“Perfection is the enemy of greatness”

I was like you when I was younger, I had it all figured out… get awesome marks in school, get into a prestigious uni, ace the MCAT and get into med school, become a doctor and get married and live happily ever after.

It’s funny how plans don’t work out, and how you’re better off for not having fulfilled your childhood plans. Turns out, I didn’t actually want to be a doctor, despite telling people it was what I wanted to do since I was 8 years old, despite the fact that I loved science. My spirits were crushed under the expectations of others and the fact that I was not following my own heart, and I ended up tanking my marks and dropping out of uni, taking a completely different path instead after that.

My advice: relish in failure. I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but honestly my fear of failure and my obsession for perfect everything has been my ultimate barrier to happiness. It’s only in the crucible of struggle do we truly find out who we are and what we are meant to be.

(Personally, I found that school/formal education is the number one way to have my passion for a subject sucked right out of me. Maybe you’re the same and need a different avenue to pursue what you love. Explore your options!)