The big moments in life usually happen in an instant. However, there’s a build up to it that we don’t even realize. We create a path of our own as we live our lives. It is a process. It's okay not to have it all figured out.
As a young adult, I am constantly being asked what my plans for the future are. I hardly ever even have my next meal planned. However, I always have a safe answer ready for these individuals. It makes the real adults (aka not me) in my life feel better that I have a direction that I’m going. And, in some ways I do. But for the most part I feel like a toddler bumbling around an antique store, trying not to knock anything over.
At some point in all of our lives we were given the notion that we need to have it all figured out. After I reach Point A, I am directly headed to Point B. How often is there this seamless transition in reality?
Lately I have taken a little bit of a different approach. It is important to have goals, yes. However, it is also important to be open to opportunity. Living life with blinders is limiting.
Stop worrying about 10 years from now.
Worry about your immediate future. Don’t just worry, though. Figure it out. That will save you from 12 panic attacks a day. As someone transitioning from college to the “real world”, whatever that means, I’m quite familiar with the feeling of panic. You’re not alone. I too have woken up at 4 am shuddering out of fear of what I’ll do next. Stop trying to figure every detail, though. Just take the next step.
There’s this pressure that you should know what you want your career to be, where you want to live, and what your life will be like in the next 10 years. Honestly, you probably don’t know. That’s awesome. Out of this uncertainty is the opportunity to find passion. After all, I think that’s what life is truly all about. Finding things that you are passionate about and pursuing them.
As many of us make transitions in life, it easy to become totally absorbed in stress and anxiety. It is important to take a step back, though. This is a really exciting time in our lives. Becoming a big kid has some exciting parts to it too. Like, getting a real job and being able to afford name brand pizza rolls.
