What do you want to do when you grow up?
Asking this question to little kids almost comes as comedic relief for when they answer that they want to be a superhero, a baseball player, a movie star, or a princess. As you get older the question starts to become more of a conversation starter. If you have any clue of what you want to do in life they say, "Good for you" or, "You're lucky." Although it may seem like we have our lives figured out on the outside, that doesn't mean that we aren't still finding our way.
There is still an unsettling amount of pressure regardless if they've declared a major or not.
It is a unique thing to have a dream or a passion so strong that you can see yourself doing it for the rest of your life at such a young age. You might have been influenced by a role model, got hands-on experience at a young age, or wanted to follow in somebody's footsteps. The only thing you have to focus on is sticking to the plan you have created over the years of how your life will pan out.
I know this feeling because I have it too.
We have thought of our plan so much throughout our life that we have a perfect scenario of how things are supposed to go, but we hardly ever come off our cloud to consider the triumphs or worst-case scenarios if we don't make it. You might be afraid that if you find something else that you like just as much, you'll make a mistake or let somebody else down. You can never go wrong with betting on yourself. If you didn't get into the major that you wanted, it's not the end of the world. It may open new doors for you that you would have never considered before. Even if you did get in and realized it isn't what you thought it was going to be, do what is best for yourself and make adjustments.
You are allowed to explore other options.
Things are not going to turn out exactly the way you planned them. It's OK if you want to explore other careers and embrace something that does spark interest in you. The goals you have for yourself are not set in stone. Email people that are in your desired field and ask for their perspective, you would be amazed at how many people in the working world love to discuss what they do with younger people. I emailed the host of a sports radio talk show to ask for advice on how to get started in this line of work and that email turned into an internship.
Pressure and the desire to succeed can be hard mind games to work around. Try to take everything step by step and know that the feeling of being lost won't last forever
