I don’t have my future figured out yet and that doesn’t scare me anymore

When were you first asked what you wanted to be when you grew up? How many times since then have you been asked what you want to be? I can’t even take a guess at how many hours I have spent stressing over my future, what I want to be, who I want to be or what I am going to do if I don’t do well in school. And I know so many people who feel the same as I do.  But here’s the thing – it is absolutely okay not to have it all figured out at 16 or 18 or 30.

Firstly, let's appreciate the fact that right now, you are still discovering who you are and what you’re passionate about, and what you love right now might be something you hate in the future (which again, is totally okay). It’s natural to feel uncertain about your career path or your academic future and just because your sister, or your boyfriend, or best friend has known what they’ve wanted to do since they were 8 and they have an exact plan of how to get there, it doesn’t mean you have to. 

The world is constantly evolving and new opportunities are emerging every day, so instead of making a lifelong commitment right now, why not embrace the idea of exploring different paths? What you think you want now might not align with your values and goals in a few years and once again, that is perfectly okay! You should allow yourself the freedom to learn from experiences and try things you never dreamt of doing.

At least once a week someone asks me about my plans for the future and it can be overwhelming that I don’t have everything figured out, but the way I choose to look at it is that I have so much excitement to look forward to. I get to find my niche and fall in love with it, I get to meet new people who see the world the way I do, and people who see things entirely oppositely. Parents, teachers, and society as a whole often put this immense pressure on us to have a concrete plan and we are made to believe that if we don’t have it all figured out by the time we leave school we’re somehow failing. But life isn’t linear and taking detours on the way to finding what you really love is perfectly normal. So don’t worry if you haven’t found what excites you yet – it will come to you when the time is right. 

At 10 I wanted to be a forensic scientist, at 11 a lawyer, at 15 I wanted to work for the United Nations, at 16 I thought about becoming a doctor, and don’t get me wrong I’m sure I could’ve been perfectly happy and very successful in any of these careers but to be 100% honest I  looked into careers that paid highly because I thought that would make me happy and it didn’t matter if I enjoyed what I was doing because having money would mean I was successful. At 16 I figured out I wanted to be a journalist, but if at some point in the future I change my mind then I will feel no guilt, no shame and I definitely won't feel like I have wasted any time chasing my dream. I don’t know exactly how I am going to end up as a journalist/presenter but I trust that I will find my path and I will be successful. 

So, my advice to anyone reading is this: don't let the pressure of having it all figured out at a young age weigh you down. Embrace the journey of self-discovery, keep your mind open to new opportunities, and trust that everything will fall into place when the time is right. Your future is not set in stone, and you have the power to shape it in your own unique way. Sometimes the best things come to us when we least expect them. So, take a deep breath, enjoy the present moment, and know that your future is bright, no matter what path you choose.

-Jemma <3