Sometimes I regret waiting so long to get my master's -- then I remind myself that it was ultimately a wise choice. Not only have I been able to gain ample work experience in my field, but the money I would have used on the master's has instead gone towards major life events like getting married, buying a home, and taking a few bucket list vacations. With no debt to speak of (mortgage notwithstanding), I'm in a much better financial position now to get a master's than I would have been if I'd gone to grad school right after earning my bachelor's.
Whether it's our finances, family life, or demanding jobs that force us to put off pursuing a particular goal, we all have legitimate reasons for doing so. For example, you might shelve plans to buy a car you've been eyeing until you build up your savings enough to feel comfortable making such an investment.
What we should never do, however, is fail to work toward achieving that goal for one or more of these reasons:
- Sheer laziness
- A defeatist attitude
- Fear of change
- Being ready, but still not wanting to commit
There's an obvious difference between "not being ready" because you have several things you genuinely intend to iron out first, and saying you're not ready as an excuse to justify not taking action.
For instance, let's say Sally plans to go on a diet and says she wants to wait until she's saved up enough to renew her gym membership, as she finds that eating less goes hand in hand with vigorous exercise.
Would you say her reason for putting off the diet is valid?
While she demonstrates that she's responsible with her finances, what's stopping her from taking a jog around the park or even exercising at home in the interim? And no one says she needs to have an active gym membership in order to watch what she eats.
As for me, even though I've been out of school for ten years now, I've still found other ways to indulge my academic tendencies in my spare time, like managing this blog, reading countless books, watching documentaries, and visiting museums. Not being in school shouldn't preclude me from using my own devices to gain knowledge.
I know that deep down, it would be a shame if someone as intellectually curious as I am didn't get a master's. I love learning and feel the time is right to scratch it off my Bucket List, so why not?
Once you know you're ready to begin working toward a goal, don't wait any longer or you may never get around to it. And when you find yourself making excuses for why you shouldn't go for it, remind yourself that life is too short to squander any window of opportunity.
Even if things don't work out as planned, you'll at least take pride and pleasure in the fact that you gave it a shot and won't be left wondering "what if."
Whatever your goals, I wish you much luck and success!
Comments