Courtesy: Tumblr
I don’t know if it is just my friends that are extremely indecisive or maybe it is all of us as a whole, generationally. I’m sure you all have friends who can’t seem to figure out who they want to date, what they want to major in or even what they want to do as a career. Truthfully, we all have a little bit of indecisiveness in us, and I’m sure there is an article out there somewhere that cites the fact that because we were introduced to technology at a young age, it has caused us to crave the latest and greatest endorphin release. Or maybe it was all those cellphone companies to blame. How could I really decide if I wanted to keep my pink razor in sixth grade when the sidekick had just come out?
How does the most indecisive generation, the kids that have gotten a new phone every year, deal with picking just one career path? It seems as though we are currently in a losing battle, and with the holiday season coming up we will most definitely have to answer question such as, “Are you dating anyone?” “Do you know what you’re doing after graduation?” and my personal favorite, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” If financial stability didn’t carry such an importance in the future I’d probably like to be about four different things before I retire and become a crazy grandma. I’d like to work in fashion, maybe own my own tech business, maybe be a teacher for awhile. Psychics always told me my purpose in life was to teach others, and maybe even be an astronaut? Going to the moon would be cool. I have heard countless friends say if you didn’t need a degree for your job or if getting a degree weren’t so expensive they’d want to switch their career path multiple times “when they’re older.”
I’m sure you all have that one friend that knew they wanted to be a doctor the first time they fell and patched up their own wound, which is awesome because truthfully those are the people I want as my doctors. However, if you’re like the rest of us, you might not know 100 percent. I want to help you all conquer holiday season with strength, and not fear of your relatives and the questions they might ask.
I know it is beyond cheesy but mood boards, dream boards, Tumblr pages or even keeping a journal have helped me find out,“What I want to be when I grow up.” I read a quote a while back and it said something along the lines of “What you do during your spare time is probably what you should do for the rest of your life.” If watching music videos on YouTube is your favorite thing, look at a career in A&R for record companies and help find new talent. Maybe you enjoy planning weekend trips with your friends? Than maybe look to event planning or PR for future career paths. Maybe you enjoy a good Netflix binge? There’s no shame in that. Look at what shows you are constantly drawn to or who your favorite characters are, or if there is a common theme. That can help you see what you’re attracted to in terms of the future.
Like everything in life, it’s going to take us all a few tries to figure out what we want to be. Take time for yourself this holiday season and put it on paper. It is so helpful to be able to visualize and see concretely what your plan is. I promise somewhere in between the Tumblr pages, journals and mood boards you’ll figure it out. If not then ask your relatives how they knew because it’ll buy you at least a few hours while aunt Jill explains to everyone how she figured out her dream career path. However, I hope you know it is never too late to become whom you want to be when you grow up, and when you realize it I hope you have the courage to pursue it!