This article is dedicated to everyone,
who is simply swimming through life and sometimes they feel the anxiety,
because they don’t have any big plan.
As I already mentioned in the article about Zürich, sometimes it happens that I make something up in my head and I jump straight into it. It’s not always the best idea, however, most of the times it works for me and it makes my life much easier. Weird? Maybe at the beginning. Let me explain. ⬇️
What started these thoughts?
Since I am an adult (properly only with age 🙈), more and more often I'm asked the following questions:
- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
- Do you already know what you’ll do after school?
- Shouldn’t you have your life sorted already?…
All these questions were cruising through my head. For a long time, I tried to find an adequate answer. After a while, I found out a few important points.
What would I answer?
A human being is a weird creature. We use planners, to do lists, mood boards, mind maps…but we keep forgetting about life. And I don’t mean that we don’t know how to live. What I mean is that life changes. Plans change.
Here is an example: last year we organised a conference that we worked on for more than half a year. Except for minor issues, everything went well. Until the day came. Firstly, one of the speakers couldn’t make it. Furthermore, it started to snow. You’re probably asking what does snow have to do with the conference. Fun-fact, Dutch people are not used to such weather and for the safety reasons they close buildings. That is why we had to cancel the conference just in the middle and leave the place.
From time-to-time life surprises us. Therefore, we shouldn’t have any expectations. Though, if you make plans, you probably also have expectations, right?
Plans or visions?
If you belong to the group of people, who have difficulties getting used to changes, maybe this little psychological trick will help you. Due to my impulsive character, planning is very difficult for me. Therefore, I usually replace a word plan with a vision.
I prefer vision exactly because of its non-binding nature. Visions are constantly changing and they are more easy to adjust. If the plan fails, it’s harder to find a solution. Visions, on the other hand, create only a sneak peek to the future, which is not totally precise. Though, makes improvisation possible.
In other words - it is important to have a vision of your way, a slight idea of a direction you’d like to choose. However, it is of the same importance to not to be bound by this vision and count with a possibility that the road may have some turns.
Lost in your own life?
When it comes to the end of the year, we usually summarise our lives and many people give themselves new year resolutions. In a way, plans. However, in many cases, someone may have a completely different feeling. Kind of lost and desperate.
I’ll tell you a small secret, being lost is alright. Everyone has a place in this world, but to find it, is one of the most difficult missions. Some are looking for it for a few months, some for a few years and some for the whole life. It is a process and this process may also be satisfying. Of course, it is only and only up to us how we will look at it. Will you let it destroy you or fulfil you? And here comes the vision again.
If you don’t know what resolution you should make and it drags you down, try to have at least a small vision. The one that will be kept back in your head and you’ll take it out whenever you’ll feel the anxiety from not knowing which way should be chosen. Maybe you’ll change it a little, adjust and fill that small wound that hurts so much.
In the past, it was normal that parents planned the whole future for their kids. Nowadays, the trend is that young people should have everything planned in details. The pressure of society tries to push them to choose a direction and to know what they’ll do in their life even though they don’t even know what they’ll eat for a lunch. If you’re done with your school, there are other possibilities, other schools. Keep finding, trying and keep swimming. Just do something with your life and I promise you that sooner or later, you’ll find your place. And if you really feel that it’s not ok where you are right now…you already know what to do. 😉
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