Having It Figured Out Is Overrated
- Nathaniel Konga | Marketing Enthusiast
Do you have it figured out? If not, don't put any more stress on yourself; having it figured out is overrated. Seriously, it is. Anyone who claims they have life all planned out is lying to you and themselves. There is always something that you will need to figure out. You fix one problem; life throws you another.
When I graduated from high school, I had all this pressure to have everything figured out. This pressure came from my parents, the education system, and most importantly, myself. Seeing so many of my peers who knew what they wanted at a very young age made me feel inadequate. It made me feel like I couldn't achieve great things. It made me feel like I would be left behind. It made me feel small. And above all, it made me doubt myself.
Luckily, throughout high school, my English teacher was my hero, and after I graduated, she did one last heroic thing for me. As I entered her classroom for the last time to return some books, she sat me down and said, "Nathaniel, you don't have to have it all figured out to move forward." We looked at each other for a couple of minutes without saying anything. She hugged me as I began to shed a tear.
After much deliberation, I chose to pursue International Business in university. Was I sure about the degree choice? No. But I knew that whatever I wanted to do would require business skills. First-year was the most unproductive I had ever been. I would miss classes, sleep until 3 pm, binge-watch TV shows all night, eat the unhealthiest food, and had no idea what day it was all the time. Each time I think of the first year, I laugh at the ridiculousness of those nine months. Second-year was a bit more productive because I wanted to find a year-long internship to feel a bit more prepared for my final year, but truth be told, I wasn't mature enough to graduate. My internship search was directed towards marketing within the media industry. COVID happened, and A LOT of student internships got wiped out, especially within the media industry. What did I do? I kept on applying for whatever internships were available. All I wanted at that point was to have a platform where I could develop my marketing skills.
Thankfully, my hard work paid off when I landed a role as Marketing Assistant at a nonprofit specializing in helping carers. I had minimal to no knowledge about the care industry. Additionally, I didn't know how nonprofit marketing worked, but it was an opportunity that I couldn't pass, especially with the state of the job market at the time. It wasn't the ideal circumstance or role, but I knew I would still develop my skills.
Shockingly, eight months in, I knew that I wanted to spend the next couple of years of my life focusing on nonprofit marketing. How did I come to this conclusion? I saw nonprofits' great work go unnoticed simply because they didn't have the marketing knowledge to make themselves known. I wanted to be part of the change that would make these nonprofits known.
Before I finished my internship, I created Quotes For Nonprofits, an Instagram page focused on inspiring nonprofits to continue their excellent work. This was my first step in helping nonprofits with their marketing. When I released my first post, my English teacher's words echoed in my mind; this is what she meant when she said, "You don't have to have it all figured out." I really didn't, and the same thing goes for you. Who would have thought that I would develop a passion for nonprofit marketing? Not me. Who would have thought that I would be planning to spend my early twenties helping nonprofits build their marketing strategies? Not me. And this is not me saying that I now have it figured out; this is me saying I got this far only by not having it figured out. And I'm still figuring it out. Who knows, maybe a year from now, I will lose interest in nonprofit marketing. Guess what? Even if I lose all interest in nonprofit marketing a year from now, I will accept that change with open arms because I know that will be part of the process of me figuring it out. Permanence is a myth. You shouldn't be afraid of the possibility of change occurring.
No one knows what will happen in life. It all falls into place as you move forward. I completely understand your anxiety about moving forward without having all the pieces together; I'm the same. Everyone is flailing and floundering around, filled with doubt and insecurity about their future. But as I mature and experience new things, I'm learning to accept that part of the process of mustering up the courage to keep going without knowing what is to come.
Above all, it doesn't matter where your life is at right now, where you think it's supposed to be, or what anyone else thinks about your decisions. Just put one foot in front of the other and take each day as it comes. Follow your passions and above all, enjoy the show.
You don't need to have it all figured out. Always remember that.