A few years ago, I was at a major fork in the road and feeling incredibly burned out. I had just transferred out of one college without having a clear idea of what college I should attend next.
The options, the paperwork, the applications, and the stress of it all overwhelmed me. I was uncertain of what my future would hold. I was also scared of making a mistake and not being “marketable” after graduation.
So I caved to the pressure of well-meaning relatives. I switched colleges and majored in something that didn’t really interest me.
Now, there was nothing inherently wrong with my major. Not at all. In fact, I enjoyed it for the most part. I’m grateful for the experiences I’ve had.
Even so, I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if I had had the courage to stand up for myself. I wonder what might have happened if I had majored in something that had really interested me.
Maybe I’ll never know.
But what I do know is that since I started writing, I’ve discovered a passion that I never knew I had.
And my life has forever changed.
You know what’s interesting, though? When I was in the middle of working on my first degree, I didn’t really enjoy writing. At least, I didn’t enjoy the stiff, academic writing that my degree program required.
I felt drained after spending so much time doing work that didn’t fulfill me. And, at the time, I didn’t really know why.
But now, thankfully, I know:
I wasn’t going after what I wanted to do. That’s why I was tired and burned out. I wasn’t pursuing my own interests and forging my own path. Instead, I was half-heartedly pouring my energy into doing what others expected of me.
Although I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to do back then, I was convinced my dream wasn’t what I was currently doing. And I was right.
Now that I’ve discovered a love for writing, I don’t often get burned out anymore.
Now, don’t get me wrong — it’s not that I suddenly don’t have many things that I need to get done every day. I still do.
The big change, though, is that now, I’m doing what I prefer to do, so my “work” doesn’t feel like work.
I can write or edit articles for hours on end and not know where the time goes because I’m so happy to be doing what I love. That’s what I’ve realized: When you do work that matters to you, you don’t get burned out as easily.
So what does this mean for you?
I want you to know that constant stress or burnout isn’t normal.
Really — it’s not.
Of course, falling into bed exhausted every night and dreading having to work the next morning can feel normal. That used to be normal for me, too.
But I’m here to tell you that you will never be satisfied with your life if you count down the days until the weekend and drag yourself to work or school.
Why?
Because that’s not living — that’s just surviving, and you can’t be living your best life if you’re just surviving, just “getting by.”
I can guarantee that if you earnestly look for your passions in life and follow them, your quality of life will go through the roof.
As someone who spent years doing work she didn’t like, let me tell you — doing what you love will give you energy and joy you could never have imagined.
It will propel you forward when no one else believes in you. And it will make every mistake and setback you encounter worth it.
Final thoughts
No matter where you are in life, I hope you’ll remember this:
It’s not too late. If you hate the life you have, you can change it as I did.
So I urge you — don’t settle for that decent job that pays the bills if it’s not what you love.
If your dream is still out there, waiting to be discovered, have the courage to go after it. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it.
And if you have discovered your dream, I hope you’ll look at the possibilities instead of the problems. I hope you’ll never let go of the dream life you envision.
Most of all, I hope you’ll discover the thrill of waking up excited for the days and years ahead instead of dreading what the future might hold.
So go ahead — do something spectacular with your life and never go back to being constantly burned out. You’ll never regret it.
