As we sat in a circle of desks, each student in my Introduction to Sociology class took turns reading their life goals to the group. There were people planning to become nurses, computer science majors, househusbands, and social workers. There were people who wanted to get married, to travel to various countries, and to make enough money to buy their parents houses. Many dreams, many plans.
But after each of us read our responses, our professor seemed to jump to the worst possible conclusions in trying to attain those goals. He said the nurses would have a high burnout rate and be out of a job. The police officers would go crazy from their work and commit suicide. The social workers would be overworked and lose their love of the job. Even the personal goals such as marriage were torn down on the basis of divorce, death, etc.
So what's the point? Why did we go through the trouble of making a plan for our lives if the plan isn't feasible? There could be many answers to that question but what I've determined is that it's OK to not have a plan, and here is why.
1. It is a bit unrealistic, don't you think?
When you were younger, you wanted to be a princess or a puppy, but clearly that plan changed. Plans change, people grow. It's a bit naive to believe we can have a clear-cut plan of how our lives are going to turn out. Most of us don't even know what we want to do next weekend or what shoes we want to wear tomorrow morning.
2. Things go wrong in life... always.
You can't expect rainbows and sunshine to be your everyday experience throughout your life. Things will come up that alter your plan. For example, your car breaks down, you lose your job, or you break your leg in an extreme brownie baking accident. The problems and slip ups are endless, but they are a part of the journey.
3. Life surprises you in many ways.
Along with those tribulations, good things come up as well. Sometimes you fall in love, you get a promotion, or you win the lottery. You might get to do all you ever wanted to before you reach retirement. It's a journey, and along the way you'll find life can be even better than you had expected.
So even though having a plan can be a nice outline for a fulfilled life, you never know what will change. Keep an open mind and remember that even if you have no clue what you're going to do, that's OK. In all reality, nobody knows where they'll be 10 years from now. Life is unplanned, unexpected, and unbelievably exciting. Just enjoy the ride.
