I can’t even begin to remember the amount of times I’ve asked myself, “What’s the point of this?” all throughout college. I’ve asked that question periodically growing up, but it didn’t occur to me until my sophomore year just how often I was thinking this way.
All young adults ask this question, some more often than others, but everyone has had those moments when they wonder what the true value is in what they’re doing. Whether it’s a boring required class or a dead-end job, it’s sometimes difficult to see the long-term purpose in our day-to-day activities.
People always talk fondly of college and reminisce about the days when they seemingly had no responsibilities. We’re told growing up that college is the best four years of your life, but my experience, and that of many other students, isn’t quite so carefree. We’re held to a high degree of accountability for our own futures and we have to constantly be on top of our game making the right decisions.
When the going gets rough, I always wonder if the stress and anxiety are ultimately worth what I’m supposed to be getting at the end. When I started college, my indecisiveness about my major and uncertain career path didn’t help give me a good foundation for staying motivated. The conflicting advice I got every time I turned to a friend didn’t help either.
But I could never blame anyone else for what’s going through my mind because in the end, it’s all on me to keep going. I have to talk myself out of giving up every time I’m convinced that I hate what I’m doing. More often than not, I’ll eventually finish what I’m doing and soon wonder why I was so broken up about it. Still, that’s not to undermine the constant internal battle I endure leading up to that moment.
For anyone else who shares the same sentiment, the best thing you can do for yourself is to see it through, whatever it is that you’re second-guessing. Think about why you wanted to do it in the first place. If it’s something big like school or work, ask yourself what you’re hoping to get out of it in the end. Even if it sucks (and it often will), you have to keep reminding yourself that there’s a bigger picture in the background, it’s just not readily apparent.
The easy option will always be to give up, especially when you’re on the verge of going insane for something that isn’t immediately beneficial. Your instincts will tell you that it’s not worth it, but they’re wrong. You will always be happier with yourself for finishing what you started. Think of it as your chance to prove all of the naysayers wrong; if the odds are stacked against you and you feel like giving up, the most surprising thing you can do is come back tenfold and persevere until the end.
An easy way to get back to level heading when you’re overwhelmed is to do exactly the opposite of what you should be doing. It sounds stupid and counterproductive, but literally remove yourself from everything. When I’m stressed out of my mind and feel like giving up, I’ll go somewhere for a few hours and just forget about whatever it is that has me going crazy. It helps to free my mind and provide some clarity for what I’m doing. But maybe that’s just me.
There’s something about completely removing yourself from a situation that lets you step back and see it in a different light. Once you see it from the outside, you don’t feel victimized by it and you can gain control over what you need to do. It’s just a matter of taking a moment to recall the end result that gets forgotten amidst the stress of how long it takes to get there.
Whatever your strategy is for staying motivated, don’t hesitate to use it, and use it often. Remember that there’s always a purpose for what you’re doing, though you may not realize it for days, months, or even years. Eventually, you’ll look back with the satisfaction of knowing that you believed in yourself enough to not quit early.
After all, ten weeks down the road you might be laughing and think to yourself, “Why did I ever believe I couldn’t do this?”
Follow Grant Susman on Twitter @ImGrantSusman