"What Do You Want to Do With Your Life?" by Hans Glint is a practical workbook designed to guide readers in crafting a meaningful life plan. It encourages a shift from the disempowering question, “What should I do with my life?” to the more empowering, “What do I want to do with my life?” By emphasizing personal responsibility, the book helps individuals break free from societal expectations and external pressures, enabling them to explore their true desires.
The introduction highlights how childhood conditioning and societal norms often lead to confusion, trapping people into predefined roles. Glint urges readers to reclaim control by rewinding to a mental state before external influences take over, allowing them to rediscover their potential. Through reflective exercises, the workbook focuses on self-awareness by examining the past, evaluating the present, and envisioning the future.
This structured approach helps readers identify alternatives, analyze options, and make conscious decisions aligned with their happiness. The book offers tools for balancing careers, relationships, emotions, and goals, emphasizing that life planning is ongoing. Ultimately, Glint’s message is clear: your life is yours to design, and creating a plan with intention will lead to greater fulfillment and happiness.
Here are 20 key insights from "What Do You Want to Do With Your Life?" by Hans Glint:
1. The Power of the Right Question:
The question should not be “What should I do with my life?” but “What do I want to do?” to shift focus toward personal responsibility and empowerment.
2. Avoiding External Pressures:
Society, family, and peers often impose expectations that trap individuals in roles that may not align with their true desires.
3. Life Planning vs. Career Planning:
While career planning focuses on work, life planning involves health, relationships, emotions, finances, and legacy.
4. Importance of Written Goals:
Writing down goals helps make them concrete, improving the chances of achieving them.
5. The Turning Point:
People are often forced into societal “boxes” early in life, but it’s never too late to break free and redesign one’s path.
6. Balance Between Past, Present, and Future:
Life planning involves understanding the past, evaluating the present, and visualizing multiple possibilities for the future.
7. Alternatives to Fixed Paths:
Life offers many alternatives, and individuals must choose consciously, knowing they cannot pursue everything.
8. Dynamic vs. Static Goals:
Dynamic goals focus on enjoying the process, not just achieving the outcome, while static goals are limited to specific achievements.
9. SMART Goals Framework:
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-oriented goals provide clarity and structure for life planning.
10. Feelings as the Real Goal:
What people truly seek are not material things, but the feelings associated with them—like joy, peace, and fulfillment.
11. Dealing with Conflicting Desires:
Recognizing and managing internal conflicts helps clarify priorities and goals.
12. Society’s Need to Categorize People:
Society tries to fit individuals into predefined roles (e.g., “doctor” or “lawyer”) for convenience, but these labels can be limiting.
13. The Role of Reflection:
Self-awareness and reflection on past experiences help uncover valuable lessons for shaping future decisions.
14. The Importance of a Life Binder:
Creating a life plan binder helps consolidate thoughts, goals, and exercises, offering clarity and peace of mind.
15. Mindset Determines Success:
A positive mental attitude is essential for overcoming challenges and achieving meaningful goals.
16. Happiness Comes from Within:
Happiness is not dependent on external circumstances but on one’s mindset and inner peace.
17. Volition vs. Determinism:
Individuals have free will and the ability to make choices, regardless of external circumstances or philosophical determinism.
18. Planning as an Ongoing Process:
A life plan is never final—it evolves as circumstances and personal goals change over time.
19. Mitigating Regret and Stress:
Life planning helps reduce regret by ensuring decisions align with personal values and long-term goals.
20. Legacy Matters:
Beyond career and wealth, individuals should also plan for the impact they leave behind, ensuring a meaningful legacy.
Summary
Chapter 1: Introduction to Life Planning
The first chapter of "What Do You Want to Do With Your Life?" sets the foundation for life planning. Hans Glint emphasizes that many people drift through life without a clear direction, often following societal expectations or letting external pressures dictate their choices. The chapter distinguishes life planning from career planning, noting that the former includes all aspects of life—relationships, health, emotions, legacy, and professional goals. Glint encourages readers to take control of their lives by setting intentional, written goals, as planning helps clarify desires and guides decision-making.
A key theme in this chapter is the overwhelming nature of modern choices. Without a life plan, people tend to feel lost or let others decide. Glint advocates for a positive, proactive mindset, reminding readers that planning is not about rigid goals but rather a flexible process of self-discovery and growth. Through awareness, imagination, and action, individuals can create a life aligned with their true aspirations. The chapter concludes by introducing the structure of the workbook, which helps readers explore their past, present, and future to make well-informed life decisions and pursue happiness meaningfully.
Chapter 2: Your Past
This chapter emphasizes the importance of understanding your past to shape your future. Hans Glint suggests that our experiences, relationships, environments, and decisions create the foundation for who we are today. Reflecting on these elements helps individuals gain self-awareness, identify patterns, and recognize influences—both positive and negative—that affect their current mindset and behavior.
