Sometimes you just have to decide: indecision as a millennial

I feel like, for some strange reason, we millennials are drifting aimlessly somewhere in the ether. We are by no means directionless, far from it. We are instead surrounded by so. many. options. And yet none of them seem viable. 

It's 1am, no, sorry 2am - an hour has passed since I gave up on sleep and began to jot down (also known as: scribble down manically before the ideas somehow escape me) a plan for the future. 

Not so long ago it was considered 'normal' to have a five year plan: go to university, get a good job, find a partner, marry said partner, and have children, get old, die. That was most people's plans, or so it seemed. Of course, there were 'eccentrics' that deemed this linear life too straightforward, choosing to live in communes, off-grid and reliant on the land. Okay, I exaggerate the polarities of these two more-or-less untrue stereotypes, but I digress. 

A game-plan for life was set out for us, as detailed above. But now, it is almost expected of us to cast aside the blueprint and choose our own ways. This is where the true torture begins: decision-overwhelm, followed by decision-fatigue, and topped off with the icing on the cake that is decision-abandonment. We chose not to decide and so we drift, or at least I certainly do. 

We are faced by the double-edged sword that is being-authentically-ourselves versus what-we-can-actually-do-(due-to-financial/personal/reality-based-restrictions). In this world of possibilities we are limited not only by decision-abandonment but also by circumstance beyond our control. It's a bit of a blighter. 

I find my major issue is the fact that I want to be so many versions of myself, achieve so many things. I have too many dreams: vintage shop owner, academic, mental health worker! The list, unfortunately, goes on. 

But just before I sat down to write this little something, I realised that what we millennials usually suffer from is the inability to stick at anything. I don't know about you but this is definitely true of me. I cannot settle, and what's more, we're not encouraged to settle. You can change career! No partner is for life necessarily! University doesn't have to dictate your career path! 

I am not dismissing the truth of these statements, but rather pointing out that at some point, a decision must be made and must be stuck to. That is the hardest part, because you and I will have to sit with that decision for however long it takes for it to play out in our lives. It's terrifying. 

Non-committality (yes, I did just make that word up!) drives this drifting I spoke of before. It fans the flame of indecision. Seeing things through is what we need to learn to do. Playing with fire is one way to get burnt. 

Indecision is the enemy and commitment is the cure, for me at least. I will make some decisions tonight hopefully. Pray they stick! 

Thanks for reading, I appreciate it and stay fab. 

Over and out!