🌸 Not Just Another Job

Have you ever stopped to think about how much you actually have to figure out in your twenties? How much you’re expected to process. How much pressure there is. How much ends up on your plate…
One of the biggest questions for me is: what do I want to do with my life?
Oh boy — that question gives me stress, but at the same time, it also gives me energy.

I’m the kind of person who wants more out of life than just the first 9-to-5 job that seems “logical” according to family expectations. Not that there’s anything wrong with that — if it makes you happy, go for it. But for me, it never really felt like my path. Let’s be honest: there are so many things we could do, and we probably don’t even know half of them yet. When you really think about it, your job takes up a huge part of your life. We work around five days a week, about twenty days a month, and more than 250 days a year. To be honest: that’s crazy to me. But well, that’s life. It just shows how important it is to do something you actually enjoy. And yes, I know — that’s way easier said than done.

I studied Applied Youth Criminology. Super interesting to study, but the job itself wasn’t for me. I then tried working as a teacher, just to see how it felt… not my thing either. After that, I worked part-time as a nanny and part-time as a social media manager. It was okay, but still not something I could see myself doing forever. After about a hundred different job applications in all kinds of sectors, I ended up working in a daycare. I’ve always liked working with kids, and it was something I knew. And yes — I also simply needed the money. I live on my own, so a “gap year” wasn’t really an option.

But this is exactly what I mean: it’s so easy to keep circling around what you already know. In my case, working with children. That was my comfort zone. And from the outside, it almost felt like it was already decided for me — that I would always work with kids. I’m glad I tried it all, but look at me now: flying through the clouds, landing in new places. Doing something completely different.
So I guess you never really know what the future holds.

Dare to look beyond what you know. In your twenties, you’re allowed to try a hundred different things and bump into walls along the way. You can always do that, of course — but the older you get, and especially once kids are involved, the harder it becomes to take risks. I see that a lot around me. So here’s my reminder: get out there and try new things.

Instead of asking yourself, ‘what are my options?’
Ask yourself:
What do I enjoy?
What gives me energy?
What matters to me?
Where do I feel like I belong?
What are my strengths — and how can I use them?

Not what’s expected of you, but what you want to grow into.