There is probably nothing more crippling for a current student in higher education than the fear of what is next. This is a feeling that can even hunt someone dating all the way to high school. What is the next step? How to reach the next step?
These are some of the questions that at the moment can lead some people into feeling lost, conflicted, stuck or unsure in how to take this next step. It is a wide world out there, and with everyone being different from each other, it is a world where the path will be different from one and other. With this in mind, it’s very easy to get discouraged at the future path ahead, and it is okay to feel that way because we’re all human. At the same time, attitude and action can go a long way in how you tackle this turbulent time of indecision.
Here are some of the tips of what you can do to help alleviate any sense of inadequacy and stress so you can find clarity as you go through your career journey:
Trust your gut
Probably one of the biggest frustrations down the line for many people is when they got a gut feeling of something they thought was right, but their mind and logic said otherwise. It is one of the feelings that can lead to a lot of “What if’s” and “What could have been”, and it is a path that can lead to frustration and disappointment. No matter if some people discourage you about it, sometimes you alone will know if a certain path to take is good for you, and it’s better to at least take a leap of faith and trust you gut. More often than not, doing this will help you experience something you might have not before, and it’s better to know you followed your gut than live with the regret you knew better back then and didn’t do anything. Trust in yourself.
Enjoy the present
You have probably heard the phrase “It’s all about the journey and not the destination”. This is a powerful statement for a number of reasons. Sometimes a lot of people in society put so much emphasis on where you’ll end up rather than where you are. What this means is that so many people would rather keep their mind in the future, they just forget to sit back and enjoy the place where they are at right now. To reach something has to be done through a certain pathway, and the pathway can help people learn so much about life and themselves that by the time you reach your “desire”, you put more value to how you got there than the actual destination. Focusing on the now will help relieve you from the stress of what’s next. Take advantage of it.
Seek guidance from relevant places
As you think about the path you are going to take, with so many variables in the world and so many different paths to take, sometimes there will be desire for guidance to how to get there. Here is where you have to be very smart about things. It is always good to hear about experiences of people older than you to hear about how they got to where they are. But more importantly, seek out the people that went through a similar pathway as you want to take to learn even better about what to expect about what’s coming next. While there is no guarantee you will get to experience the exact same things as those who came before you, their experience and guidance can help give ideas on how to make your path better. Knowing a bit of what may be coming ahead can help encourage you and not feel stressed about the unknown.
No matter where you are and where you go, know that a lot of people will be in your same boat feelings the same kinds of uncertainties as you’ll be feeling. The good thing is there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and you are more than capable to tackle the real world. You have more power to define your success and not crumble under stress than you may realize. Believe in yourself, forget about who you may have been or what you may have done in the past, and tackle your future in the best way you can. In the end, you’ll be the one that will determine their own success.
