The Best Piece Of Advice I Was Given About Facing My Future

Life has many paths.

When I was about to start University, I went to my schools open day. I talked to many people about my interests and where I wanted my career to take me at the time.

One of the career advisors I spoke to that day gave me an unforgettable piece of advice.

I was just starting to get interested in learning Japanese and the school offered duel degrees for languages with IT but not the medical science degree I had just started.

I was determined to fit this new interest into my learning path. But, like most beginners, I was making a lot of mistakes: I was trying to have it all, underestimating the amount of time I would have, and determined to figure everything out beforehand so I could follow a perfectly laid path for myself.

Melanie said to me: It’s okay to change your mind.

“It’s okay to change your mind”

That day, my whole life changed.

Up until then, I was putting so much pressure on myself to graduate fast so that I could get a high paying job in a well regarded field. I didn’t acknowledge or even really know what I wanted. I was listening to people around me who had the best intentions and wanted me to have a good future, but weren’t picking up on my concerns and uncertainty.

Hearing that I could change my mind allowed me some breathing room and took a huge weight off my shoulders. I ended up changing my mind twice and it was because I was told it was okay, that I felt comfortable enough to do it.

I’ve spoken to many students and professionals since who are uncertain of their degree, major, subjects, or career they’ve chosen and if you’re reading this — It’s okay to change your mind.