Starting as children, most of us presumptuously have our entire lives mapped out for us. As a child, I believed that I would be an archaeologist when I grew up. Childhood is no different than adulthood in that regard, as we’re always planning our future. I’ll go to college, get my M.B.A. (Master of Business Administration), marry when I’m 25, have children by 30 years old, and own my own business by the time I’m 35 years old. It doesn’t hurt to have goals in life, but a scenario like that sounds unrealistic, especially if a person feels like they have to have something done by a certain age. A person like that may be setting themselves up for failure and disappointment if they believe life always goes according to plan. Once again, it doesn’t hurt to have goals in life. In fact, I highly encourage them. However, don’t be surprised if you don’t obtain that degree that you want, get married by a certain age (you may not find the right one by that time), have the dream career, etc. I’m just saying be realistic. One valuable lesson that I have learned in life as I’ve gotten older is that we never know what the outcome will be, thus we shall live one day at a time. Life is full of unexpected surprises.

“Sometimes we need to stop analyzing the past, stop planning the future, stop figuring out precisely how we feel, stop deciding exactly what we want, and just see what happens.” – Carrie Bradshaw

I never envisioned that I’d become a self-employed entrepreneur at the age of 17 years old, thanks to my parents for believing in me and supporting me, every step of the way. I also never envisioned that I’d be a happily married wife and mother of two by the age of 29. Instead of mapping out my life as an adult, I live it instead! I’m also the kind of person that doesn’t really like to talk about the things that I want to do in life. I do it instead, or at least try to.

In life, it always helps to have people that are supportive of you. I truly do believe that support is the key to success in everything, as it helps you grow as a person and build confidence. The people that helped me grow as a person and instilled confidence are my parents and my husband. I feel blessed that I’m married to someone that is fully supportive of me, including my work and the long, grueling hours that I put into it to help support my family. I feel like I wouldn’t have made it this far if it wasn’t without his ongoing support and encouragement. Some may say that behind every man is a good woman, but sometimes behind every woman is a good man!

My husband and I are not planners since we preferably choose to live our lives day by day while cherishing every moment, yet we do have one important goal in mind: buying a house. It’s easier said than done, because it takes time (you don’t want to settle for anything), money, dedication and perseverance to buy a home. Let’s not mention the emotional ping-pong it can cause. It also helps to be in a marriage or relationship where one is supportive of the other, because buying a house also takes teamwork! That’s why I feel like it won’t be long before my husband and I will turn our future dream into a reality.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by State Farm via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of State Farm.