When you were little, what career opportunities were you dreaming of pursuing when you grew up? Perhaps you knew just what career path you were going to work through to reach your goal. But what was it that happened, and why did everything turn out so differently than what was planned?
The wonder of childhood revolves around the fact that the possibilities of our lives are endless. Every single day invites an opportunity to learn something new which we can internalise and build upon a little bit more. That wonder goes away as we get older, and adulthood then quickly looms on the horizon. Once we’re adults, we’ve got to always keep our feet firmly grounded.
In an effort to be more sensible, we tend to reject anything that’s not according to plan – either one we personally devise, or one that has been set down for us by someone else. For example, if we’re going to go to law school, then right after high school we need to hit the ground running, with four years of college followed by exams, and then four plus years of law school to finish.
Generally, most of our parents and the other people around us genuinely believe that we will only develop a worth-while career if we follow a carefully structured plan to the letter. Life is not about an exacting plan – it’s about living. It’s important to remember that everyone’s path isn’t the same, even when two people are journeying to the same destination.
So, why do we feel compelled to stay on a rigid pre-chosen path for our lives, even when we don’t want to? It could revolve around a general lack of any better ideas, or simply because we are afraid to want something different.
The thing about plans is that we choose them based on the fact that someone else has gone before and figured out the path. That’s good – but for that person, and it’s definitely a leap of faith to “think outside the box” to search for your own way. Embracing new ideas is not about making unwise choices, but about taking chances to potentially enhance the quality of our lives.
Let’s go back to the law school scenario. There are many ways to practice law. A big corporate law firm may not be for you. Teaching or fighting for the civil liberties of the underprivileged might be what you desire. It’s not wrong to do these things. They may not bring you fame and fortune, but then that should not be the primary measure of our happiness. When life is all said and done, it’s the memories of those we helped and how it made us feel that we take with us.
Remember the creativity of your youth and apply this to your life. Make an effort to take control, and be moulded and shaped by your own personal thoughts and values – not those of society. Who knows? Charting a new course today may leave a lasting impression on all those who will someday follow.
Alan Gillies is the CEO of Learning 2 Live, a comprehensive online Lifestyles resource which delves deeply into business and pleasure, covering a wide variety of Lifestyle subjects such as Relationships, Health, Wellbeing, Career, Travel & Coaching, and many more. Alan has considerable personal experience throughout a number of business fields including Coaching and Mentoring, Change Management and Neuro Linguistic Programming.