It was four years ago that I decided to make my “plan”. I decided to write out all the goals I wanted to have completed by the time I was 21. I had a few goals that I wanted to reach. But given the consequences of the different twists and turns life has taken me on, things haven’t worked out that way. As my 21st birthday is a week away I had to get real with myself, about the truth about plans: they fail. Not all the time will they fail but there will be twists and turns thrown at you. This is to all the ambitious people out there that had goals set for themselves.
It’s okay that things aren’t the way that you hoped them to be.
Life is such a long journey and it has all these different twists and turns that we didn’t plan for. I’m sorry to my 16-year-old self for not accomplishing the goals, but I promise in a few years I’ll make sure they get done.
The beautiful thing about a plan that failed is that the twist and turns bring us incredible things that we never expected to come. I was planning on transferring out of Cortland to find a school more fitting for my career, but I decided to stay and from that I have met some people that I can call my best friends, I have met professors that have truly changed my life, I have gotten jobs that have proven to be a challenge but have given me a little more of a push. The people I have met along my crazy journey have been able to leave an impact on me, good and bad that is. I picked up two majors, and am pushing through my last few semesters strong.
I know it’s scary to disappoint yourself, but you never know what will come in the future or who will come. People and places will change your life and they make you stronger, they make you find love, they help you see what really matters in life, and they will give you challenges that you never expected to face.
So let that plan go and take things day by day. Push yourself when you need it, or watch a whole series on Netflix when the day has been long and overbearing. Just accept where the journey takes you, and remember you will get there with time.
But for now enjoy the ride.
