One of the most challenging things I have come to find being in the real world is that priorities are everything.
Life can be very chaotic if you don’t prioritize. But it’s not that simple. Having to choose something before another is a tricky thing and should be handled with care.
For instance, choosing whether to use vacation time or just risking getting scheduled to work a certain day when you have something planned is tough. Determining what to do, who to see, when, where and how to do it is easier said than done.
Money is another thing you have to prioritize. In college we can afford to be frivolous with our spending money and not really think about the consequences. Once you’re on your own and living from paycheck to paycheck you’ll realize you wish you had saved up more and not bought that extra pair of shoes you didn’t really need.
Even the simple daily tasks I have found that I have to prioritize. Do I want to sleep in or work out that day? Should I take my lunch to work, come home, or go out to eat? Everything in my head is a question, process and task. Once things get more settled and less scattered, I think my constant brain churning will subside.
I just want you to not take anything for granted now and start understanding that what’s “long term” for you is coming up faster than you think–insurance plans, bills, daily life expenses, activities, a social life, work, all fragile things that need to be treated with care. From my experience the best words of wisdom I can provide are “go with your gut.” You know what you want and your gut will rarely steer you wrongly.