Laurie Luh

Doesn’t it seem like everyone is always waiting for the right time to do something and then wishing they had done it earlier? When I was in college, I wanted to become a writer or a guidance counselor. I didn’t think I could make any money as a writer and becoming a guidance counselor required a master’s degree and that just felt like too much work. So when I graduated with my BA in English and a concentration in film, I became a credit analyst at the most popular new bank in town.

Without realizing the consequences, I had put my dreams aside to go for Plan C (aka playing it safe.) It’s been quite a few years since then and if I had the choice, I’d go back in time and tell my apprehensive little 22 year-old self to shoot for the moon. I’d tell that little ball of possibilities that she would never have less debt or responsibility than she did at that very moment. I’d make sure she understood that her current skills and talents were more than enough to step boldly out of her comfort zone. We would laugh at her needless fears about finding a job and knowing her life’s purpose at such a young age.

I’d tell her that I worked my tail off in every Plan C job I ever had, only to get to the top of a mountain that I never meant to climb. I would help her see that the beginning is one of the safest places to be because you can’t fall off of the ground. She’d take a deep breath and consider what career she would pursue if her parents, experience, society and money were not a factor. Her answer would become her Plan A and she would go for that.

It took me two decades to circle back to my original goal, but I am finally counseling students and writing through my career coaching and blogs. The dream never dies and it’s never too late to do something about it.

Whether you are 22 or 55, you’re always safer than you think. When it’s time to find the first job or that 10th career, you are at the start of something new and you have a chance to go for what will make you truly happy. It takes as much effort to go for Plan C as it does to step onto that exciting path of possibilities. So always, always, always go for Plan A.