The question, “What do you want to do with your life”, haunts me. Although I am becoming more comfortable answering the question, it makes my brain do a crazy dance. I consider all of the possibilities, which I hope will become opportunities someday. Slowly, however, I am realizing that I don’t need to have things all figured out.
As a society, we have placed significant pressure on individuals once they hit their 20’s. If they haven’t figured out what they are doing with their lives by age 30, we deem them lost causes, according to Elite Daily. But regardless of whether or not we make plans, they are bound to change.
Subconsciously, we see those who have big plans for where they are headed as wiser and more ambitious than those who don’t. While setting goals for your life is a big deal, it doesn’t need to be accomplished as an undergrad. It’s also important to realize what may change.
Take CEO of Blackboard Inc., Jay Bhatt, for example. Bhatt went to law school and practiced for awhile, before ultimately leading technology solution start-up companies. Now, he leads one of the biggest technology companies in the country.
Another example is Lisa Jamieson, a former pharmacist who became a writer. She realized she had other interests that were not in line with her current career so she changed it. Now she owns her own consulting firm and is a medical writer.
Both of these people are living proof that it’s okay not to know. It’s also OK to change. As undergrads, they probably wouldn’t have guessed that they would doing the work they are now. Life offers us lessons and opportunities and it’s OK for us to adjust our goals in the process.
Our choice of major today may not be what makes us feel purposeful tomorrow; that’s OK. This stage that we are in is about figuring out how we fit into the world at large and how we will offer it the gifts and talents that comprise us.
Do what makes your heart sing; there you will find success. If you haven’t figured out what that is yet, don’t sweat. Life is a benefactor of endless opportunities
Contact Remi Omodara at [email protected]
