Breaking Free from the Linear Life
Written by Michelle Ong | November 15, 2025
This post is about unlearning the script — and choosing a life that actually fits.
There was a time when I truly believed life was supposed to unfold in a straight line.
Study hard → get good grades → get a stable job → find a partner → have a family → live happily ever after.
Simple. Predictable. Safe.
At least, that’s what I thought.
But somewhere along the way, that “straight line” started to feel like a tight rope — one wrong step and I’d fall straight into failure.
Maybe you’ve felt this too: that quiet panic when your life doesn’t match the script you were given.
Growing Up in the Script
I wasn’t the rebellious type, but I wasn’t the “perfect” child either. I did okay in school — enough to get by, but not enough to escape comparison. My sister often scored better, and I internalized every comment, every sigh, every “next time do better.”
Before every exam, I’d feel my whole body tense up.
Waiting for results was the worst — I remember sitting in class, pretending to look calm while secretly bargaining with the universe. And when I didn’t do well enough, I cried quietly to sleep because I thought disappointing others meant I wasn’t good enough.
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
When Stability Became the Goal
I followed the expected path: junior college, university, a “decent” start. I went into science because it was practical. Art — the thing that made me feel alive — became something I did only when I had time, which slowly became never.
I didn’t question much. I thought stability automatically meant success.
And I thought stepping off the script meant failure.
But here’s the thing I didn’t realize then:
A linear life might look safe on the outside, but it can feel suffocating on the inside.
Have you ever stayed on a path simply because you were too afraid to leave it?
💡Check out this post for insights on living your ikigai.
The Feeling of Misalignment
I’ve changed jobs a few times — not because I was lost, but because I was trying to find alignment. Still, every move came with comparisons: slower progression, slower pay growth, slower everything.
I kept wondering:
“Am I behind?”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“When will I ‘catch up’?”
If you’ve ever felt that quiet pressure to “match” others your age, I hope this reminds you:
You’re not behind. You’re just on a different timeline.
A Small Shift That Helped Me Breathe
The moment I stopped viewing life as something to “keep up with,” and started seeing it as something I get to create — at my own pace — I felt less like an outlier, and more like a person learning to live honestly.
And that’s where freedom begins: not in doing things perfectly, but in doing things your way.
💡Check out this post if you are feeling stuck in life.
🌱 Reader Reflection
Are you following a path that truly fits you, or one that feels safe?
