As we all know, life doesn't go as planned.
If you haven't figured this out yet - whoops! Spoiler alert!!!
In all seriousness, you may think you have your life planned out, but in reality, you don't. That may sound a little harsh, but that picture perfect plan that you have in your head will change. It may even change multiple times. Regardless of your personal beliefs about who or what determines the alterations to your plan, it is not only important to accept, but also embrace these changes.
Before I continue, I want to be clear that having a plan is not a bad thing! If you're like me, a plan gives you comfort, stability, and something to look forward to. I would plan everything from my breakfast each day, all the way to my dream wedding. Yes…I still do this! Creating these outlines of how I wanted my life to be was something that I loved, and I struggled immensely when these would change.
Throughout most of my teenage years, I had a plan for my future. Anytime someone would ask me "what are your plans for college" I would say the same thing- "I will attend the University of Kentucky, and I will become a Speech Language Pathologist."
This was my plan. This was what I was supposed to do. This was what I wanted.
But, my plan changed. Fast forward a few years and here I am; an incoming Junior at the University of Kentucky who is now a healthcare communications major.
You're probably asking yourself "Whoa WHAT?! What happened to her plan?"
There wasn't just one thing that completely triggered this alteration; there were several things. To be completely honest and open, this was one of the most confusing, doubtful, and emotional experiences that I have ever had.
When I began my classes at UK, I was excited and hopeful. I have always had a passion for school, but when I was taking courses in Speech-Language Pathology, I lost all passion and excitement for my school work. I realized that this career path wasn't for me, but I didn't know what to pursue instead. My so-called "picture perfect plan" was gone and I had no idea what I wanted to do.
I experienced a lot of self-doubts and felt completely lost. I was surrounded by people, but felt alone and like I didn't belong anywhere.
For the first time in my life, I had no direction, no confidence, and no plan.
I continued my education at UK, and focused on getting my general education courses out of the way while I tried to piece together my next step. During this time, I did a lot of self – reflection and relied on my family for support and advice. I took a hard look at what I wanted to accomplish in life, and what my strengths and weaknesses were. I weighed several options and finally decided that studying Healthcare Communications was my new plan.
Throughout this entire experience, I learned to not only accept, but embrace my new journey. It's not easy to alter the clear image of what you thought your life would look like. But, here I am, and I am thriving.
If there is one take away message that I'd like you to have, it is that it's okay to not have a plan. You don't have to have everything figured out at once! Whether you're going to college or trying to figure out what to do for the day, take a step back and embrace the moment. Allow yourself to be present in the "now" and not stress about the future. Just do you!
Make time for yourself, self-reflect, and create your own path. If you have a plan set, go for it, but if not, that who cares! It is okay to not know what you want to do next. Let yourself discover who you truly are and who you want to be. Figure things out as you go and continue to do what makes you happy.
Everything falls into place with time.
Even if you feel lost and confused (just like I did), have faith in yourself and know that things always work out, even if it's not how you expected. Some of the best things in life come unexpectedly – so embrace the unknown. And, by doing so, you will learn that not having a plan, may actually be the best plan.
