Is It Necessary to Figure Out Everything in Life?

As we walk down the winding road of life, we often find ourselves thinking:

“I need to figure out everything in my life to live the life I truly want.”

But let me ask you this — Do we really need to figure everything out to live life to the fullest?
Let’s take a step back and explore this thought through an example.

Imagine this: You’ve got it all planned out.

At the age of 22, you’ve figured out your entire life.
You know exactly which master’s course you’ll study, in which specific college.
You’ve decided you’ll land a high-paying job in a top company.
You’ll marry the love of your life by 26, have kids by 30, and retire rich and peaceful at 45.

Sounds like the perfect blueprint, right?

But then life happens.

You don’t get into the course or college you dreamed of.
Or even if you do, you don’t land the job you expected.
Maybe a global crisis hits — like COVID. Or the economy collapses. The job market changes overnight.
Or maybe, something unexpectedly good happens — like getting accepted into an international internship that shifts your priorities completely.

Suddenly, your timeline falls apart.
All your perfectly drawn plans vanish like smoke

Or let’s say you do follow your plan.

You finish your studies, get that job, check all the boxes…
But something feels off.
You realize this isn’t what you wanted after all.

Maybe the course wasn’t right for you.
Maybe the job doesn’t satisfy you.
Or maybe the world has changed — AI is replacing jobs, new skills are in demand, and you feel lost despite having followed “the plan.”

So what happens to all the things you thought you had figured out?

Now let’s look at the past.

Think about all the plans and decisions you’ve made before —
Some turned out well. Others? Maybe not so much.

You might’ve made mistakes you don’t even like remembering.
You might’ve dreamed of being a scientist, a musician, a pilot — but ended up somewhere completely different.

And yet, here you are.
Still growing. Still moving. Still becoming.

So many of us say:
“If only I had done that instead, life would be better.”
But how do we know?
Maybe the path we think we missed would have led to something worse.

Life is not black and white. The possibilities are endless — and so are the outcomes.

Should we even try to figure out everything?

Honestly, it’s not about having every detail locked in —
It’s about being flexible enough to adapt as life unfolds.

Planning is important — it gives us direction and purpose.
But obsessing over rigid timelines can be harmful.

So what’s the conclusion?

Yes, plan for the big things — your goals, your values, your dreams.
But don’t pressure yourself to figure out every little detail.
And never trap yourself in a timeline.

Because the truth is…

And if you make mistakes?

So what if some decisions are wrong?
So what if you stumble along the way?

That’s how you learn.
That’s how you grow.

Final thoughts

Life is a mystery —
A stack of unpredictable events.
A wild adventure.
A confusing puzzle.

But that’s what makes life beautiful.
That’s the adrenaline.
That’s the joy of living.

P.S. Unspoken Perspective