Glint encourages readers to examine the roles they have played in their personal and professional lives and the motivations behind their past actions. By looking at these factors objectively, individuals can learn valuable lessons, identify recurring mistakes, and better understand the roots of their desires or doubts.
The chapter also explores how societal expectations and family influences—particularly those from parents—shape personal identity. Some individuals carry the burden of their parents' unfulfilled aspirations, while others rebel against these expectations. Glint suggests consciously acknowledging these influences to decide which qualities or patterns to retain and which to discard.
Ultimately, the chapter teaches that the past is not a limitation but an asset. By understanding your personal history, you can turn your experiences into tools that inform better decisions for the future, enabling you to break free from unhelpful patterns and design a more intentional life plan.
Chapter 3: The Influence of Generations
In this chapter, Hans Glint explores how generational influences shape individual identities, values, and decisions. He emphasizes that people are not isolated entities; they are deeply connected to the legacy and behaviors of past generations. Family traditions, societal norms, and cultural expectations passed down through generations can impact how individuals perceive success, happiness, and their role in the world.
The chapter highlights that many of our decisions—consciously or unconsciously—reflect the values and ambitions of previous generations. For example, some may feel pressure to follow family traditions or careers, while others might rebel against them. These generational influences can either guide individuals toward fulfilling lives or trap them in unwanted roles.
Glint encourages readers to reflect on the expectations they’ve inherited from their families and society. He suggests that while it’s important to acknowledge these influences, individuals must consciously choose which traditions to keep and which to let go of. He points out that breaking free from generational patterns often requires courage, as society tends to reward conformity.
Ultimately, this chapter urges readers to redefine their values and build a life plan that aligns with their desires, rather than simply following inherited scripts. Understanding generational influences empowers individuals to create a future that is genuinely their own.
Chapter 4: Your Present
This chapter focuses on evaluating your current situation to gain clarity about where you stand in life. Hans Glint emphasizes that understanding the present is crucial for effective life planning, as it serves as the starting point for building the future you desire. He encourages readers to assess various aspects of their lives, including personal relationships, career status, health, finances, emotional well-being, and overall satisfaction.
Glint suggests using self-reflection exercises to identify areas where you feel stuck, unfulfilled, or out of alignment with your true desires. He points out that many people drift through life, neglecting to question whether their current routines and roles serve their long-term happiness. Pausing to honestly evaluate where you are today helps create awareness of what is working well and what needs to change.
The chapter also discusses how societal pressures often influence daily decisions, pushing individuals to pursue stability and security over personal fulfillment. Glint advises readers to detach from external expectations and focus on what genuinely matters to them.
Ultimately, the chapter encourages setting priorities for immediate improvement. By addressing areas of imbalance and acknowledging progress, readers can make meaningful changes that align their present with the life they wish to create. Understanding your current reality is the first step toward intentional transformation.
Chapter 5: Your Future
In this chapter, Hans Glint emphasizes the importance of envisioning the future to create a life aligned with your true desires. He encourages readers to dream freely and explore multiple possibilities without being constrained by societal expectations or past decisions. Visualizing the future is presented as an essential exercise in increasing self-awareness and motivation.
The chapter highlights that many people hesitate to plan for the future due to fear of uncertainty or failure. Glint argues that although the future is unpredictable, setting a clear direction provides a sense of purpose and helps navigate life’s challenges. He suggests treating life planning as a flexible, ongoing process rather than a rigid roadmap.
Readers are guided to imagine different futures—personal, professional, and emotional—while considering practical aspects like health, relationships, and financial stability. Glint emphasizes the importance of making choices that align with individual happiness rather than what others expect. He also stresses the need to distinguish between long-term dreams and achievable goals, encouraging readers to identify concrete steps toward their ideal future.
Ultimately, this chapter helps readers shift their mindset from “What should I do?” to “What do I want to do?” By embracing flexibility, positivity, and planning, individuals can take proactive steps toward creating a meaningful future.
Chapter 6: Your Alternatives
This chapter focuses on the importance of generating and analyzing multiple life paths to make informed decisions about the future. Hans Glint emphasizes that there is rarely one perfect solution to the question, “What do I want to do with my life?” Instead, individuals should explore several alternatives and assess their feasibility, benefits, and challenges.
Glint encourages readers to list different options for their personal and professional lives, even if they seem unconventional or far-fetched. This exercise fosters creativity and helps individuals break free from societal norms or limiting beliefs. He points out that exploring alternatives is crucial since life offers countless possibilities, but trying to pursue everything is unrealistic.
The chapter provides practical advice on how to analyze these alternatives through structured thinking. Glint suggests evaluating options based on key factors such as personal interests, potential risks, rewards, long-term fulfillment, and alignment with core values. He also introduces a checklist to compare alternatives and identify those most compatible with the reader’s desired future.
Ultimately, the goal is not to find a perfect solution but to make a conscious decision and commit to a path. Glint reassures readers that life planning is fluid, and it’s okay to revisit and adjust choices as they grow and evolve.
Chapter 7: Making the Decision
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