It has always been quite difficult for me to meet people’s standards. People like structure, especially high school students who try to push boundaries. But structure scares me. Plans scare me. It means that I have to uphold some responsibility in me to carry on a specific task. And if I fail?

  Despite this, a couple months ago I made plans for my future: what university I want to attend, what job I want to hold, where I want to live, and so much more. Last week I looked back at my decisions and felt like I couldn’t breathe. My heart had created a to-do list that my brain could not handle.

  Since then I’ve realized that it’s okay for me to not have a plan. I don’t need to plan my every move. Sure my friends have their lives figured out to a centimeter, but that’s them. I’m me. I only have one life and I shouldn’t waste it by trying to perfect every bump that presents itself.

  I am not saying that planning is bad. Planning is good. It’s smart. It keeps you organized and you can make sure that you don’t forget important dates. But over-planning can cause stress. I’ve just started to be a teenager and in less than eight months I’ll be considered an adult, which means what happens when I’m eighteen should NOT stress me out and cause me to not enjoy my life at seventeen because eventually I’ll be eighty-five (maybe), unable to move like I used to, and tell inappropriate stories to my grandchildren (if I even have children, which is a matter I won’t stress myself out about).

   Adults tell us to think about our future, which we should, but it shouldn’t be overcompensated with. Don’t plan so much that you can’t make mistakes along the way. You know the saying, “Learn from your mistakes?” Well it’s true. You have to remember that you’re only human. Don’t beat yourself down for not performing well on that last test. You’re amazing even if you didn’t do well on that paper, even if you don’t get that job you wanted, and even if you don’t graduate.

  Its is important to realize that there is no set number of moments you will get to experience. You will never know if an unexpected task will arise that will shift your life upside down. You can’t live with a unique perspective if you are constantly planning as you will miss out on the present. Plan when it is necessary but not at the cost of you enjoying the now.

  This is the reality – plans fail. And being part of a flawed species, you will fail often. But it’s a part of life. Just take a deep breath and go with the flow.