A lot of my friends think this way but have changed their mindsets after getting stable jobs. One thing to note is that being exceptional and having a conventional life aren’t mutually exclusive. I used to think that I should always be moving from one startup to another in hopes of striking it rich. That is until I realized that a high paying software job might bring me more fulfillment than trying to start my own thing. I got tired of making things that didn’t pan out and wanted to be a part of something bigger, like a billion dollar company that’s been in business for more than 2 years total.

In making the switch I’ve learned that in my rebellion to live like everyone else in my field, living life the way I thought I wanted, I was ignoring the draw of happy normalcy I longed for in the present. I began to feel like I was chasing old goals to somehow please my former self and was guilting myself into thinking that any new goals that were compromises. I eventually got over it when I felt comfortable letting myself be happy in the present and less afraid of being able to reassess and change opinions I convinced myself were strong enough to hold me throughout my entire life.