Have you ever felt the pressure to have life all figured out? Maybe you’d like to go with the flow but aren’t sure how.

Maybe you feel pressure to know exactly what you’re next steps should be in life, like your next job or the college you’re going to apply to. And maybe you simply just don’t know where you’re headed. You’re not sure what you want to do and you don’t know what life has in store for you.

And I am here to tell you: It’s ok to not have everything figured out!

While I do think it’s important to have long term visions and goals for yourself, it’s unrealistic to think you should have it all figured out. In fact, if you do have it all figured out, you’re probably in for a rude awakening because things hardly ever work out the way that we plan.

So how do you release the need for control in your life, and just go with the flow?

1. Release the need to be perfect

You’re trying the best you can and you don’t need to be perfect. Perfectionism holds us back, makes us doubt our abilities, and prevents us from even getting started in the first place, all because we’re terrified of getting things wrong.

So embrace making mistakes and taking risks. After all, mistakes help us grow and they always teach us important lessons. Making mistakes will always point you towards the right path.

2. Just get started, even if you don’t know how

If you don’t know what choices to make in your life, just get started. One of my favorite bloggers, Faith Mariah, from Radical Transformation Project, always says “It’s easier to steer a bike that’s already moving.”

In other words, just get moving! The only way to figure out which way to go is by taking action. Without taking action, you’re going to feel stuck. Trust that as you begin to make decisions, you’ll learn along the way and things will work out the way they are meant to work out.

When I first applied to college, I felt so terrified that I was going to choose the wrong career path. I didn’t know which major to go into and I was so scared of getting it wrong. But I made the best choice I could and as time went on, I learned what I liked and what I didn’t like. I changed my majors and minors several times, but in the end, I feel like I ended up exactly where I was meant to be.

3. Don’t force things that aren’t meant to be

If you doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. When we try to force things, they end up feeling unnatural and wrong. Trust that whatever’s meant to be will always find its way in the right time.

Listen to that little gut feeling you have otherwise known as your intuition. Your intuition will always guide you in the right direction.

4. Accept that the unknown is scary

Going with the flow is scary! And not knowing where you’re life is headed is scary. Know that it’s ok to feel uncertain, anxious, or scared. Instead of resisting that fear, accept that it’s there and try to take action anyway.

When you come out on the other side of fear, you’ll feel so empowered!

5. Get excited!

Going with the flow doesn’t have to feel scary, it can also feel exciting! When you take a risk and trust the universe, the possibilities for your life are endless. You never know what kind of wild opportunities are going to come up for you. I’ve done so many things in my life that I never thought would be possible.

When you surrender control and go with the flow, anything is possible. Sometimes things go great and sometimes they don’t, but everything is a lesson learned.

I hope this post was helpful in reminding you that it’s ok to not have it all figured out. Release the pressure to be perfect, take action despite fear, and know that everything that’s meant to be in your life will happen for you in perfect timing.

*I’m not a licensed mental health therapist. To find a professional, call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit Betterhelp to get matched with a therapist for affordable online therapy anywhere, at any time. This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.