Last week I spoke to the five local fall semester health classes (~260 high school students) about lessons I wish I had learned at their age. One of their biggest worries was knowing what they wanted to do for their career.
Note: The experiences and advice I've shared with high school students for the last nine years is now available as a book, Eleven Life Lessons for Teenagers (and Everyone Else) as a free Flipbook that can be read on any device and on Amazon.
When I graduated high school, I was living in my car and, occasionally, a friend's living room. I had absolutely no idea what the next day was going to bring much less my future career. Then I ran away with my girlfriend and life became even more difficult to predict. Looking back almost 22,000 days later, I have lived a surprisingly rich, productive life filled with many obstacles and victories and, most important, no regret.
My brother, on the other hand, knew from a young age that he wanted to be a dentist. He pursued and achieved his goal. Now retired, he is providing free care to children all over the world. Both of us ended up with successful careers even though we followed completely different paths.
High school is a wonderful place to gather the knowledge and life skills necessary to succeed in college and/or the workplace. Uncertainty about your future signifies limitless opportunities. And your sincere efforts to do your best in the tasks before you will be the cause for future success. You may have peers who know what they want to do but there is absolutely no need for you to worry.
Anxiety happens when you think you have to figure everything out now. It is better to give yourself time to explore than to force yourself to make a decision. Both my daughters (a journalism professor and a litigation attorney) ended up in careers that are completely different from their interests in high school. So, take your time!
Of course, efforts I made to build financial security and take care of my health were important. However, I placed the most value on wisdom, inner resolve, self-respect & compassion for others. Without these, the physical and material results would lack meaning.
Psychologists are finding that people in their fifties and sixties whose primary focus in life has been the attainment of external material and physical goals, such as wealth, property, fame and status, tend to describe themselves as being less happy. In general, they experience higher levels of anxiety, suffer more from illness, and have less sense of fulfillment. So, it is important for you to seek out sources of inspiration and mentors while you are in high school. Take the time to strengthen your respect for yourself and others. These habits will pay huge dividends in terms of your future happiness.