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Settle When Necessary, Thrive When Possible.


December is the time where juniors and seniors in college start to lose their minds a little. We are all vying for the best of the best internships, the most lucrative and interesting full time jobs and starting to figure our post graduate lives out. Taking that ever-scary leap of faith into the "real world" is one of the scariest things we'll ever do in life so rightfully so, it drives us all a little crazy.

The other day I was walking to work when I heard a senior talking about how it looks like she'll "have to settle next year on her job". Ugh! What a scary feeling. To many of us, settling is the act of falling short of all of our goals. It's what we do when we, in our minds, think we've failed at everything we've been leading up to. We can settle on places to live, what to study, who to date and where we work but I have news for you -- settling isn't permanent and is sometimes necessary.


As you're reading this you're probably thinking, "are you crazy?! Since when is it okay to settle?". I know we all say "never settle for anything less than the best" but most times, and especially right out of college, the best is yet to come. We spend years and years going through the cycle of starting at the bottom of the totem pole and making our way up just to be knocked back down again. It happens in high school as a freshman to a senior, in college as a first year to a fourth year, and in the corporate world from intern to CEO. The point is, sometimes you have to settle in life and wait your turn.

Settling makes us feel horrible sometimes, I promise you're not the only one. With settling though, it's important to understand it's not forever. We sometimes settle on a job we might not fully love, but nevertheless you thrive. If you have to settle for a job because you might not be qualified enough to start a few rungs up on the ladder, it still means that you have the opportunity to perform well and out-perform others. The settling was necessary, but thriving is possible in times like these.

Life sometimes has a funny way of working out for us like that. Others recognize our potential and even though it might not be the same amount of potential that we see in ourselves, we have to keep in mind we're a little biased! So what, you started as a salesman and not as the team lead, this gives you room to grow your skills and room to grow your potential. There are plenty of opportunities to show your value to your peers and leaders, and most times, these opportunities happen in these positions where you "settle".

I know that settling for every aspect of life can feel like defeat, but if forced into a situation where you feel like you're settling understand there's a reason why. There is so much room for potential and self growth when this happens. It paves the way for self-understanding and professional growth. I encourage you to not look down upon the occasions where you think you might be settling -- it opens up the gate for incredible potential. Know that settling isn't forever, but you can take these situations and turn them into something amazing. It's just up to you how you choose to look at the situation.


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