Think about the last time you said yes. The last time you said maybe. The last time you said no.
How much time do you spend thinking about what you like or do not like, and what your plan for life is? How often do you stick to it? Answering each of these questions is about setting your own life structure.
Please know, I am a major fan of structure! I think plans are wonderful! They are a part of life and every type A personality. But, sometimes the best laid plans are the ones that allow for flexibility.
Some people find it risky to not have a well thought out plan. I agree. But think of the risks associated with having a set in stone plan: possibly better opportunities can drift by unnoticed because so much is being done to execute this one plan. It happens!
For major simplicity, think of that one food you absolutely hated as a child. For me, it was brussel sprouts. As I got older I continued to detest even the name "brussel sprouts." Until one day, when a friend ordered this disgusting food with her meal. But when her plate came, I realized that I had not actually tried a brussel sprout in 13 years! The only reason I had not was because of that one terrible experience when I was seven. There was no better answer I could give as to why I disliked this healthy veggie. Well, after cautiously nibbling on a brussel sprout from her plate, I realized they were pretty darn good! I have been eating them ever since! Do you have any biases guiding your life and keeping you away from your "brussel sprouts"?
That is all I am advocating for here. Ask "why?" If your answer to the question of "why is this my goal?" , "why do I like [X]?" , "why do I not like [Y]?" is sufficient for you, then keep on going, my friend! I am very happy for you and wish you the best. All I ask is that you continue asking these questions at various checkpoints in the process of accomplishing your goals. Such checkpoints will undoubtedly be necessary because as you remain open to the world around you, new opportunities may be uncovered that may improve your original plan. But if you cannot remember why you originally set on that path, or your answer is something like "because I have always done it that way," then it is time to reconsider and adjust your perspective.
Through it all, please remember, instinct is a beautiful thing and should be listened to when making such decisions. But instinct is most powerful when also combined with reason and knowledge. Such a combination leads us to making plans, which I will always believe are a necessary part of life. The life plans that I set, though, create the skeleton of the path rather than a set in stone brick road. The establishment of certain check-points or boundaries is healthy for knowing who I am, and keeps me open to letting life fill in the rest.
That's just my perspective.
How much time do you spend thinking about what you like or do not like, and what your plan for life is? How often do you stick to it? Answering each of these questions is about setting your own life structure.
Please know, I am a major fan of structure! I think plans are wonderful! They are a part of life and every type A personality. But, sometimes the best laid plans are the ones that allow for flexibility.
Some people find it risky to not have a well thought out plan. I agree. But think of the risks associated with having a set in stone plan: possibly better opportunities can drift by unnoticed because so much is being done to execute this one plan. It happens!
For major simplicity, think of that one food you absolutely hated as a child. For me, it was brussel sprouts. As I got older I continued to detest even the name "brussel sprouts." Until one day, when a friend ordered this disgusting food with her meal. But when her plate came, I realized that I had not actually tried a brussel sprout in 13 years! The only reason I had not was because of that one terrible experience when I was seven. There was no better answer I could give as to why I disliked this healthy veggie. Well, after cautiously nibbling on a brussel sprout from her plate, I realized they were pretty darn good! I have been eating them ever since! Do you have any biases guiding your life and keeping you away from your "brussel sprouts"?
That is all I am advocating for here. Ask "why?" If your answer to the question of "why is this my goal?" , "why do I like [X]?" , "why do I not like [Y]?" is sufficient for you, then keep on going, my friend! I am very happy for you and wish you the best. All I ask is that you continue asking these questions at various checkpoints in the process of accomplishing your goals. Such checkpoints will undoubtedly be necessary because as you remain open to the world around you, new opportunities may be uncovered that may improve your original plan. But if you cannot remember why you originally set on that path, or your answer is something like "because I have always done it that way," then it is time to reconsider and adjust your perspective.
Through it all, please remember, instinct is a beautiful thing and should be listened to when making such decisions. But instinct is most powerful when also combined with reason and knowledge. Such a combination leads us to making plans, which I will always believe are a necessary part of life. The life plans that I set, though, create the skeleton of the path rather than a set in stone brick road. The establishment of certain check-points or boundaries is healthy for knowing who I am, and keeps me open to letting life fill in the rest.
That's just my perspective.