"A man who fails to plan plans to fail." This is one of the common sayings my dad used to tell me. It means that I need to plan for every possible scenario, and in striving to do so, I became an overthinker. For the first 25 years of my life, I lived by this principle, always wanting to be prepared for every outcome. However, when I turned 26, I realized I needed to stop overthinking. After all, what will be, will definitely be.
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During my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), I often worried about what I would do after my service. Would I be able to find a job and start my life? These thoughts would cloud my mind every time I sat down to think.
I always overthought everything, even considering what some people might say to me and what kind of response I would give them. I was definitely a big-time overthinker. I would think of the food I wanted to eat and the ingredients, and I would also think of what to say to my neighbors when I saw them, even though I knew I might not see them.
After my NYSC, something changed in me, and I stopped overthinking things. Right now, I feel carefree about everything. It's not that I don't take things seriously; I just don't get overwhelmed by what's happening and avoid overthinking.
There was a guy in my class who always claimed to be smart and believed he would get a job immediately after completing his NYSC. A few months after my service, the boy who seemed the least to get a job now works at a bank, while the other guy, who claimed to be smart and had connections, still hasn't found a job. Since that experience, I've stopped overthinking things and decided to just go with the flow.
I wasn't worried that I wouldn't get a job because I believed the right job would find me but while following the flow, I was making an effort by submitting my resume. As time goes, the job I did not apply for came to find me. It was cool, the second offer came without applying, and things are still going well without overthinking anything.
The days of thinking are over for me, while I am going with the flow, I also make a few plans which I know will be beneficial to me.
Thanks for reading.
This is my entry for the #Hivenaija weekly prompt. I hope you can join and share your experience with the community.