As midterms hit and the semester starts to drown me in its midst, I naturally start to get a little anxious. As I scribble down notes and make last-minute flashcards for a midterm I have tomorrow evening (yes, don't follow my lead), I question if what I am doing is really going to help me make something of my life. This is something that I have wrestled with countless times throughout my college career and continues to be a burden on my mind. The pressure to succeed and figure out a plan on how to 1) Not end up in a dead-end job forever indebted to student loans, 2) Make sure my parents did not waste their money and unwavering support during my undergraduate years, and 3) Try not to cry, is overwhelming in itself. However, as I go over these doubts and fears, another thought triggered, and I managed to find a moment of clarity. It comes in two parts. Are you ready to hear this? Part one:
Don't discredit your successes thus far.
Kind of cliche, right? But this really dawned on me tonight. Sometimes we are so focused on where we are going, who were are going to be, and how we are going to get there that we forget to give credit to what we have already achieved, however small. We dismiss these trivial wins and constantly berate ourselves of the growth that has accumulated. Our idea of success is so twisted into what people expect from us that we don't stop to breathe and look at all that we have going for us.
Sometimes success isn't based on a promotion or monetary gain. It doesn't come in the form of a degree or a trophy to place on top of your dresser. Sometimes it's just getting up in the morning after a bad week and starting over with a clean slate. It could be procrastinating less, and actually starting an assignment a week before the due date instead of the night before. This leads me to my second point:
It's not solely about you.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you to disregard your personal goals. Having them to look forward to is great, and is highly encouraged. However, in life, do not solely emphasize success at revolving around you; it will only satisfy you so much. Do not let this pressure to succeed stop you from accomplishing things in other parts of your life.
Sometimes, the greatest measure of success isn't what you accomplished. It is how you spent your time, who you spent it with, and how you touched their life and changed it for the better. Your greatest successes are not about you, but about what you have done for someone else.
