I was going through my past post from other projects and came across this post I made when the clock stuck Quarter Life. How far I've come in 4 years!
Quarter Life Crisis:
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The period in your life occuring between 20 and 30 years of age, when you realize that a quarter of your life is over and :
a) You’ve done nothing constructive with it – AND – b) You’ve set yourself up for another quarter just like it. You may be experiencing a quarter life crisis if : a) You ever ask yourself what the h*** you are doing with your life b) You regret half of the last 10 years c) You consider changing jobs/homes/partners/all of the above to somehow improve your life
d) You feel lost and confused 23.5 hours out of a 24 hour day e) You wonder how you will ever find job security/afford a house at today’s prices/find a partner if you’re working all the time/get out of your parents’ house if your debt is costing you every dime you make/afford rent while it keeps going up/find a job that pays the bills/pay off your debt/all of the above. Usually all of the above. Often confused by kids with adolesence, puberty, or hormonal problems. Feeling “misunderstood” and dressing all in black is not a quarter life crisis – it is being a teenager. Basically, you wake up one morning and think to yourself, “Man – I’m totally screwed.” You then proceed to consolidate your debt, look for a better job, and spend more time sleeping – because when you’re asleep, you don’t have to worry about how screwed you are. -Urban Dictionary
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Lately, the idea of AGE has been on my mind, majority due to the fact that this June, I hit my quarter life crisis.
The big 2-5.
The ‘official’ point in every young adult’s life where we are supposed to have our shit together.
The physical number where girl is supposed to have met boy (or girl), baby #1 out of 2.5 is on the way, career is established, money is being earned and saved, property bought, debt’s paid and at least one (reputable) degree mounted to your high-level corporate job office wall.
You work through your early twenties checking off the giant laundry list of tasks that must be completed by this fastly approaching deadline, or you will NEVER BE A SUCCESS in your surrounding figures eyes.
Its ok, your only 24, you still have time so work, work, work!
Then, you turn twenty five.
WHAM
When the hell did that happened?! How did that year go by so fast?!
Where is my white picket fence? Why am I not making six figures?? WHY AM I NOT PREGNANT WITH A GIANT ROCK THAT SHOULD BE THE SAME VALUE AS MY HYPOTHETICAL MANSION ON MY FINGER!?
Your head starts screaming ‘You’re a fucking failure!’ and you feel like you’re floundering for any opportunity to rapidly obtain all the listed requirements to hide the fact that you’re no where close to where your supposed to be.
Its ok – maybe no one will notice.
Guess what? They do.
Parents start questioning your choices. Your co-twentyfivers start judging you. You judge yourself.
What the hell have I done? What have I actually accomplished? Have I accomplished anything to be proud of? Who am I to be proud? Who the hell AM I?
Thats it!
Life is over.
You’re a failure.
No matter what you do you’re never going to amount to anything.
What a load of crap.
Im throwing Quarter Life Crisis out of my window.
Happy Birthday to me? Thanks, but no thanks.
Im setting the bar lower.
At the tender age of twenty five, I have (most of) my shit together.
Am I hugely successful? No. Am I making six figures? Not yet. Am I preggo? NO, THANK YOU.
Do I have debt? Heck yes I do- Education and cost of living is freaking expensive.
Am I drowning in debt? Thankfully, no.
Do my parents question my choices? Yep.
Will they continue to question my choices until Im old and grey? Probably.
Am I working hard to accomplish my many, many goals? You better believe it.
So – am I still a failure?
Nope.
Not to me Im not. I still have a long ways to go, yes, but you know what? Im really looking forward to it.
Life is, to an extent, within your control. You always have a choice (even if both choices suck), and you will make mistakes along the way. Good on you! Make many!
How else are you supposed to learn?
As long as you’re pursing your dreams, working hard, and learning, YOU ARE SUCCEEDING. Accept challenges. Grow up. Play. Just be and do what you, personally, are meant to do. Nothing is finite. Money, jobs, love, lessons- they all come and go.
So enjoy your 25th year. Enjoy your 26th. Enjoy it all.
You’ve only got one life to live.
Take that, Quarter Life Crisis!
