What’s next? What’s next?? WHAT IS NEXT?! Such a simple question that should not cause as much anxiety as it does. It seems like no matter where you are in life, people are asking about your next move. You’re in high school and every one is worrying you about college. And you finally get to college and now people want to talk about post-grad plans, grad school apps, GRE, LSAT, etc. That question, what’s next, is honestly just code for when are you going to start being successful already? We are taught to always move forward to the next task that takes you a step higher and not to enjoy the moment. There is so much pressure to be as successful as possible as fast as possible in this day and age. And why would we not want to? We live in the era of the Kylie Jenners and Mark Zuckerbergs, young million AND billionaires that make us feel like we should have started our careers while in diapers. Comparison is the thief of joy, especially when everything is so accessible via social media. Living in an age where almost every accomplishment that someone has is broadcasted online can be pretty tough sometimes, especially when you feel like you aren’t doing enough.
The truth is that we are all on different paths. The road you are taking may look similar to someone else’s but no two journeys are completely identical. Things are not going slow-paced, they are happening when they need to. Comparing paths with peers usually only leads to feelings of disappointment and pity in oneself. Why feel sorry for yourself when you can have a great time living in the moment? Being fixated on the future may not sound like a bad thing, but it is when you aren’t taking advantage of the present. As you read these words, this is the youngest you are ever going to be again. Live your life! No, I am not saying never think about the future, but be more present.
I know how hard it is to be present; it is not something that comes naturally to people, especially if you are constantly worrying about the future. Being present is something that people have to work towards achieving. There are different methods that can be practiced to learn to be more present. One of my favorite methods is putting my phone face down whenever I am having a conversation with someone. Listen to the words of the person you are having conversation with. Give yourself a chance to be truly heard by someone else. The memories we make and relationships we build are meaningful and important. Being present can look different ways. Put some music on and clean the house. Invite friends over and have a hangout with limited phone use and no talk of work/school. Living in the moment will lessen your worrying about the future. Take your time and find the joy in the now. You don’t have to have a million-dollar start up company at twenty-four or be the youngest person to do whatever. You got this!
