How am I ever going to make it to graduation? Where am I going to live after? What if I don’t get a job? This semester is dragging on. I just need to make it through this week and then I get the weekend. Sound familiar? Slow down, you will get there.

       

As a college student, you likely receive the inevitable question of what you’re going to do with your life fairly often. Seemingly, this can make your head spin around and around as you become frustrated and actually give that question a lot of thought. However, while getting there may take a lot of hard work, it doesn’t have to be as complicated as you’re probably making it. The answer is somewhat simple – set a goal… or two… or three.

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Sure, these goals are important but it is not necessarily all about achieving them. Instead, it’s actually about the journey. You don’t see a doctor become successful without a lot of hiccups and late nights along the way. You probably don’t see an actor make it to Hollywood without years of rejection or smaller gigs. The moral of the story is to not get so down on yourself when you’re feeling like you’re never going to make it in the real world.

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Most of us are at the point in our lives where it is totally normal to do some soul searching and try new or different things to find our personal niche. If you fail at one thing, it is important to not let it bring you down. But if it does, it’s all about helping yourself back up. Just because you’re not the greatest at one thing does not meant that you can’t excel at the next. Keep searching or, better yet, just keep doing what you’re doing and you will likely come across what you’re looking for when you least expect it.

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Spending time anxiously awaiting what’s to come is okay – in small doses. However, if you find yourself constantly dwelling on every possible outcome and letting it keep you from other things, you may be facing a problem. A quick change of pace could potentially be possible by rearranging a few things in your routine. Setting aside more time to focus on what you are currently involved in or even spending a little extra time with friends could go a long way. Regardless, it is important to try to keep yourself somewhat busy, even if the “business” is doing something that you enjoy. This way, you are able to focus on what is currently going on around you.

       

The decisions that you make right now and the hard work that you put in everyday could realistically make or break your future. Whether you realize it or not, chances are you are going to thank yourself in a few years for all of those late nights and maybe even those times you had to tell your friends no in order to meet a deadline. The most important thing right now is to focus on yourself and all of the goals that you are trying to reach.