What Should I DO With My Life by Po Bronson

🚄Quick Summary

  1. A book that wants to help you find your path by hearing how random life can be, through the successes and failures of others who have tried to find their way.
  2. We can be lulled into believing that there is a blueprint for what we should be doing to feel fulfilled, but the reality is that life is more complex than this.
  3. Finding your path should involve trials, mistakes, successes and failures, and a key part of this is giving yourself the opportunity to feel each of these.

📚Why I Read It

Like many, I was looking for the blueprint of what I should be doing with my life. Initially, I was disappointed to find that this wasn’t the standard self-help book I had expected, but instead a catalogue of the author’s conversations with people who found, and in some cases didn’t find, what they wanted to be doing with their life. This became a refreshing assessment of how we can better understand what we want to be doing with our lives.

🤷‍♀️Who It’s For

I would recommend this book for anyone who feels like they haven’t yet found their path in life. Prepare to read different stories of people who had tried to find their own path, and hopefully take away your own view of how this applies to you.

📝Top 5 Takeaways

  1. Don’t be afraid to consider making a change to improve your life, even when everything around you feels good.
  2. Carefully consider who you spend the majority of your time with, and ensure they are helping you to grow in ways that you want to.
  3. Aim to be a generalist until you are provided with an opportunity to specialise, which interests you.
  4. Have a long-term vision, so that if something in the short term doesn’t turn out as expected, you can find new ways to progress to the main goal.
  5. Epiphanies are a myth, so don’t wait for one to determine where you want to go in your life. 

🧠Deep Notes & Ideas 

Top 10 Insights

1. Embrace Change, Even When Times Are Good

One of the book's compelling questions is whether we have the power or desire to change our lives, possibly taking a risk, when times are good. Bronson suggests that significant changes often occur during difficult times, but recognising the need for change and taking action during good times can lead to even greater fulfilment.

2. Patience and Self-Discovery

The book emphasises that it may take time, but with patience, we will continually work towards learning about ourselves and what our end goal looks like. Self-discovery is a gradual process requiring persistence, a theme Bronson illustrates through various examples.

3. Flexibility in Your Vision

Being open to your vision changing and altering is another key insight. As we grow and learn, our goals and aspirations may evolve. Bronson encourages embracing this flexibility and allowing your vision to adapt to new insights and experiences.

4. Strategic Planning and Adaptation

Once you have a vision for what you want your life to be, the book advises planning how to get there. When a plan fails, try a different approach. The key is to keep your end goal in sight while being adaptable in your methods.

5. The Influence of Your Inner Circle

The book prompts readers to consider who is in their "Inner Circle" and how they shape their perspective. It’s important to step back and evaluate what you truly want from life, independent of others' expectations. This clarity often comes through trial and error.

6. Time Perception and Milestones

Another significant insight is not to worry about “running out of time.” When a vision is tied to achieving milestones by a certain age, it’s easy to panic when they don’t happen. The author reassures that experiences shape us and that moving on to new goals can be just as fulfilling.

7. The Power of Being a Generalist

The book makes a strong case for being a generalist, enabling you to try various paths in life. If you find one that suits you, you have the choice to stick with it or explore further. This approach offers flexibility and resilience.

8. Aligning Business with Beliefs

If your path is in business, the book suggests using it as a tool to support what you believe in. Business can be a powerful means to achieve your personal and community goals, as illustrated by the author through various examples.

9. Building a Community

Finding like-minded people and building a community around shared learning experiences is another key point. A supportive community can push you to probe deeper into important questions about yourself. 

10. Action Over Epiphanies

The book advises against waiting for an epiphany to determine your future. Personal growth is about getting out and trying new experiences. Taking proactive steps is more beneficial than waiting for a sudden moment of clarity.

Additional Insights

The Catalyst for Change

The book highlights that significant change often happens during challenging times—layoffs, illnesses, or personal losses. These moments can push us to re-evaluate and pursue a better life, sometimes stumbling upon it rather than through careful planning.

Vision and Adaptation

Russell, a figure highlighted in the book, had a clear vision for his future. When one plan failed, he moved to the next, maintaining his end goal. His balanced life and adaptability allowed him to progress without burnout.

Valuing Effort

We often don’t value the things that come easily to us. It’s the things we work for and earn that we treasure most. The book encourages recognising and appreciating the effort put into achieving goals.

Perspective and Clarity

“Our surroundings may change, but our perspective lags.”

Bronson emphasises the importance of asking whether we’re seeing the world through our own eyes or through external influences. Finding your true perspective can lead to more authentic decisions.

Community and Growth

The book illustrates the transformative effect of surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals. Together, you can explore new ideas, challenge each other, and grow in ways you might not achieve alone.

Embracing Trials and Mistakes

A calling is not something you know from the start; it’s something you grow into through trials and mistakes. The book suggests not shying away from challenges, but using them to align what you do with who you are.

Lifelong Learning

The book describes freedom as the confidence that you can live within the means of something you’re passionate about. Success at the wrong thing can be a trap, so the focus should be on finding work that aligns with your true self.

Embracing Honest Reflection

Being honest with yourself and others is crucial. The book emphasises personal growth as involving uncovering and peeling away layers to discover talents you didn’t know you had. Letting the world change you is just as important as aiming to change it.

✍️Favourite Quotes

  1. “True Change Artists are able to have many powerfully intense passions. Change on the horizon is not an excuse to avoid getting emotionally involved in the present.”
  2. “Our surroundings may have changed, but our perspective lags. We all have our ways of looking at the world, and we have to ask, “Am I looking through my own eyes, or am I looking through glasses I don’t even realize are there?””
  3. “Do not wait for the kind of clarity that comes with epiphanies. In the nine hundred plus stories I heard in my research, almost nobody was struck with an epiphany.”
  4. “I’m glad I never found the stories I was originally looking for. Instead, I found true stories, full of messy complications, with wonderful outcomes nevertheless.”
  5. “I used to want to change the world. Now I’m open to letting it change me.”

 đŸ“ˆHow I’m Using It

I like to use this book as a reminder that our path in life can be messy and complicated, but that doesn’t mean you are doing something wrong. By finding long-term visions that interest me, it is possible to ride the waves of life more comfortably, knowing where I want to go, but remaining flexible to the potential journey. 

🧐Final Thoughts

The journey of self-improvement is a continuous process of learning, adapting, and growing. By applying the insights from this book and remaining open to change, you can navigate your path with resilience and purpose. Remember, it's not about waiting for the perfect moment but about creating opportunities through action and reflection.