Is it okay to change your mind?
I had been enjoying what I was learning in the master's program for Instructional Design, but I had two frustrations.
- I remembered why I disliked group projects so much.
- My philosophy of education has evolved well past the traditional classroom perspective, so quizzes focused on finding an exact phrase in the text for the answer are really frustrating! I could deal with the frustrations if the master's degree would help me achieve my goals and dreams.
When I started thinking about returning to school, Instructional Design sounded like a perfect fit. It combines my love of learning, teaching, and technology!
Not only did I enroll in classes, but I also joined a professional society for training and development professionals, read its monthly magazine, and started having conversations with others in the field. Through these conversations, I realized that the Instructional Design field is not where I want to focus my efforts.
I thought I would combine Instructional Design and Coaching to create more impactful and transformative journeys for my clients, but I realized that I don't need a degree to do that. I also don't want to work in a corporate setting like many Instructional Design professionals. So, I withdrew from the program. It was a difficult decision.
My first thought was that this was quitting. I wondered if I had wasted time and money. But then I reminded myself this is a natural part of exploring the next steps. Our children do this when they talk about what they want to be “when they grow up.” Our college-aged children do this as they explore different classes and professions. Most change their major at least once.
As I explore my next steps and dreams for what I'll do when I'm an empty nester, I feel like that child or college student again. Each step of exploration takes me closer to my dream. I am continually refining what I want my dream to look like and how I will live it out.
It's okay to follow a path and then decide to take a different path. It's not a mistake; it's a learning experience.
Do you find yourself, like I am, on a path of exploration as you consider your next steps after finishing your homeschool journey?
What if we reframed our thoughts from having to take the next right step to simply taking the next step?
What if we could explore without judgment like we allow our children to do as they move from adolescence into adulthood?