I am 23!

And I have no idea what I am going to do for the rest of my life, and maybe that's okay...

I had been fairly certain about myself since I was a young child, certain that I would either become a teacher, an engineer, or a doctor. Those were pretty much all of the occupations that my younger self was aware of.

Class after class, exam after exam, and I followed the path that seemed right for me. However, no one can prepare you for life beyond the end of formal education, beyond the university. No one tells you anything about the transition between being a student and dreaming about your job and then going on to become an actual professional.

For me, that switch happened in only a matter of a few days. One week I was giving my final presentation for my master’s, and the next week I was starting my first job. The transition was terrible!

No curriculum prepares people like us for the adulting life. The people who plan every single aspect of their lives, but get disappointed when life does not turn out that way. The people who dream big but lack proper guidance to reach their destination.

For those kinds of people, life happens, and they learn, they adjust, they move on (or at least try to). Sometimes life is the best guru that you can have. What else can we do other than learn from the mistakes and take “One step at a time”!

This is such a weird stage of life. Some people are getting married, some are on their millionth trip, some people are having their best adventures, and some are still stuck in the loop of “what should I do after this?” or “what do I really want from my life?”

To be honest, I am one of those people who have no idea what I would do for the rest of my life. Being an academic overachiever, I thought I had sorted out my dreams and ambitions, but the current state of the world, so many missed opportunities, and a weight of fear for the future drag me behind whenever I am ready to step forward.

What happens to the people like me, people like us? What happens to those who dream big but their reality does not align with it? Should we dream less, or should we keep going on despite all?

When I am overwhelmed by emotions such as these, I try to follow the mantra of “One step at a time”. The result might not be 100% strong each time, but it certainly helps. The first step, create a list of things that I like and am good at, and then try to see and view the possible careers and jobs that would align with my interests and skills.

Discovering who you are after having been told by others what to do for nearly two decades is a tiresome process. Being clueless about what you want to do in life when you finally take control of your life has to be one of the most humbling experiences of life.

I still do not have any idea what I want in my life. I still do not know what job I would like to do for the rest of my life. But in the last few months, I have been trying to be okay with this feeling. I have been trying not to think too much about the future and the anxieties that come along with it. I have been trying to force myself to take one step at a time.

I do not know if that is helpful in the long run, but hey, I am still figuring it out. Maybe it is both a curse and a blessing not to have any idea about the future. Maybe that way, I do not get stuck in any particular picture of my future, either painted by someone else or even me. Maybe that way I am free!

If you resonate with this feeling of uncertainty, then hey, welcome to the club. Do subscribe if you feel seen here. Let’s figure out life together!