It’s okay if you don’t have it all figured out. It is okay if you are not sure what your next move will be. It is okay if you are just putting one foot in front of the other and trusting the process. The truth is, most of us don’t have it figured out, some of us are more prepared than others, but so many of us are hoping everything just works out, and that’s okay.
I’ve been told my entire life how important it is to have a plan. And although I agree that having plans are beneficial, sometimes making plans are scary, because plans have a funny way of re-routing and going a different direction than we anticipated. It is okay if your plan is a work in progress and it is okay if your plan is being pieced together by a tiny string.
My “plan” for my life has changed so much over the years, from starting school as a criminal justice major, to turning to psychology because it was the easiest thing for me to switch to, to wanting to work in the homeless population to reduce obesity, to becoming passionate about reducing mental health stigma. My plans for my personal life have changed since I was a little girl – it’s funny to think that at age 10, I was convinced by this age I would have kids, a husband, a house, some dogs and a baby blue Bentley. Plans change!
The best part about this journey is that you don’t have to have all the answers right now. No one will ever have all of the answers, that’s the beauty of this unexpected journey. We will all just keep trying to figure out life the best we possibly can. So be patient with yourself and despite what people might say to you, it’s okay to be where you are, whether you know every step of where you want to be in 5 to 10 years, or you have absolutely no idea. It’s okay.
It can be hard to visualize the answer to the question, “what is your 5 year plan?” Especially, if you are like me and can’t think 5 years in the future because you can barely think about what you will have for dinner tomorrow. So instead, let’s chunk things down a bit smaller. Let’s envision where we want to be in a week, where we want to be in a month, maybe even a year. Do you know where you want to be in a month? Focus on that. Do everything possible in order to get to that point. Maybe your plan is that within a month, you will have gotten up the courage to ask your boss for a raise, or ask that person out on a date. Figure out the words you will say, the actions you will take, the positive affirmations you will repeat and trust the process.
Ultimately, have goals for yourself and follow your passions, but it’s okay if the plans for achieving those goals aren’t all laid out and it’s okay if you aren’t exactly sure yet how you will reach that goal. Keep doing one small thing every day that gets you closer to reaching that goal and that pieces your plan together. Even when the plan changes course, find comfort, patience and trust in yourself and know you will end up exactly where you are supposed to be.
Xo,