The problem with deadlines

Society continues to support individuals creating and sticking to deadlines for major life experiences. “I hope to be married by the time I reach 30.” I will have children by the time I am 25.” “I will find the job of my dreams 6 months after college.” “I will be debt free before 40.” I will never struggle like my parents.” I will score one national commercial and pay off everything.”

And then you wake up and you quickly realize that life does not check-in according to the deadlines you established. In fact, you begin to wonder why you made them in the first place. As we make deadlines and then beat ourselves up when they do not come to fruition, we actually stop growing and learning. We stop looking at what is happening around us. For many of us, we end up in terribly ill-fitting relationships simply because we would rather make a deadline or not be alone as opposed to being with a person who is good for us. We continue to work dead end jobs in a state of misery because it fits a deadline.

Many of these deadlines surround us in order to mask the fear that come from actually living life on our own terms. Imagine going against societal rules or even better simply tuning into your own. Each of us live in a specific vibration. When we are thriving, it is because we are not going against that vibration or rhythm. It is vital that each of get quiet enough to find out what that looks like. And you what? 

There is no deadline to figure it out. You can be 10, 20, 35, 40, or 60 before you find out what makes you move and why. But, once you do, you will be able to live the life that you were always meant to. You will be able to drop all the deadlines and guilt. You will be able to feel truly live and stop and smell the roses every once in a while with anticipated joy and glee because now you know the truth. You will be able to adapt when your rhythm and vibration changes. Those deadlines are pure fiction. Let’s face it, if any of us dropped dead tomorrow, no one is going to write a eulogy about all the deadlines you met, they will speak about the life you lived, and the impact you left on others. And anyone can do that outside of deadlines by simply living life to the fullest and remembering that happiness originates from within not because you were able to check off a box.