So in an effort to help you find the "ideal" job or career you may ask yourself, "what do I want to do?" But that question may do more harm than good. Unfortunately, you may not be able to come up with an answer that really helps you... if you think of an answer at all. This may be because you don't know what you want to do... or because there are just too many things you want to do... or because it's a loaded question: it implies that there must be one answer, which you just can't decide on.

Well, I'm here to tell you that you don't have to have an answer to the question of what you want to do. Indeed, if you want an "answer" to help you in your quest to find a fulfilling career, I urge you to ask yourself something else: what do you want to learn? And, in answering this question, I recommend you get a piece of paper or load up Notepad on your computer and write out all the work-related skills and knowledge you'd like to acquire. Now, arrange each thing you want to learn in order of priority. Finally, consider what careers or jobs will probably teach you what you want to know in the priority you want to know it.

Just keep in mind that you may not be able to learn everything from one career, job or company. And what you want to learn may change too.

Nevertheless, you have a solid idea of what skills and knowledge you want now, and which jobs or careers are likely to deliver these skills and knowledge.

Now, as you can tell, there's an assumption here: that basing your next career move on what you most want to learn is the best way to find a fulfilling career. Although you could certainly base your next career choice on other factors - like more pay - I do consider that if you're unhappy in your current job or career and want to make a change but don't know what to, then this approach is your best chance.

Hence, stop worrying about what you want to do - or worrying that you don't know what you want to do - and instead consider what you want to learn. Not only are you more likely to learn the things you want to learn, but you're also more likely to arrive at job(s) and career(s) (be there one or many) that fulfill you.