<p>background: i'm 20 years old going into my senior year at a university.</p>
<p>i can't stand all this deciding and choosing in life. i gotta decide who i want to be but there are a trillion ways to live life. here are a couple things i can do this summer of junior year in college: intern, summer school, practice guitar, improve in basketball, read a ton of books, read finance books or enjoy thriller novels, think about starting a business, ask professors for research opportunity, find a girlfriend, watch hulu, what tv show to start watching or should i finish watching episodes of seinfeld i always missed. i don't know what the **** i'm going to do. i still gotta decide whether i should go to grad school or not. that means i gotta study for the GRE!!!</p>
<p>what the heck!</p>
<p>i understand i have to have commitment. but how?!?! </p>
<p>i can read a finance book for a couple hours and then it will honestly be boring and i think that i'm just wasting my time (think day traders who live through their tickers when the index fund beats them in the long run). i'll put it down and watch hulu.com or something. i might try another day but i might be trying to tackle something else like working out at the gym and gaining muscle mass to reach my target. at this rate, i won't accomplish anything!!!! i'm constantly burning out and imagining all the dead ends in the pursuits i'm taking.</p>
<p>the worse part about it:</p>
<p>i get really sad and depressed from all this. i don't know what to do. all i know is i want to be successful but i'm imagining all these possibilities and risks as well. have you ever thought about starting your own business - and you've got a million ideas but no real plans? if so, you know what i'm talking about. </p>
<p>how i feel: i feel spread out thin. feeling lonely and questioning my future.</p>
<p>question: what do i do? this is a super vague question for a super vague period of my life.</p>
<p>You probably have a good 60 summers ahead of you one way or another. Prioritize and pick <em>2</em> goals for the summer. Do a few hours of work/study towards those 2 goals 5 days a week. On weekends or whatever 2 days a week you want to have “off” … dabble in your fun list of other things as time permits. Stay disciplined… try it for at least 2 weeks before you decide if perhaps you picked the wrong 2 top things to focus on.</p>
<p>If the 2 things you picked are good or fairly good… finish the summer off with those 2 priorities.</p>
<p>Remember, NEXT summer you can pick 2 entirely different top priorities. </p>
<p>It is okay if you don’t progress forward super fast right now, you’re young.</p>
<p>It is okay if you take a gap year (or two) before you go into grad school. It would be MUCH better for yo to take that gap time rather than leap blindly into a grad school program you aren’t ready to commit to.</p>
<p>Focus on getting your BA/BS degree for now. </p>
<p>It is a little late for internships and research positions, but that would be the most interesting and helpful over the long run. You an fill in your time with the rest.</p>
<p>You’ve got a million great ideas, but before you can do one, you think of another. Then you get down on yourself for not finishing/following through. You overwhelm yourself with all the possibilities. </p>
<p>Get the book Delivered from Distraction by Edward Hallowell.
See if any of the ADD stuff sounds like you. Then follow his ideas about how to use your creativity and out of the box thinking in a positive way instead of making yourself depressed about it.</p>
<p>Based on the way you write and think, I’m thinking marketing and promotion. Something creative with focused problem solving. You have a flair for self expression and although you sounded easily distracted, your post is very organized and clear. If you aren’t interested in finance, why are you reading books about it?</p>
<p>You mean for this summer? GET A JOB. Quit indulging yourself—I mean really–putting guitar and Hulu on the same list as an internship? Seriously?</p>
<p>It is too late for internships unless you meant use this summer to pursue internships for next year (which yes, is a Very Good Idea).</p>
<p>If you are asking about how to spend the next three months of your life, then quit fiddling around and get a job, and yes–study for GRE’s or plan internships or meet with professors or read Finance books–in your off time. </p>
<p>You simply don’t have the luxury of navel gazing anymore–it’s a tough world out there and learning to live with less than desired is going to separate those who make it from those who don’t.</p>
<p>Volunteer at the local soup kitchen or food pantry. Three things will happen: you’ll get your butt out of the house, you’ll realize that you’ve got it pretty good, and you’ll actually help someone else. </p>
<p>You’ll be amazed what you can see when you change your perspective.</p>
<p>While you are volunteering at the soup kitchen, go find the book, “I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was” by Barbara Sher. Read it. </p>
<p>If that’s the only book you read this summer (along with the ‘Delivered from Distraction’ one, that sounds helpful too) then it will have been time well spent.</p>
<p>It sounds as if you are overwhelmed and spinning your wheels. Never fun. Sit down, read this book, take a deep breath, then proceed with the course of action you mapped out while reading it.</p>
<p>Edited to add - You’re 20 and already a senior at university? That’s pretty young to my eyes. My sons just turned 19 a week after they graduated from high school and will be starting college this fall. Getting a lot accomplished at a young age is great…but let’s face it, you ARE still pretty young. Everyone is different, but I can’t imagine my sons handling all you are dealing with just a year from now. They’re pretty responsible young men, but still…</p>