Life is short, we all know that, but we still find ourselves getting a little too comfortable and forgetting to take risks or try something new. Often we mull over decisions as though we have all the time in the world when we ought to just give it a go. Making big decisions about which direction you want to head in isn’t easy; and if you’re anything like me, making a life-changing decision requires hours of careful thought, as much advice as you can take on and a little risk analysis before you’re sure. Instead of asking ourselves what’s the worst that can happen, we assume that the worst will happen, that we’ll make a huge mistake and live to regret it.

But, if there’s anything I’ve learnt from my obscure venture through life it’s that nothing good comes from overthinking, if you want to do something then just get on and do it – find a way instead of using all the what-ifs and maybes as an easy cop-out to carry on living your life the way it is.

As children, we get pretty used to moving from one chapter in our lives to the next, because we simply have no other choice but to keep moving forward. We enter the education system age four and after a few years at junior school, we take the huge jump up to high school where the changes that we are faced with are immense. We are reminded every year of our accomplishments and shown how to move forward towards our next goals. Even though all the change feels uncomfortable we need it to grow and develop into young adults.

As we age it becomes our responsibility to choose when to take the next step and decide which direction our story will go.

I spent the first five years of my adult life working and studying accountancy. Although I had often thought about studying a degree, there always seemed to be a reason why I shouldn’t leave my full-time job. By this time in my life, I had responsibilities and didn’t want to feel like I was somehow going backwards by giving all of that up for something that might not work out. I would become so overwhelmed with not knowing how it would work out that I talked myself out of applying so many times. Then, in August 2016 I decided to try my luck – surely if I got a place on the course at this late stage then everything else would fall into place. Either way, there was no harm in trying I had nothing to lose. Two weeks later I started my Maths Teaching degree, I’d left my full-time job and had a mortgage that I was solely responsible for – I remember thinking I must have gone mad. The maintenance loan I would receive was less than half my usual wage but I was determined to make it work.

There was never a moment before it was already too late to go back, where I felt completely convinced that this was the right thing to do. I still don’t know to this day what drove me to make that call, but I can honestly say I don’t regret the decision one bit.

Sometimes we have a plan mapped out for our lives and we can get a bit stubborn in not wanting to wander from that even if something else catches our eye along the way. We crave stability and find comfort in familiar routines because we are creatures of habit. Often it’s the fear of change and the unknown that makes us doubtful of how good something new might turn out to be. But, life will carry on regardless, so if you want something don’t be afraid to take the next step, try cast aside your doubts because taking that leap of faith might turn out to be the best thing you ever did. I’ll never again have a grand plan for what my life is going to look like because I’ve found that in the moments where I took the biggest risks, as scary as it was, it lead to some of the best experiences.

Those moments where I’ve made the scariest decisions have changed the course of my life, they’ve shaped me into who I am today and although they may have cost me financially or dragged out my career progression, in the long run, I know that these risks made my life richer in so many ways.