Life is a Work in Progress | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Life is a Work in Progress

Because everyday is a chance to get a little bit wiser, a little bit better, and a little bit stronger.

2374
Life is a Work in Progress

Being a work in progress is a wonderful thing. It means you are never “finished” which means that you always have the chance to improve yourself and become something and someone better than who you are already. It allows you the ability to be comfortable with making mistakes and accept yourself for you who you are.

If you want to argue that you are not a work in progress then the only assumption that can be made is that you think you are perfect. And if you are perfect then you would never be wrong and you would certainly never make a mistake. Can you handle that kind of pressure for the rest of your life?

That is the pressure you put on yourself when your goal is perfection instead of constant improvement. You do not have to put up with this pressure though as long as you are willing to accept that no one can actually be perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. But when you start to recognize that you are actually just a work in progress then you can acknowledge your mistakes without fear because you can happily admit to not being perfect. Say it loud: "I am not perfect and I make mistakes. I am a work in progress!" It is actually quite liberating.

Being a work in progress is not just about being able to acknowledge your mistakes though. You need to be actively seeking learning opportunities, identifying how you can improve, and striving to adapt and grow yourself.

We live in a world full of expectations. Everyone around us has an idea of what our lives “should” be like and what we “should” want at this point in our life. The interesting part about all of these judgments and comments from everyone, they aren’t us and aren’t living our shoes. What do they know about what we want?

And maybe we don’t have a clue. Maybe we are hot and cold with the person we’ve been kind of dating. Maybe we are in between jobs and trying to figure out what we are actually interested in. But maybe, just maybe, we are in the process of figuring it all out. We are in the process of trying to find ourselves and who we are and what we want in this crazy world. It is taking trials and errors but we are getting there.

Every mistake I have made, every setback that has happened to me and every scar on my body has lead me to this point. I sometimes feel that when the devil keeps on asking you to look at your past, there must be something good in the future he doesn’t want you to see.

There is something exhilarating about the unknown, which is life. We know that nothing is certain besides death, and even that can hit at anytime. So what if your friends are getting married and having kids? So what if people can’t understand why you are choosing to be single before you settle for someone that you aren’t 100% about?

You are doing just fine. You are moving at your own pace and creating a life that you can be happy about and it is nobody else’s business about how you are going to live it.

So live. Make mistakes. Have regrets. Feel. Experience. Take it all in. Every single experience and opportunity are helping you create the life you want.

And if you feel that you are at a dead end and don’t know what you want, that’s okay. You are a work in progress. Your life is a work in progress. And every single day you are working to create your story. Every day is a new page in the book of your life. Maybe things won’t work out. But maybe seeing if it does will be the best adventure ever.

Don’t let anyone tell you how to live it. Always remember to fall asleep with a dream and wake up with a purpose.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

240
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

299
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

939
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

2225
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments