Back in high school, when I was agonizing over my future career path, my dad told me to make a list of the things in life that make me happy.
Then, split the list into two categories.
The first category includes any type of happiness that you can feel instantaneously. Sipping hot chocolate on a chilly day. Hitting the snooze button to steal another five minutes of sleep. Binge-watching the new season of your favorite show.
The second category includes any type of happiness that takes a long time to appear and a long time to fade. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Mastering difficult skills. Building closer relationships with the people you love.
Some of the items in the first category, my dad explained, might clash with the items in the second. The more hot chocolate you consume, for example, the less nutritious your diet becomes.
But a few items in on your list, just a few, might actually fit into both categories. The best painters in the world obtain joy both from the instantaneous act of painting and from the ultimate goal of becoming a world-class artist. The best soccer players love being out on the field just as much as they love becoming better athletes.
Circle these items, these things that bring you both short-term happiness and long-term happiness.
These are the things that you can spend your life doing, and never feel like you’ve worked a day.
When I tried following my dad’s advice, many of the things that came up had something to do with writing.
In the “instantaneous happiness” category, I had things like reading fantasy novels, writing silly stories, and sharing fanfiction with my friends. In the “long-term happiness” category, I had things like studying writing craft, building a reading community, and trying to write something worthy of publication someday.
All signs pointed in the direction of becoming a fantasy author. I just wasn’t quite brave enough to see it yet.
As a second-generation immigrant from a family of scientists and engineers, it had never occurred to me that becoming a fantasy author was actually a viable future for someone like me.
In the end, it took me a long time to try out that possibility. I ended up studying economics in college and working at a corporate job for several years before I took the leap into becoming a freelance writer.
Remembering that list helps clarify why writing feels so right to me. I love the instantaneous act of writing just as much as I love the long-term vision of it. The act of crafting stories makes me just as happy as the thrill of getting them published.
So, this is your sign to make a list of all the things that make you happy.
And if the list points you in a specific direction, find the courage to listen.
This blog post started its life as an answer I wrote on Quora back in 2019. You can read the original answer here.
I’m Hannah Yang, and I’m a full-time author. Every Monday, I publish a new blog article about writing craft tips, my writing process, or my journey to publication. Share this article if it resonated with you, and subscribe if you want to see more!