The new year is here, and apart from a bunch of crazy resolutions and such, this often means the start of something truly different. In my case, I am starting grad school tomorrow (or today, if you want to be super-exact), and I've been thinking of the pros and cons. Here are the pros for going out on a limb:
1. You're not happy
This is a biggie. You've tried new jobs/friends/mixed coffee drinks or whatever, and you just can't figure out why you're still unhappy. Ben Franklin once said that the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. True dat. You need to truly take a risk. A big one. A person who risks nothing, gains nothing. So take that step, move out of your parents' basement, move to a different city, apply to school, just DO it. You really have more to gain than lose.
2. You're not focused
Sometimes, you just need a real kick in the ass. That can come in many forms. Mine was finding out that my significant other wasn't who I though she was. That devastated me, but it also kicked my ass in a good way. I was losing a lot of focus and energy to her, and I didn't realize it. Breaking up allowed me to redirect my energy, and I got focused real fast. Cut off the fat in your life, drop the excess baggage, whatever it might be, and use that energy to move FORWARD into a new adventure. Its a double-whammy effect; lose the negative, and gain the positive.
3. You're bored
Although some would argue that being bored isn't a great reason to do anything (certainly not a great reason to go back to school and bury yourself in debt), I think the fact that you're bored can tell you a lot. Clearly something is missing, and if you really sit back, look, dig deep, and delve into the reasons why you're bored, you might be able to pinpoint why your life is stagnant. Regardless of whether you can find that specific thing or not, changing it up, moving to a new city, going on that backpacking trip you always wanted to go on, or whatever it is, might break you out of the rut and if nothing else, give you a great story at parties.
1. You're not happy
This is a biggie. You've tried new jobs/friends/mixed coffee drinks or whatever, and you just can't figure out why you're still unhappy. Ben Franklin once said that the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. True dat. You need to truly take a risk. A big one. A person who risks nothing, gains nothing. So take that step, move out of your parents' basement, move to a different city, apply to school, just DO it. You really have more to gain than lose.
Sometimes, you just need a real kick in the ass. That can come in many forms. Mine was finding out that my significant other wasn't who I though she was. That devastated me, but it also kicked my ass in a good way. I was losing a lot of focus and energy to her, and I didn't realize it. Breaking up allowed me to redirect my energy, and I got focused real fast. Cut off the fat in your life, drop the excess baggage, whatever it might be, and use that energy to move FORWARD into a new adventure. Its a double-whammy effect; lose the negative, and gain the positive.
Although some would argue that being bored isn't a great reason to do anything (certainly not a great reason to go back to school and bury yourself in debt), I think the fact that you're bored can tell you a lot. Clearly something is missing, and if you really sit back, look, dig deep, and delve into the reasons why you're bored, you might be able to pinpoint why your life is stagnant. Regardless of whether you can find that specific thing or not, changing it up, moving to a new city, going on that backpacking trip you always wanted to go on, or whatever it is, might break you out of the rut and if nothing else, give you a great story at parties.
