Do we really have to let go in order to grow?
We are starting a new semester.
Some of us are stepping into familiar classrooms as sophomores, juniors, or seniors at the same school, different year. Others are stepping into something entirely new: first time in college, first internship, first real job.
And a few bold of us? They decided to skip all that and are jumping straight into launching a business, chasing a passion project, or even picking up a brand-new hobby.
But whether you’re returning, starting, or reinventing, here’s a secret I found out that no one mentions during orientation of whatever you are about to start: Beginnings aren’t just about learning something new. If you asked me, they’re about unlearning what no longer fits.
Why Unlearn though?
Let us think about it together. For every new chapter you will ever start in your life, it will have its own rulebook—and none of them are copy-paste from the last one.
What used to work when you were a freshman like doing that assignment you have had for a week at 2 a.m. on the day of submission won’t cut it when you’re balancing group projects, internships, and existential dread and you can trust me, I know. What made you shine in your summer job or internship won’t automatically make you glow in a full-time role.
And if you’re starting your own business? Every instinct to play it safe will probably need to be tossed out the window if you want to get somewhere.
Unlearning becomes that hidden job requirement for success.
For a student, that might mean unlearning procrastination even though it is never that easy as it sounds. Or even the belief that asking for help makes you look weak. Or that success equals a flawless GPA although in this case, a flawless GPA can be a safety net but that is a story for another day.
For young professionals, it might be unlearning perfectionism because sometimes “finishing the project” is might be better than “perfecting the project.”
For new entrepreneurs, it’s unlearning fear, the kind that convinces you to play it small when your ideas are screaming to be bold and put yourself out there.
New beginnings require new lenses
Imagine this: You walk into your first class of the semester.
New professor. New classmates. Maybe even a subject you’ve never touched before which in this case it is most of us.
As humans we tend to carry our old labels in with us: “I’m literally terrible at math.” “Why would I put myself on the spot by speak up in class.” “I’m not that good.”
But what if you left those labels outside?
You might find out that this new chapter of your life isn’t about who you’ve been but who you’re becoming.
Unlearning gives you permission to walk into new rooms as a new you and not a sequel.
This goes for internships and jobs too. You could attach yourself to your old title, your old way of thinking and doing things or you could choose to walk in curious, humbled, and open minded enough to say, “I am ready to be taught.” And to be honest, That second option is definitely bound take you further.
The “I am better than all this” Problem
Here’s the catch though, unlearning always bruises our ego.
I don’t like being wrong and so do most of us. We hate starting over. We despise realizing that the mindset that once made us successful might actually be the thing that is holding us back today.
But here is the thing, ego is like a very packed closet. There is no way you can squeeze in new clothes unless you toss out the ones that don’t fit anymore for good. I know that hoodie you got on your high school trip holds memories but it clearly doesn’t belong in your adult wardrobe.
This is the same with what is in our brains. Holding onto expired beliefs that failure might be fatal or that success comes in only one shape means you’ll never have room for what could actually serve you now.
The power that is within Unlearning
College culture thrives on glamorizing hustle.
GPAs, LinkedIn profiles, Businesses to be launched at 22 and more.
But what you will never see them post on Instagram is the stop. The change. The slow realization that what you once counted on doesn’t work for you anymore.
Unlearning should be your strength to say to yourself that nothing should tie you to who you once were and make you lose the fear of change and embrace growth. And let’s be honest, that mindset sounds way hotter than a 4.0 GPA but do not tell anyone I said that.
So, how open minded are we willing to be?
I have realised that students who thrive aren’t always the ones with the biggest brains at all.
They are the ones who aren’t afraid to realise that the version of them that got me them far is no longer enough and that it’s time to level up.
Change different from what we know
As we introduce ourselves to new beginnings, let us remember this: growth doesn’t come from taking in more information.
It comes from evicting what no longer serves you.
Your new semester, his new job, even her new dream, they’re all blank canvases and in order for you to paint the masterpiece you wish for, it will all depend on how willing you are to clean the old paint first.
Unlearning is going to be very uncomfortable and messy because it is not always pretty. Although it can be the slow and quiet revolution that turns you as a student into a leader, an intern into an innovator, and a dreamer into doer.
Are we ready to let go of who we were to become for who we’re meant to be?
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