To Be or Not to Be?: The Stress of Making Decisions in Your 20s
Over the past few weeks, I’ve come to realize that I seriously struggle with making decisions for myself… and even the small ones. As I’m in my college program here at Disney, I’ve now reached the crossroads of deciding whether I’d like to extend my program until June of 2026, or return home to kickstart a photography business on the side of what possibly could be another mundane job. For the past few months, whenever this topic was brought up to me by coworkers or peers, I simply ignored the conversation and continued to do so, so that I wouldn’t have to deal with making the decision. Now that I have only four more days to decide whether or not I want to continue my journey creating magical moments or seriously pursue a passion of mine, my heart has been beating a little faster, and my migraines have temporarily returned.
As I’m facing this dilemma head-on, I’ve been asking myself why it’s so hard for me to come to a verdict, especially when there are significant pros and cons to both. When I think about it, no decision ever feels “perfect” or completely “good,” so to say, and honestly, that’s just the reality of making choices in this world; however, I’ve realized that in the past, even after I’ve finalized my next steps, I tend to second-guess myself rather than fully be confident in the decision I’ve made. My mind races: Did I make the most of this experience? What will I miss out on if I go a different path? Will I miss an opportunity somewhere else if I stay?
What if I make the wrong decision?
These are just a few questions that run through my mind nearly every minute of the day when I’m finally encountering a major decision, because in your 20s, every decision feels like a big one.
Until the age of 18, many of us spend every day waking up, going to school, attending after-school activities, and then doing homework until summer break comes along. A bit later, if you decide to move forward into higher education, your schedule still revolves around those same principles, but simply expands to encompass other important aspects of life. Then, once you graduate, you’re finally thrown into the real world. The world where you are supposed to use your $100,000 degree in a career that will not only reimburse you for your tuition expenses, but also provide you with a good life for you and your future self. What they don’t tell you about stepping into the “real world,” though, is that school and the lifestyle that came with it do not prepare you for moving away from the comfort of home and loved ones, navigating becoming an adult, and embarking on these new journeys all alone. These skills are ultimately learned and become easier as you experience life; for me, deciding how I want to spend a part of my time on this earth feels a bit daunting because I ultimately don’t want to make the wrong decision for myself.
Sometimes it feels like there are endless possibilities for where my life could go - live abroad in Europe, backpack Asia, work a corporate job in a city, go back to school, work on a cruise line, move back home and save money, start a business, renovate a van and travel around the U.S., etc. There are almost a thousand different lives we could all choose to live, on top of thinking about all the pressures that becoming an adult brings, like being able to afford your living expenses and saving up for your future.
So… how are we supposed to decide?
Truth be told, I don’t believe there’s a perfect way to make decisions, and I’m not going to try and convince you that there is one. I think a large part of your 20s is figuring out what you care about and how you can follow your passions without living beyond your means - and trust me, that can be hard, especially in times like these. The hardest part, though… is simply just making a decision, doing it, and remembering that even if you’re not feeling fully confident in the path you’ve chosen, it’ll all be okay, because at the end of the day, we all share these same anxieties about what journeys we should embark on next and that’s part of what makes us human.
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship”
