梳理你的人生：生活中你到底想要什么？

“I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.” My friend’s father used to say that all the time. He was in his mid-40s.
“我还不知道自己长大了想干什么。”我朋友的老爸以前总这么说。他已经人到中年了。

A lot of people live their lives having no clue what they want. They usually follow the American Dream without a second thought, just because that’s what’s expected of them.
很多人浑浑噩噩过日子，不清楚自己想要什么。他们通常想都不想就追随所谓的“美国梦”，因为这就是他们被寄予的期望。

If you ask me, that’s a pretty lousy way to live your life. At the risk of sounding cheesy, I’d like to point out that you have only one life; make the most out of it and do things that make you happy. And you should start right now!
在我看来，这种生活方式很不好。虽然听上去俗套，但我还是想说：人只有这一辈子，何不尽情享受并努力过得开开心心呢？而且，你现在就可以开始！

If you don’t know what you really want in life, you’re not alone. Thousands, if not millions, of people wander the earth every day without a quest. If you don’t want to spend your life wandering aimlessly, you can use the following 7 tips to find out exactly what you want in life.
其实，不只是你不清楚自己真正想要什么，成千上万个人每天都在茫然度日。如果你不想毫无目标地混日子，那就试试下面7个贴士，弄清自己在生活中想要什么吧。

1. Be selfish
自私一点

You can’t pinpoint exactly what you want in life if you’re constantly sacrificing your time and dreams for other people. You have to put yourself first. Ask yourself: If you weren’t tied down by your job, family, friends, or anything else, then what would you be doing right now? Always remember that it’s okay to put yourself first, because if you don’t, then no one else will.
如果你总为他人牺牲时间和梦想，那你很难准确发掘自己的真正渴望。你得先把自己放在第一位。扪心自问：如果不受工作、家庭、朋友或其他羁绊，那你现在可能在干什么？请记住：你可以优先考虑自己，因为除你之外，再也没有人会这么对你了。

2. Regret nothing
永不后悔

Don’t feel bad for being selfish. It’s your life. It’s time for you to live it exactly the way you want to. If you constantly regret things you did or didn’t do in the past, then you won’t be able to move forward. Don’t live in the past. Live in the present…and the future!
不要因为自私一点而感到不安。这是你的人生，你应该按自己的意愿去生活。要是总为过去的事后悔，那你会很难继续前行。不要沉溺于往事。活在当下，看向未来！

3. Figure out what you need
明白你需要什么

Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what you need. Sit down and think about what you need the most. Is it your family? The freedom to express yourself? Love? Financial security? Something else? If it helps, you can make a list of priorities. Also think about the kind of legacy you want to leave behind.
有时要明白自己需要什么并不容易。请坐下来仔细想想你最需要什么：家庭、自由表达自己、关爱、经济安全，抑或其他？可行的话，你可以列一张次序清单。另外，也考虑一下自己希望留下什么遗产。