Being "On the Wrong Path..."

What does it mean to stray from the original plan and why do we see it as such a bad thing?

I'm a planner. Until the day I die I will surround myself with journals, calendars, to-do lists, you name it. So, when it came to college, I had my plan all laid out. This led me to a 4-year university that held high prestige, invaluable connections, rigorous courses, a picturesque campus, etc. And the thing is, I took all of the steps I thought I needed to in order to follow my perfect path. However, no one but you knows about your plans. How can you seriously expect the world to obey a plot its never seen?

When the world did its thing and ripped up my map, sending me to a university I cried while clicking the "commit" button for, I built up so much frustration aimed at nothing and no one. I hated that I wasn't at a school my plan would approve of and that feeling stuck with me.

By now, if you don't know me, you may think this is a story of accepting the change of plans and finding my place in this university---you'd be incorrect. Don't get me wrong, I tried so hard and I really think I would have been just fine if I stayed there. The thing about me, however, is that I'm never striving for "just fine." I had this pounding feeling that one day, when it was too late, I would sit wishing I took a chance at my perfect school just one more time.

After that first semester, I transferred home to community college to pursue my dream universities. Here's the thing though, this STILL isn't following my perfect plan and I'm GLAD it isn't. While I told you this isn't a story of accepting and succumbing, it is one of accepting and adapting. Community college was never in my plan just how that first university wasn't, but screw the plan altogether! Just look at the end goal, and find a way to get there. It doesn't have to perfect and, in fact, it absolutely will NOT be.

Remember my requirements for my "perfect university?" Community college is none of those things. When I first arrived, was I upset at this fact? OF COURSE! But, it's all about adapting. While I'm at community college, I will take advantage of all it has to offer because I'm here now, I may as well have some fun. Then, it will push me towards my dream. Community college will get me to that end goal and I have nothing but gratitude towards it because of that.

Do I have times where wish I was able to do this "the easy way?" Yes. But, if I did this "the easy way," what stories would I have to tell? What skills would I have developed? And how could I truly feel like I "earned" anything at all?

I love planning, I really do, but when one step goes wrong, I abandon the goal altogether. Careful plotting has pushed me away from pursuing so many things simply because the route wasn't what I expected. Now that I took the leap off of the perfect path in pursuit of the same goal, I've gained so much more perspective as well as a perfect blog topic.

If I could wrap this all up in one (cheesy) quotable statement, I would say: let the world rip up your plans sometimes but don't ever let it diminish your dreams.

Lilly Hazard

Hazard on Campus

@lilly_hazard