How to Find Your Thing
You don't find your thing by thinking about it. You find it by trying things. An exploration framework for people who aren't sure where to start.
April 14, 2026
The exploration problem
People spend years trying to figure out what they should do. They read books about finding their passion. They take personality tests. They journal. They think.
Thinking doesn't work. Doing works.
Finding your passion will have you going in circles. Finding a problem you're passionate about solving will give you direction.
You don't discover what you're good at by introspection. You discover it by output. Make things. See what sticks. See what you keep coming back to when nobody's asking you to.
The framework: 5 × 30
Try five different things. Spend 30 days on each. At the end of 150 days, you'll have more data about yourself than 5 years of thinking could produce.
Rules:
- One thing at a time. No splitting attention.
- 30 minutes per day minimum. Show up every day.
- Publish something. Each practice must have an external output.
- No quitting before 30 days. The first week is always bad. Push through.
After 30 days, score each practice on three dimensions:
- Energy: Did the work energize you or drain you?
- Ease: Did it get easier over 30 days, or harder?
- Interest: Do you want to do another 30 days?
If two out of three are yes, keep going. If all three are no, you found something to cross off the list. Crossing things off is just as valuable as finding the thing.