Do We Really Have to Have It All Figured Out?

Have you noticed this silent pressure that follows us the more we get older?

There is an age you will get, and people will expect that you should know what you want to become. The pressure is just there loudly because they will paint it in your face for you to figure things out early enough, and I am wondering who said we must figure everything out so early.

The moment you enter secondary school, you will start receiving this common question, like, "What do you want to study at the university?" Then when you finally enter uni, they will still ask what your plans are after graduation. Then you graduate, and people from nowhere will start bombarding you with questions about job placement, marriage, children, houses, cars, you name it...like the pressure is just uncalled for, and if care is not taken, you will be living according to society's timetable, lol.

Honestly, I want to know if it's really fair for such heavy expectations from people to figure out their entire life at such a young age. A teenager who doesn't even know what life is all about is expected to choose his career at a young age. Imagine asking a 16-year-old boy what he wants to study...when such a person gets a bit older, let's say 20, he might have a rethink because he knows better.

Maturity and self-discovery have a lot to do with change in a person's initial interest. The more you get older, the more new interests must be unleashed. You will also get the chance to meet new people with diverse experiences, and by then, who was at 16 is no longer be the same you at 23, and trust me, it is normal. I have seen people discover their real passion after many years of doing different things entirely, and I am wondering why we make people feel they have failed by changing their initial interest.

Life doesn't have a manual, and let me add that you can figure out certain things, but life can happen at any time to distort those plans. Some delays in our plans have a way of redirecting our lives. And believe me, this is one of those reasons I stopped the general belief that everyone should have things figured out. No doubt some people find their footing early enough, but it's different for others, and it doesn't mean the other person is working harder than the other, but then, time differs.

In everything, we must take our time to figure things out without being stagnant intentionally. As long as you are taking actions, things will fall in place at the right time. You mustn't know where that business you're nursing the idea of will lead you in years to come, but you can start now doing your best, not necessarily waiting to figure out everything beforehand.

One sensitive question I feel we should always ask ourselves is, "What can I do with where I am currently?" and the answer can help us re-assess ourselves and move forward; who knows, you might discover a better direction and explore that option.

Overall, I will say there is no need to pressure ourselves to have the whole journey figured out but rather just figure out what the next step should be, peacefully.

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