I am 20 years old. I will be 21 in 10 weeks, 2 days, 7 hours and 19 minutes (but who's counting?). While 20 may be young for most people, in my opinion, 20 is still old enough to know what you want to do with your life. We are getting too old be saying we have no idea what we want to do with our lives and we don't know where our future is taking us. That's BS. We are old enough to have a vision of where we see ourselves in the very near and fast approaching future. We are old enough to have a game plan, to have goals and aspirations.
I am a junior in college. I will be graduating in a year and a half. I have a major and 2 minors and I know where I see myself in the next five years. 10 years. 15 years. Sure, not everything can be predicted and there are things we can't always control, but I have a general sense of where I want my life to head and I have a strong sense of where I see it going in the near future.
Additionally, I am in the process of making it happen. I am doing everything I can at this point to find an internship for this coming summer that can lead me to where I want to be in the future. I am taking classes to prepare me for skills I will need. I am getting involved in clubs and societies that will build my resume. I know exactly where I want to be living and what job I want to be working after graduation.
At the same time, we can't plan for everything. We have to take into consideration we may not always get the ideal job that we want. We may not land the perfect internship. These things aren't always in our control. While it is important to have a plan, know what you want, and work for it, it is equally important to be adaptable. You must learn how to handle failure, adapt and become better from it.
I am not saying everyone should know exactly what they want to be doing in the next 10 years at 20 years old. It's quite alright if you don't have a strong sense of what you want to do and you are still testing the waters. I'm just saying let's put this stigma to rest that we are all only 20 years old and no one should have any idea what you want to do and if you have a plan for your future you are crazy. Yeah, college is a time to have fun, let loose, and enjoy having limited responsibilities before the real world hits. At the same time, college is a time to be getting your sh*t together and figuring out what you are really doing with your life. High school is over. The real world is near. It's not unrealistic to know what you want to contribute to it.
