Being misguided?

I will put it this way. It pays a lot to be self-convinced. Before you plan for something, try to do some research/enquiry on your own, so that you will come across your areas of interest and preferences. It is okay to listen to others, but not okay to put yourself in a situation where you have to follow everything that others tell you. if you have your own ideas, you seldome get into such situations, I am sure.