No Rules, Just Life: Time to Create Your Own Path.

You can literally do whatever you want. There’s no one who has the right to tell you if you’re doing it right or wrong. You are your own judge, the sole decider of your life. Once we allow ourselves to step into that role and claim it as our own, we take the first step towards living a life free from society’s views and conformist habits.

A Night Out in London:

“There are no rules,” he says as we laugh about how life often makes no sense. Already half-drunk, we find ourselves well into the early hours of the morning, sitting under the outdoor red-light heaters—just shy of being told to head inside by the bar staff.

I went out to meet my old flatmates in London this Saturday to catch up, as we have been doing since I moved back home to my parents. It’s a given that when I go out with them, I end up meeting new people, discovering new places, and venturing into unexpected locations. That’s what makes these London nights out so exciting. This time, I was introduced to one of my old flatmates’ current companions—a mid-20s guy from New Zealand. I soon found him intriguing when he mentioned he didn’t go to university. He had travelled from New Zealand to London simply because the city seemed fun, after already exploring America during a two-month music tour with his band. Living day-to-day, enjoying everything life has to offer while working in hospitality—if anyone were to ask me what I call this, it’s living for yourself: making it up as you go along, and, most of all, living a life free from the imaginary shackles of society and conformist views that often dictate our choices—from how we dress, to which job we choose, and even how we present ourselves.

Finding Connection in Shared Struggles:

Often, we find ourselves in moments where we feel alone in our current situation—struggling to make ends meet, lacking the confidence to take that next step, and feeling like we’re the only one going through these challenges. Yet, it’s during these moments that I realise how vital it is to get out of our own heads and look around. Soon, we see that we are surrounded by people navigating similar if not the same, life challenges.

It’s moments like these when the value of the journey lies in finding companions to walk alongside us—even if just for a short while. Surrounding ourselves with people who understand us, who offer a friendly hand, a piece of advice, or who share their own experiences, can instantly make us feel stronger and more grounded.

After speaking with that guy, I felt a huge weight leave my body—making me feel a hundred times lighter. I no longer felt the pressure of taking that perfect next step; instead, I embraced simply taking a step, something that excites me even in the simplest way.

The Dilemma of Knowing and Not Knowing:

What I'm basically trying to say is that people our age can find themselves at two extremes. Some are completely clear on their life trajectory, so much so that they can already see what their life will look like 10 years from now—but this certainty can leave them feeling stagnant and bored. I mean, who wants to know exactly what they’re doing 10 years ahead?

On the other extreme, there are those who have no idea what they’re doing. You wake up feeling like you’re surrounded by fog, with only the next step in sight. It’s scary and can leave you increasingly demotivated due to a lack of inspiration about the future.

Striking a Balance:

How can you find the perfect balance? It’s about knowing enough about what lies ahead without rigid planning that leaves no space for spontaneity. It’s about living with excitement and a touch of nervousness over what’s around the corner—trusting that good things are coming, even if we relinquish some control.

What if it’s simply about releasing the pressure we’ve built up in our minds? Allowing ourselves to believe that there’s no one way to go about living life and that perfection in human living simply does not exist. There are no rules, just life. Taking the first step when your life feels like one big blank canvas can help you feel motivated, rather than fearful of making the ‘first wrong choice.’

Similarly, we must accept that there is no such thing as a ‘perfect life’. Life is fluid, forever moving us through waves, troughs, and peaks. When I was working in corporate finance in central London, I believed that graduating with first-class honours, landing a top finance job, completing my accounting qualifications, and being financially independent automatically meant I had achieved the ‘perfect life’. Yet, it took me two years to realise I was living a life I didn’t truly want. I felt hopeless every day. Despite easily predicting where I was going in 5 to 10 years’ time, that clarity made me feel even more demotivated as if I were upholding a life that suited societal expectations rather than my own desires. Society dictated what success should look like—organised, high-achieving, and progressing quickly. But these boxes never truly reflected my inner aspirations.

No Rules, Just Life: Time to Create Your Own Path.

Perhaps it’s not about making the ‘right next choice’, but about reprogramming our minds to truly believe that there are no rules. If there are no rules, then there isn’t a set way of ‘doing life’. Doesn’t that feel liberating?

I’m not suggesting that we live without bounds or common sense—simply jumping off cliffs without caution. It’s about knowing that if something doesn’t feel right for us, it just isn’t the thing for us. This approach removes self-judgement and the fear of others’ opinions.

People say their 20s are the time to take risks, explore, and experience life. But I’m starting to see that even that shouldn’t be a rule. Life is about taking risks, exploring, and cherishing every journey we embark on—appreciating even the simplest moments as part of our unique path.

The Journey’s Reward:

What’s the outcome of embracing this approach? We are left with experiences, relationships, adventures, and memories beyond anything society could ever promise. These plans cannot be man-made. Once we release the belief in a ‘perfect life’ and make space for the idea that there are no set rules, we allow the natural flow of life to take us through its troughs and peaks. In our lows, we learn more about ourselves and the world, and in our highs, we experience joy that leaves us in awe.

I’m not saying it’s easy; I’m simply realising that this is an option if we choose it. We are never alone in our journeys if we open ourselves up to those around us.

Remember, it’s not about reaching the peaks or fleeing from the lows—it’s about embracing the simple moments of everyday life and believing that our lives are our own, free from rules.