[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Lol how often do people study one thing and wind up in something almost unrelated to it?

I would say...

Don't do what your parents did just to make them happy (especially those professions that have a long and arduous path to get into). Just cause it's in the family doesn't mean it's necessarily for you. Only your gut will know.

If you don't know what you want to do or even who you are, then go travel. Gather stories and experiences. Seeing places can provide that inspiration or idea. Or you can meet someone in a field that grabs your attention.

The over-justification effect is real for some people. If you'd do something for free because you love it that much, when you're suddenly compensated for it, it can add layers to it that make you hate the thing. Or at least drain the joy out of it.

Maybe doing something adjacent to that thing, or something that borrows or shares some skills with it. i.e. creativity, connecting with people, building/creating things, problem solving.

However there are the odd few who are tops in their field and it's their sole obsession, paid or unpaid. Sometimes you're just built for something - i.e. rappers, musicians, athletes. They're the exceptions though.

I'd say look at what adds value to the world and other people's lives that you can do well. If it's rewarding in that you can make a difference and be a witness to it, then you'll likely work harder at it than a vocation that serves you materially but doesn't enrich people's lives in a tangible way that you can witness firsthand.

The ikigai model is a good one. In the end, you want to be in it for a couple or a few different reasons and not just one (such as financial security alone).