Life is full of surprises. Some good, some bad, and some confusing. I feel like we are all socialized to have goals in life, and while having goals is important and keeps us motivated to work harder, it may do some harm, especially to young people. Having small goals that can serve as stepping stones to an end result is great. I think we all need to have those to keep us going. The only issue I find with setting strict goals is that life happens whether we like it or not and sometimes we are forced to change those goals, or we feel like it is best that we change them.
College is an excellent example. People go to college in search of a better future and they often have specific career goals in mind. Having these types of goals can be amazing, empowering, and highly motivating. But for the student who does not know exactly what they want to do, or for the student who genuinely thought they knew what they wanted to do with their life after graduation, and then changed their mind, these goals can be highly intimidating.
It is perfectly okay to take your life one day at a time. Things happen, feelings change, passions evolve or disappear. It is normal for these things to happen and I wish more students knew this. I definitely did not. I felt as though I had to stick to my goals 100% and that if I steered off the road even a little bit to pursue anything else, I would be doing something awful for my future. But sticking to something that no longer brings you any joy is not okay, it is not living. No one wants to live an unhappy life.
I see adults hating their jobs. I see adults loving their jobs. The only difference between these two people is that one group decided to keep doing what made them unhappy, because of either necessity or because of the desire to finish what they started. The other group took the path that made them happy or realized that they were on the wrong path, and instead of feeling ashamed for it and sticking to their original goals, they amended their goals and took the happy route.
Do you what you love. I cannot say this enough. Being in a room with someone who genuinely loves what they do can uplift you. I've had teachers in the past who have not shown any interest in being a teacher, and the energy in the room was horrible. I've also had teachers who would light up whenever they would enter a classroom. Those were the teachers who made my day countless times and who taught me things that prepared me for college and for life. I had an English teacher in high school who loved teaching books to us. She would have us read them then she would go over them the next day. She knew every book by memory and she would talk about them with a lot of passion. This teacher even got The Great Gatsby themes flats from Etsy because she loved teaching the book so much.
These little things are so noticeable about people; their happiness radiates. Do not do things because you feel like you have to or because you feel like you've already decided to do it. If you're still young and are not too far into your education, it is the perfect time to decide to leave the thing/major that is making you unhappy and pursue a degree in something that will make you happy. Always be open to changing your mind because your mind will change all your life, on issues that may be small or on very important ones. Trust yourself to make the right choice for you and do not be ashamed to change your goals. You do not have to have it all figured out. I don't think anyone really does!
