I am a planner. Tried and true.

I've used the Day Designer , the Simplified Planner , the cute agendas from Barnes and Noble . I've used them all at once, too, trying to decide which one worked best and whether I should have a different planner for every activity. I even tried the Bullet Journal , which is a little too difficult to keep up with.

So you see, I like to plan things. I keep an itinerary that has room for spontaneous outings whenever I go on a trip. But lately, I've started realizing how little planning can help you in the larger scheme of things.

I still write down my homework every day. I still need my planner to remember due dates. But those are the little things, the deadlines, and presentations and homework dates that you should remember but that won't be life-changing. They have nothing to do with happiness or love or success or whatever else you want in life.

How can you plan for the summer when you don't know whether you're going to get into that prestigious program. How can you keep a list of things to do before the school year ends when you're going to meet someone amazing the next week who will completely change your schedule and priorities?

Being prepared is good, I welcome it. Planning everything, and then relying on that plan, though? It's a recipe for disaster. You're never going to know what tomorrow may bring. I know, it sounds cheesy (it is cheesy), but it's true.

As I wrap up my second year at NYU and celebrate another birthday, I can't help but think about how little I know about my life post-college. The jobs I will get, the people I'll meet. I have no clue if it's possible for me to find the perfect entry-level job (it probably doesn't exist). All I can do is try my best today and hope that I will get to tomorrow to start that day.

Instead of working to create the perfect _____, consider thinking about the logistics or the important things before everything else. Let yourself meet someone new, make a friend, go on an adventure-- all the while your past self thinks you were just going to be at home all summer.