There’s no shortage of people willing to give an opinion. They’ll pull out a metaphorical playbook and share what worked for them. They’ll assume that because they found success with one approach, that you’re likely to find the same.
These people are undoubtedly well meaning, and sometimes their advice will be worth its weight in gold, but for many of life’s challenges, there is no perfect playbook.
Your career, hobbies, friendships, and families are a unique blend circumstances, emotions, complexities, and challenges that have never existed in that combination before. That’s special, but also difficult. You’re navigating it for the first time ever.
Sure, we can learn from others, try out their plays, and incorporate the ones that work into ours, but it’s liberating to know there is no perfect playbook. We’re all making it up as we go along.