“Do you know what you want to do with your life?” That’s the question we’ve all heard at least once. The stress of managing your school work and personal life is hard enough already. But no, we’re stuck thinking, “I have to make a potentially life-altering decision while also focusing on doing well in school.” I’m here to tell you that it’s okay to not have everything figured out because, to be honest with you, no one really does.

Let’s start with the basics: you’re probably not sure what your interests are, or there are just too many careers to choose from related to what you’re interested in, and that stresses you out. That’s fine because it happens to many people, and sometimes they decide to figure it out in college.

I imagine that one of the things that doesn’t help when deciding your future is the pressure that your parents put on you. Most of the time, they just tell you to figure it out on your own without sitting down with you and helping you decide. If you feel that this relates to you, you’re not alone. According to data from Forbes, “48% of teens want their parents to be involved in their career exploration by helping them find jobs.” Many students want help to move forward in their futures, so it’s not just you.

Not having your career decided while you’re in high school is okay because the reality is that many people end up changing careers throughout their lifetime, so you don’t have to have anything set in stone because it could end up changing in the future.

According to a study done by the University of Queensland, “Research shows most people will change careers at least once in their lives. The average person tends to go through 3-7 careers before they retire, and this number may be more like 5-7 for the current and upcoming generations of workers.”

Overall, not knowing what your career might look like now at this stage in your life is fine because you might find your passion in school later on or even when you get a job and start working. Moreover, the career you choose now may change in the future if you decide that it’s not the right fit. You will ultimately find a great opportunity that allows you to shine.