everything starts somewhere, and I think it's important to have the goals and then take the first step toward that goal. If you're unsure of your skill set or your interest, I've included the link to the Know Thyself worksheets, as well as an interview sheet that you can give to your friends for them to fill out about you. Terrifying, I know. But if you're unsure about your skill set, this is a perfect place to start. Until next time, set your goals, do the daily work, and of course, keep thinking ahead.