My head is in a mess now. What should I do about choosing a career?

This issue has persisted for over two millennia. Zhuangzi observed, "My lifespan is finite, but knowledge is limitless."

"Pursuing the finite with the infinite is a risky proposition."

While my life is finite, knowledge is infinite. With each new creation, new knowledge emerges. Pursuing infinite knowledge with a finite life will inevitably lead to challenges and risks.

I would like to make three suggestions regarding the learning process.

First, apply what you have learned. Determine your objective, for example, to overcome a midlife crisis. Then, you can learn management and leadership, creative work to earn extra money, photography to start a business, etc. In short, combine practice with theory. You need to establish a solid foundation for survival.

Secondly, it is important to develop your ability to inspire others. A lack of ideas and inspiration can lead to feelings of frustration and a lack of direction. Reading inspirational and motivational books can help to provide insights and ideas to overcome these challenges.

Third, pursue learning for its intrinsic value. Learning for its own sake is an effective way to foster happiness. Prioritize learning activities that align with your interests, recognizing that they may also serve as a foundation for future income streams.

My recommendation is to first secure a stable position and establish a foundation, then pursue English proficiency, which is a valuable asset in many fields, including enhancing qualifications or taking tests. Subsequently, select a major that aligns with your interests and take the relevant tests to identify related job opportunities. Additionally, you can leverage your skills as a side business.

Hello, I'm Ava, the little whale.

From what you've said, I can see you're feeling a bit confused. Career planning is something a lot of young people struggle with, so don't be too hard on yourself, but also don't give up on yourself.

Based on what you've told me, I've got a few thoughts that I hope you'll find helpful.

1. What's your major? What are you interested in? A lot of people are confused because they don't know what they really want. Try writing down what you're capable of, then list the things you want to do, and then match and sort them yourself. This process will give you a clearer understanding of yourself.

2. You said you want to work now but also something more stable with a higher salary. You're studying for a qualification too. What's stable for one person isn't for another. Some people will resign even if they're in the public sector, while others will work in a private company until they retire. You might have too much free time, which has led to idle thoughts. Maybe you could start by looking for a part-time job. I don't know what skills you have, so I can't give you specific advice. There's some part-time job information online, so you could look for it yourself, but you need to carefully verify the authenticity of the information.

3. There are lots of resources for learning English, including some national education platforms, some apps, and resources on Bilibili and other sites. It depends on which aspect of English you want to improve – speaking, listening, reading or writing – you can find a suitable course yourself. As for the time issue, it depends on whether you really want to learn. Time is like water in a sponge – if you squeeze it, it comes out. If you fish for three days and then stop for two, you won't get anywhere, and you'll have wasted your time.

4. You said you want to work in operations, but it seems like you don't have the right qualifications. You can go to a job recruitment website and look at the requirements for operations recruitment to see what you need to work on to improve yourself in a targeted way. Also, some companies aren't as strict about their requirements, and there's also on-the-job training, so you can gain experience while working.

5. When it comes to choosing between self-improvement and employment, it's important to consider your current situation. If you're not under financial pressure, you might want to focus on your own goals. However, if you're facing financial challenges, it's probably a good idea to look for a job first. After all, you have to survive before you can live your best life, and it's important to be flexible and forgiving of yourself along the way.

I hope this helps. Best of luck, and I hope you get everything you want.

Good day. I observe you.

I empathize with your sentiments. At 30 years of age, you aspire to identify a trajectory that will facilitate your continued growth and maturation. However, you are also apprehensive that an erroneous decision might further impede your future development. This is a pervasive concern that many individuals grapple with, and you are not alone in this experience.

It is my hope that the following perspectives will prove inspiring.

1. The manner in which we describe the past

One's attitude toward the past can influence one's attitude toward the present self.

From your description, it appears that you are dissatisfied with the past. You believe that, due to your own perceptions and other factors, you have made numerous erroneous decisions, squandered your youth, failed to develop essential skills, and failed to establish a foundation for the future.

The past exists objectively and is also subjectively described. History is a malleable entity that can be interpreted in various ways.

In the role of our own historian, how would we portray this young girl?

It is possible that an excessively negative and pessimistic portrayal of one's past may result in a diminished capacity to make decisions in the present. This may be due to the formation of a self-critical judgment, such as "We consistently make poor decisions, so I will refrain from making any decisions now to avoid future self-criticism."

In order to be more benevolent towards our past selves and our present selves, it would be beneficial to describe our past in a different way. For example, we could say: "The young girl who persistently knocked on doors and searched for a way out, despite being naive and stubborn, was actually quite admirable. She has already accumulated a wealth of professional experience, and each experience has its own unique significance."

It is possible that your career is not yet flourishing and that you have not yet identified a clear starting point. However, the potential for inner awakening is significant, and there are undoubtedly resources and advantages to be discovered in past experiences. What is required at this stage is patience, a positive outlook, and good health.

It is recommended that one wait for the flowers to bloom.

2. Regarding "choices"

You have a plethora of knowledge you aspire to acquire and a keen awareness of the importance of making informed decisions.

The process of aging is, in a sense, a form of loss. It is natural for individuals to seek a sense of stability and purpose in the face of the inevitable passage of time and the associated decline in physical and mental faculties that accompany it.

The objective is to establish a consistent link with a specific activity, whether it be a job, a skill, or an interest. This will alleviate some of the age-related anxiety and provide a sense of stability.

These tasks may vary in scope and complexity. It may be beneficial to categorize them in order to identify which tasks provide the greatest stability at this stage and which tasks can be pursued as diversions.

For example, if one's next position offers the greatest sense of stability, then work should be the primary focus, while skills and certificates should be regarded as mere diversions. By establishing a main focus and a secondary focus, it is possible to gain a clear understanding of the path ahead and to move forward in a steady manner.

In the event of significant confusion and an inability to prioritize among the aforementioned options, there is no obligation to force a solution. An alternative approach would be to divide the tasks equally, for example, allocating half an hour to English each day, half an hour to skills, half an hour to certificates, half an hour to job information, and half an hour to operations.

Allocating half an hour to effective persistence on a daily basis can also prove beneficial in the long term. It may be the case that, as a result of pursuing these activities, some goals can be temporarily set aside while others are pursued for a longer period of time.

In summary, taking action has been demonstrated to reduce anxiety and facilitate relaxation, thereby enhancing one's ability to discern a course of action and to persist in the face of challenges. Furthermore, it has been shown to engender positive feedback and to foster greater mental resilience, which is a highly valuable quality.

It is my hope that the aforementioned perspectives will prove beneficial to you. Sincerely,