“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” – Lao Tzu
Sometimes, you’re heading in a direction that you know isn’t the right way for you, but you’re so far down the road that you don’t want to turn around. You choose not to turn around because you’ve already spent so much time, energy, or money going down this path and not going to the end sounds painful to you. By not finishing what you started, all you can see is everything that you’ve wasted in this pursuit so far. But do you know what is more painful than wasting past efforts? Wasting current and future efforts by finishing something that you know isn’t what you’re looking for. Getting to the destination at the end of your trajectory, feeling stuck, and then making another decision to either stay where you are (miserable) OR take another road, potentially even longer than the last one, to get to the new destination that you have in mind.
Here is a specific example…say you’re going to college for a degree with a specific job in mind. As you progress through your college journey and intern in your field of study, you realize that you not only don’t want to do that job for the rest of your life, but you don’t want to do that job for even a few years of your life! But the problem is, what you’re really interested in is completely different than what you’re currently studying. Basically none of the classes that you’ve already taken can be used as credits for the other major. Do you have the courage to “start over?” Do you still finish your major as is or do you make the switch to something more fulfilling?
Take a closer look at where you are today and what road the actions you’re taking today will lead you down. Will you like the final destination? Will you be disappointed? Or will you really enjoy that destination, but need to take more action to get there faster? If you don’t course correct, you’ll eventually get to where you’re heading. Whether that place is right for you is up for you to decide.