[PROMPT] Not knowing where you are headed in life and being O.K. with that

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

It’s okay if you don’t know.

Society challenges individuals to know where they are going and figuring out a plan for getting there. Right now.

The questions start in high school, where students often feel pressured to know what they want to do with their lives, well before applying for their post-secondary education.

During those formative years people are still discovering who they are, without sufficient life experience to determine what to do with the rest of it.

Life, for many, is a trial-and-error run. The only way to know what we want or where to go is by trying different choices and determining whether or not they feel right.

As we continue making those life choices, we learn about who we are by discovering what we like, dislike and eventually getting an idea of what works – or at the very least, what doesn’t work – for us.

That being said, individuals continue changing for the rest of their lives. You aren’t the same person, so to speak, from five years ago and you can expect to become a different one in the next five that follow.

Why?

We continue growing, learning, changing our perspectives, opinions and more. The way we think matures and shifts over the course of our lives. An individual’s sense of values and moral compass grows. People discover the world is larger than they first realized and their goals, plans and ambitions shift and expand to new horizons.

This goes on for the rest of one’s life, as new opportunities become available and each person comes to terms both with what are realistic possibilities and expectations on a personal level.

Sure, it was common for people to keep the same job for life. The paradigm changed, however, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, stating that the average person will change careers five-to-seven times during their working life. It’s further stated that approximately 30 per cent of the total workforce will now change jobs every 12 months.

It isn’t surprising to see people returning to school or working in different fields than their original study. Consider the possibilities we have today in meeting our full potential. The internet, for instance, connects people in a perpetually expanding virtual universe where we don’t only consume, but also offer assistance and inspiration to one another.

YouTube wasn’t around before, along with its countless tutorial videos that can teach the average viewer to more or less do anything, along with the plethora of currently existing social mediums and forums.

Information is now readily available at our fingertips, resting in the palm of our hand on a smartphone. These palmtops, if I may call them, are more powerful than the first computers.

The Adobe software company wrote a blog post comparing an ‘80s supercomputer to the modern smartphone in 2022. Aside from the smartphone being 5,000 times faster than the CRAY-2, the fastest and most powerful computer designed by 1985 for the U.S. Departments of Defense and Energy, the team adds that the phone in your pocket is powerful enough to have put a man on the moon in 1969.

“It’s one of those facts that you read online that seems unbelievable,” the company wrote. “In fact, a modern smartphone is exponentially more powerful than the guidance computer NASA used for the famous Apollo 11 mission.”

Imagine.

Today people create their own odds in an age of possibility. They branch out from tradition and create new paths to secure an individual livelihood. Social media, in particular, provides people with the ability to market themselves, their work and skills, so whether you’re an artist promoting your work, a commentator discussing any subject or someone working on starting the next social movement, anyone has a fair chance on becoming any type of online personality.

Websites such as Patreon and fiverr take that to the next level.

The first is a membership platform, where fans and followers can subscribe to provide ongoing support to content creators through recurring donations, serving as a monthly income source. The second is an online marketplace for freelancers, where they can directly connect with people and businesses seeking their services.

Many people don’t know which direction they are headed in life, but it’s not necessarily a cause for alarm. If anything, it’s an indication to check in with your personal values and filter the present through their lens. You can determine if you reached the next stage of your individual transformation or whether it’s time to re-evaluate your plan, move on and possibly work on creating a new vision.

Don’t fear finding yourself during in-between stages. The downtime is an excellent opportunity to focus on personal health, discovery and maintenance. If you’re spending a lot of time around people, seek alone time to reflect on individual development. If you’re spending a lot of time on your own on the other hand, seek the company of others who can provide a new perspective.

“Life” will constantly rush you, but it’s important to remember that you have the rest of time to figure it out. Don’t let others pressure you based on their expectations. It’s your life. You are responsible for discovering its path and can take as long as you need to.

Slow down and make sure you’re heading in the right direction – for you.

Take the next turn off the highway, find a parking lot and check your map. You might need to re-route, because the journey getting there is just as important as the destination.

“In an age of speed, I began to think, nothing could be more invigorating than going slow. In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention.”

– Pico Iyer