Colman Noctor: A teen’s ability to adapt is more important than having a fully formed life plan

Many of the healthiest and happiest adults I know are not those who got everything right the first time, but those who learned to adapt when life didn’t go to plan

We need to challenge one of the biggest myths we sell to young people — that successful adults always knew exactly what they were doing. Picture: iStock

LEAVING Cert students often tell me that they are subjected to conversations with adults keen to discuss “what’s next” and to offer unsolicited advice about what they think they should do.

Adults tend to talk about ‘what next’ as if life were a straight road that rewards certainty and careful planning. Yet most of us know that life rarely works that way.