I know some people who were slightly off in their 20ies. It wasn’t enough to turn them completely sideways, but there were little issues. Today, 30 years later, those “off” things have them so far off course from where they want to be in life that course correction is going to require a major life overhaul.
Compare that with driving. My 15 year old is taking her driving test this month and I’ve started to let her drive a little. Every little mistake is an over correction. I’m trying to teach her to make the minute, small corrections that keep the vehicle going straight. Drive for a few years and those little corrections become automatic, almost invisible. The ride feels smooth, but the reality is the driving is making slight course corrections all the time.
Suggests for minor course corrections.
1. Drive with guardrails and lines on the road. I recently drove in Quebec. I LOVE Quebec city, but man, all the lines have worn off the road. You are never sure what lane you are in. Get clear about your guardrails. Snarky leads to rude. Impatience leads to anger. Over certainty leads to arrogance. Find good guardrails.
2. Be better than you have to be. You can get away with being a little crabby, a little edging, a little anxious. But by aspiring to being better than you have to be, when you don’t hit the mark, your miss is still in the general target.
3. Find a model to emulate. We live in a culture obsessed with self-expression but individuality is but one aspect of becoming a beautiful person. Chose someone whose life you want, and move towards emulating that. You will find plenty of room to express your individuality while still aiming at the same trajectory this other person took. the kicker is that it must be someone that you truly know their life, not who they pretend to be.