So you're finally an adult. You don't always feel like one, but your age is above 18 so people now assume that all of the sudden you're ready for that kind of responsibility and know exactly what you're doing with your life. You're out on your own, living away from your parents. You're buying your own food, folding your own laundry, cleaning your own room, and making your own bed. You're easily doing all those things everyone said were going to be hard. You think that you have it all figured out and that this isn't going to be that difficult.
College allows you to fall into a rhythm; you go to class, do your homework, go out on the weekends. Sometimes you go to the gym, sometimes you eat healthy. It seems easy, nothing more than that. You feel like you have all the time in the world. Don't need to worry about searching for a job because that's four years away. Don't need to worry about finding an internship yet because they never hire freshmen anyways. It all seems so simple, very clean cut. Just focus on the classes in front of you, get good grades, join a few organizations, and hopefully it'll put you on the right track. Yes, there are a lot of aspects of your life you still need to figure out, but you're not worrying about that until you have to. You're thinking it's OK to procrastinate because that's what you've done all your life and it's gotten you this far just fine.
But then it hits you. It won't at first, you're thinking there's nothing more to this whole adult thing than the things you have to do on a weekly basis. But you'll eventually realize it. You'll eventually realize that this is it, this is the end of the line. This isn't like high school where there's still one more step after. College is it; these are the final moments you have to figure everything out before the rest of your life begins.
I know you're scared. You have know idea what you're doing or where you're going. You barely know what outfit you're going to pick out for tomorrow, let alone what kind of career path you want for the rest of your life. Your life feels like it is in a constant state of change and nothing around you is consistent. There isn't the comfort of that group of friends you used to sit by at lunch every day. There isn't someone there to pat you on the back and tell you you're doing a great job.
It's daunting. It's daunting to know that you're at a point where depending on what choice you make everything could change in a heartbeat. Not only are new ideas and relationships blossoming, but past people and memories are also disappearing right before your eyes. It's like everything you could have ever wanted is sitting right in front of you, but everything you've ever known is slowing fading off into the distance behind you. You don't want to leave it, but you also can feel yourself letting it drift away, so you can begin to move on to everything else. Your future is so close but yet it still feels so far away.
You can picture it, you can see it, but you have no idea how to reach it, and you definitely don't want to start worrying about it. It's that thing that is always in the back of your mind but that you put off because you always feel like you have so much time left to figure it out. You're on the edge of greatness. and you have absolutely no idea what to do about it.
It's like you're waiting for someone to whisper in your ear to tell you which path to take or which choice to make. Someone has always been there in the past to do that so you're wondering where are they now. There's always been someone there to hold your hand and guide you into what they think is best for you. But this time when you look over your shoulder to ask for help, no one is there and you realize it's finally up to you. It's all up to you, and it's absolutely terrifying. It's as if the rug has been ripped out from underneath you or you're walking on a tight rope with no net.
It ranges from simply what you want to eat for lunch or how much time you want to spend studying, to what kind of job you want or where you want to live in five years. People are asking you if you're dating anyone, when you're going to get married. They keep bugging you about those few extra pounds you gained this year or why your GPA isn't higher. You have to find the time to figure out who you are and decide what kind of person you want to be. It's like everywhere you look someone is bombarding you with a new question, giving you something new to worry about. Each choice seems like it's life or death, and if you choose the wrong one your life is going to spiral down the drain.
So instead of making any decisions at all, you just sit there and wait. You're not sure what you're waiting for but you decide that waiting and putting it all off is better than doing anything else. Because if you do anything else, you could make the wrong choice and put yourself on the wrong path. So ultimately you've decided it's better to sit still and take it one day at a time rather than to start thinking about and planning for all these big important questions in your life. You're waiting for the push, the slap in the face that says get yourself together.
But here's the thing, you can't keep waiting for that push. You can't keep waiting for a sign to let you know that what you're doing is right or that that decision you're about to make is OK. Because you're never going to know if it is, no one is ever going to be able to give you a clear answer to that either. You can't keep waiting around for tomorrow or for the right time. There is no right time to start your life. There is only here and now. And right now the possibilities in front of you are endless. So don't keep waiting, don't keep putting it off. The world is a big place and it's easy to feel small and lost in the mix of everything swirling around you.
Don't allow yourself to be the one holding you back. Take on that leadership position, say yes to the cute boy in class that asked you to study. Don't let the fear of rejection stop you from sending in that application, don't let the fear of failure stop you from taking the more difficult class. Stop making the safe or the easy decisions. Do something to get you out of your comfort zone. Don't allow yourself to fall into this comfortable lifestyle. Look at each moment, each opportunity, as the possibility to begin the rest of your life.
You have to look at where you are and decide what it's going to take to get you where you want to go. You don't have to have it all planned out, you are still young and still figuring things out, and that's OK. You don't need to know where you're going to be living in five years, who you're going to be dating, or what job you're going to have. Life's going to throw you curve balls and you'll never be able to control that. But in order to get everything out of life that you've ever wanted, you have to make the decision for yourself to start taking the steps to be that person and plan that life. It's not just going to fall into your lap, and it's definitely not going to be handed to you. You have to go out there and look for it, you have to go out there and get it for yourself.
I know it sounds crazy to think that you're going to accomplish all these great things and become this amazing successful person. And I'm not saying that it's going to be easy. There are going to be moments when you're not going to want to go the extra mile or when you're going to feel like giving up. But if you ever feel like you're not good enough or that you're not going to make it, just remember how far you've come already. Look back at the past year, the past few months, or maybe even the past week. You've fought and won so many battles, you've weathered so many storms. You've survived every single bad day, you've celebrated every single great one. So much has already happened in your life and yet it's crazy to think that you still have even farther to go.
You still have time to figure the big stuff out. You just have to be willing to start the journey; you have to be willing to take the risks to get you where you want to go. Don't be afraid to take the first step.
If you don't start now, are you ever going to?