Have you ever caught yourself dreaming and planning for the future so much before you suddenly realize that you're missing all the good things in front of you? Because I have.
There's nothing wrong with making plans or lists- I love to be prepared for things. But I have noticed that I can sometime get a little bit too carried away with looking ahead that I ignore all the things in the present. Sure, it's nice to daydream about the perfect house, the perfect husband and job and family after college, but it's too easy to get caught in the "grass is greener" mindset.
It starts with thinking, "I know I'll be happy if I just get ____." Then, you spend so much time on chasing after that one goal, that you completely run past all the current people and moments that would give you happiness. Eventually, you'll just feel stuck on a fence, instead of any green grass at all.
Having motivation and a drive so you can achieve your dreams is an awesome thing... until it becomes an all-consuming thing. Work is important and you definitely won't accomplish anything without it, but if that is all you spend your time doing- sitting alone in the library 24/7 doing homework and studying- you'll look up and realize halfway through the semester that you've made no new/or any friends.
The same thing can happen with getting carried away with relationships. So maybe you start talking to a guy and you hit it off, and you let your imagination run wild, thinking "is this the one?" While it's fine to have feelings for someone, you shouldn't jump ahead of yourself or the pace of the relationship. They may sense you're moving a little too fast, and that can freak them out. Or, you'll be looking so forward to the future that the relationship can deteriorate right in front of you, without you noticing, because you would rather live in your ideal than spend actual work on the real relationship. Jumping to conclusions and planning super far in advance can lead to tremendous heartbreak.
Not only s.o. relationships can be affected, but relationships with friends can be weakened when you fixate on getting out of school and getting the perfect internship at the expense of friendships. I have had many friends who choose school over hanging out, which nothing is wrong with studying (grades are important), but they stress and study so much that they miss all the moments with the people they care about.
In the end, you're only going to have one chance at being with these people at this moment in time. You're only going to be in college once, and after that, adulting life will be a crazy busy ride. Take advantage of the freedom you have now, be prepared and strive for success obviously, but remember to always put your mental and emotional health first. That Chemistry test or the boy who held the door open for you that one time won't be what you remember about college- it will be the friends who were supportive of you to the end.
