Day 21: A Work in Progress

"Life is half spent before one knows what life is." --French Proverb


Day 21: I made it.  I like setting goals for myself.  What's more, I love reaching those goals (bonus points if I exceed my own expectations).  21 days of blogging didn't seem so hard.  Did I take into account the fact that I never wake up after 6:00am and often find myself dragging through yet another 14-hour workday?  Probably not.  If I look through the last 20 posts, I can without a doubt pick out the ones that I wrote after a long day (no need to look at the time it was posted... just need to read through the first few lines).  I can even pick out the blogs I wrote in between nodding off to sleep.  Diligent?  Yes.  Reader-worthy?  No. 

Making a commitment to write a blog every day will indeed turn that person into a true blogger.  A true blogger will live every waking minute of his or her life, thinking the entire time, How can I write this in a way that might interest my blog audience?  It's like trying to take every single life experience (even the uneventful ones) and finding a way to recount the story so that every reader, despite his background or interests, will be captivated by the story you tell.  It's not easy.  I found myself driving home for Christmas, thinking of how I could turn that lnely 2.5-hour drive into an interesting blog.  NOT EASY.

Goals are great-- fulfilling any goal you set for yourself will yield an incredible feeling of accomplishment, no matter what it is.  I  was thinking today about my goals in life.  What is it that I want?  If you would've asked me five years ago, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" I would never have guessed that I'd be where I am today.  Five years ago... where was I?  I was a pre-med student at MSU.  My goal back then was actually to be a gynecologic oncologist.  Funny how things change.  Imagine me pursuing a career in medicine.  Me, the girl who nearly passes out when I get a paper cut!  Clearly not the right option.  I quickly changed my major to International Studies/Business-- probably a much better (and more enjoyable) choice for me. 

And look where I am now, working in the artwork group for a packaging engineering department.  Did I ever guess that I'd be doing anything with graphics?  No.  Even so, I still have no idea what i want to do with my life.  I can rule out certain occupations (clown, heart surgeon, engineer, etc.) but I feel like I'm left with far too many options to allow me to whittle the list down to a few of the things  I do want to do.

In the past week, I've been given career suggestions from a few people.  A good friend told me to quit my job and just start taking pictures because I've got "mad skill."  Another friend told me it seems I have the talent to earn a living with my writing, and asked me if I'd consider that.  A coworker suggested today that I open a bakery.  Interesting-- all three are activities that I absolutely love: photography, writing, and baking.  Funny how that works, isn't it? 

I don't know where I'll be in ten years; I'm not sure where i'll be in five years.  You know, I'm not even sure where I'll be in one year.  My life is an ever-evolving work in progress, constantly reshaped to fit me and my world.  Goals?  I really don't have any specific long-term goals for my life.  My only stipulation is that I'm happy and secure in whatever I set my mind to.  Joy and security-- what more could you ask for?  I'm a work in progress, yes, but someday I'll have an idea of where I belong.  Looks like my blog is quite appropriately named: "Finding My Way."