19-years-old is not an easy time to be alive. The world is expecting you to get your life together but the reality is most 19-year-olds have no idea what they should be doing with their life. There are so many options and opportunities.
The reality is there is no clear answer to what a 19-year-old should be doing with their life. Everyone is on a different path and there is no one thing that 19-year-olds “should” be doing.
There is so much that comes with being a 19 year old. At that age, you gain some level of freedom to make many decisions about your life. It is an overwhelming period because you make many decisions and many times, you might be unsure about a bunch of them. You happen to face self-doubt often because you wish to choose the right path but it can sometimes be difficult.
The peculiarities about times like these have made me put together this piece to guide your journey. Being a 19-year-old is a privilege, a time to enjoy and experience new things. You will need to pay attention to the following aspects of your life.
Decision Making at 19 Years Old
Our life, regardless of age, is a culmination of decisions. If you are 19 years old or less, your life is mostly a result of decisions made for you by your parents or guidance. This runs through habits, choice of schooling, resident location, food, friends, etc. Other people such as your parents and guardians have determined what happens in your life.
As a 19-year-old, you are in a new phase. This is the time where you will make most of the decisions like people who you hang out with, resident location, career choice, choice of relationship, etc. Many people will find it difficult to make decisions independently because it might be their first time but this is a normal feeling to go through because no one expects you have it all figured out.
Decision-making can be a lot less stressful for you if you follow a different approach. It is proven beyond doubt that most young people think less about the future when making decisions. Likewise, those who think about the future when they do are hunted by their choices regardless of how careful they are.
There is a better way to go about it though.
First, approach your decisions in two ways: Those with temporary consequences and others with permanent consequences. If a decision has a temporary consequence, the worst thing to do is to waste time thinking about it, and if it has a permanent consequence, the worst thing to do is to rush into making a decision.
Another thing you need to understand is that the fear of failure only leads to more failure.
You need to have the approach of or learning from your mistakes because you get to relieve yourself of anxieties that come from decision-making. Since our whole life revolves around decision-making, we should always try to make the best choices but it is important to give room for small failures and to learn from them if they ever occur. When you fail, do not beat yourself up but earn and move forward.
You Have Time
It is quite hilarious when 19-year-old teens feel like they have failed in life because they are not experiencing the best of life yet. This is so common among many young people, and it is often a result of comparing themselves to others.
For example, we have millionaires that are teenagers who are not even 18 years old yet and when a 19 year old sees this, they become discouraged.
Comparing yourself with these people can make you depressed and question your life.
The truth is, we never get to choose who our parents are or how wealthy the family we come from is. Once you understand this, you will not have any reason to beat yourself up and instead, focus on the aspect of your story you have control over and push for success.
As a 19-year-old, you probably have another 5 decades to live. Feeling failure or fear is not the best way to go about it especially if you are this young. You have enough time to make your life what you want it to be. To be able to do this, you will need to focus on your goals and eliminate any distractions along the way.
Have Something To Live For
I previously said that most 19-year-old teens do not think long-term when making decisions. They most probably just want to have fun in the short term. while it is good to have fun and enjoy life from time to time, it is also important to focus on the important things.
I once saw a video interview between Dan Lok and a 19-year-old college student. The student responded to one of Dan’s questions, saying, “I just wake up to do anything, and I don’t have any particular reason for waking up.” This is an example of a person who does not know what he wants to do with his life.
If you are like this, you might need to take Dan’s advice, which is: “Figure out what to live for.”
Although it is a simple piece of advice and I am sure you have heard it before, you might need to take a pause and think about it. We become more thoughtful when we wake up with a goal in our minds.
There is that temptation to just live the way you want and only have fun through the day but this will lead to problems down the line.
A way you can easily overcome that urge would be by writing down the reasons why you wish to be successful. This will influence most of your decision-making and help you live a better life. Sometimes, the best way to know what you want is to discover the irrelevant things that you do not wish to have. That discovery can lead you to a more in-depth search of your wants. When this happens, you wake up happy every day and ready to chase your dream.
If you live under a rock and haven’t heard of Gary V. he gives great advice for young adults.
Relationships at 19-Years-Old
As a 19 year old, the relationships you hold are a substantial determination of your direction in life. This is because friendship and relationships at the brink of teenage and adulthood do not influence major life decisions but leave long-lasting impacts in their wake that may linger until the end of one’s life.
For instance, Joe was a cool high school kid who had amazing grades and was on the right path in life until he met his rogue neighborhood friends that introduced him to drugs. He became influenced by them and started taking drugs and doing bad things that he never used to do.
This caused Joe to lose focus on his school work and he ended up overdosing and passed away.
The effects of entering some relationships might not result in physical consequences like that of Joe’s but they can lead to major emotional problems. Avoiding relationships like these can be very easy once you determine what your goal in life is. Like I mentioned previously when you wake up with a goal in mind, it affects everything else in you.
Final Thoughts
So when wondering what you should be doing with your life at 19-ear-old, always remember is to own your story. Remember, your decisions are a culmination of almost everything you will end up becoming.
You will need to find a source of motivation to achieve what you want in life.
Ensure you make the best choices by thinking profoundly and analyzing your very interests. In case of very cogent choices, consult friends, family, and experts about your choices. While going about the path of your choices and decisions, have the best interaction and relationships with people you come by.
Let every day count towards your success. Even when you are not actively working towards your goal, let it be strong on your mind. Pay attention to everything going on in your environment, and relate to them from the standpoint of your goals.