22 And Clueless About Life? Don’t worry, it's okay!

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"Oh my god, I don't know what I am doing with my life?"
"My friends are all settled, when will I?"
"Why don't I have a plan?"

If you ask these questions to yourself every morning before leaving for work, or going out for a job hunt, well, join the club!

Figuring out what we want turns out to be the toughest task in our lives. 20’s is an age, where most people are beginning being by themselves. Peer pressure, family expectations, social life, everything is heightened. The last year of college, and the first question bombarded at you,"So, did you get a job?" 

This question, acts a conversation starter, and ends up being your worst nightmare. 

We’ve all been there, haven’t we?

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When I was a kid, playing a teacher seemed legit.Years later,high school happened! Interest number two, Biotechnology! But, the grades said a whole another story, i.e. I sucked at Biology. 

Moved on to pursue Engineering. Remember, the times when you think you are doing something because you are meant to, and you stop thinking ahead? Yes, same here. Did pretty okay, in the first year. Time passed, and wild imaginations of making it as a pretty cool software engineer rose too. Oh, the wants! No, I didn't end up in Infosys :P

Life in a new city began, and Business Development came into picture, because client servicing was swag. Soon, social media marketing followed. The 'so-called' careers kept changing, and it took me a whole year of goofing around to realise, writing ain't just a hobby anymore! And, here I am, working as a writer, not just for paying the bills!

Phew! That's some soul-searching, ain't it?

Judgments are baseless

When I told people, I changed two jobs in less than a year, there were innumerous talks of my flaws. Trust me, it gets worse with every other one!

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But, their views don’t define me, so instead of being bogged down, by something as little as a ‘Judgment,’ we should focus more on figuring out the best for us.

The “Where do you see yourself in 5 years” question

According to me the lamest question to ask anyone, is ‘where do you see yourself 5 years from now?’ I mean,yes we all make up stories at interviews! But, how can I actually answer that? Even fashion changes every year, so how do I see myself in 5 years?

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I might end up writing a novel, or turn into an avid businesswoman, who knows? But, I like not knowing. Its adventurous. Being safe side just doesn't work for me.

And, why a job? Why does a five year plan have to be a job? I could be travelling the world, come on TV, or just chill at home with my family.

Satisfaction trumps Wants

As they rightly say, “well begun, is only half done”

It took me 3 jobs in a year to find out where spending the '9 to 5' is worth it. I turned my hobby into a profession.  No, I am still not satisfied. You ask why? Because, satisfaction trumps wants. Once, you realise that you are content with your life, you stop wanting more, the will to fight starts to fade. So, one must never be satisfied. 

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Now, don’t confuse satisfaction for happiness. The moment when you are able to get time off of work, to cook yourself your favourite meal, that is satisfaction. But, when your mom cooks it for you at home, that is true happiness. 

Planning shouldn’t stop you from exploring your options

Planning or goals should be there, and I support it. But the fact that every single second you worry about making a plan, is a second you could devote to being happy, isn’t that better? 

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It’s not that people who don't have a plan, aren’t putting in the effort. They believe in giving things a try,and in the process finding what they are looking for eventually.

The Job-search phase

Daunting, isn’t it? Many students who don’t get a job, either end up taking their own lives, or they keep trying too hard for the job they don’t essentially want, but they ‘have to,' because of the piece of paper popular as a 'degree'. Unaware of the magic that happens, if they try do what they want.

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Try being different, take risks. From my first job to my third, my degree didn’t help me at all.

Gives you time to know yourself

In the process of figuring out, what you want, you get to know yourself. 

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The varied range of options, lead you to realise everything you can, and can’t do. And, doesn’t knowing yourselves takes a while? Yes, it does. Give time, some time.

Diverse Experiences= Improved Social Network

When you start exploring, you meet people, and grow yourself socially. Trust me, your grades don't help you get where you want to be, it's your network that does. 

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From a simple referral, to a chance at an open mic, social network has your back.

Embracing change

Well, unless you bury your head in your hands at work every morning, there are better things that come out of experiences, i.e. change. 

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Whether it is your personality or your skills, a little change goes a long way. This is where you learn to embrace change, instead of complaining about it.

Most successful people have been in your shoes

Colonel Sanders, anyone? Starting out as a labourer,fireman,lawyer to founding a ferry boat company, and eventually building a global empire out of fried chicken, at the age of 65. Yes, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).

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From Oprah Winfrey, to JK Rowling, if there's one thing in common, it is, Time! They aren't an overnight success. They failed, faced rejection, but didn't stop challenging life.

When a kid starts school, he doesn’t learn ‘ABC’ the first day, and reads out sentences the next. It takes time, patience, and loads of howls to do that. Parents take care of the poops, and kids focus on being happy.

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It is alright if you don’t know what you want in life, yet. Because, the quest leads us there. Experiences teach you more than what you learn in the confined walls of a classroom.