Too young to be feeling this old

So apparently there are a growing number of young people suffering from the quarter life crisis. Forget the dreaded mid life crisis, it seems we will have enough practise getting over our quarter life crisis, just in time to deal with our mid life crisis. So what is this new disease all about? The symptoms are:


1.  Not in a job you had your mind set on

2.      Confusion of identity, usually as a result of work, changing friends.

3.       Insecurity regarding the near future

4.       Insecurity about present accomplishments

5.       Nostalgia for college and university

6.       Financial stress

7.       The feeling that everyone is doing better than you.

The symptoms really try to catch everyone in. What is this quarter life crisis all about? As children we set ourselves expectations, and with no knowledge of what life after school is like, we come into the real world and realise things are not always as clear cut. I remember as a child, I always wanted to work at the World Bank, had no idea, what exactly I would be doing there, or ever how I would get there, but that is where I saw myself, and that was what I defined as reaching my ultimate goal. Looking at it now, it was influenced by what I thought was the most powerful organisation in my child mind and where my parent would feel (or at least I felt) I have really done them proud.

   

Everyone grows up wanting the best for themselves, and to have it all figured out. Be it landing the dream job, have all the money the world can offer, and just know how things will turn out. Then when we start making grown up decisions you realise, the dream jobs are not always so easy to land, and when you do eventually get into a meaningful job, all the things you were hoping to get might have to wait until you either start earning a decent amount, or move up in the working ladder. It is easy to feel like after you have one thing figured out, the next obstacle arrives. It feels like a constant battle.

Seeing as we had the world’s highest viewed sermon on CNN yesterday, this would be a great time to bring in a lesson I got from one of Joel Osteen sermon, I feel he addressed the issue of the quarter life crisis, quite well. He says, 'We really have to have the right perspective, if we are constantly waiting for the mountain peaks to feel fulfilled i.e a wedding, birth of a child, promotion, graduation or winning the lottery, then we can count the number of days we will be living'. Joel message is that these big life fulfilling 'mountain tops' days are there in life, but they do not come so often, promotion, at best once a year, weddings, you would hope once in a lifetime.

Instead of worrying about the unknown future focus on the now, yes your job is not giving you the money you had hoped for, but how was it before you had the job and not having a constant source of income? And the salary that you had you mindset on, how many people are actually being paid that? Is it the industry norm? If it is an attainable figure then by all mean look for another job, that might bring you more financial satisfaction, and job fulfilment. But, if you are looking for Steve Job salary, then you have to be doing Steve Job type of things. 

Just try to stay realistic. These are the thoughts that fuel your ‘quarter life crisis’. If you are looking to improve something in your life sitting around feeling bad about the situation will not make it better, if you feel there is something you can do about it then by all means get off your back side and do it!!!

My point is, if you are unhappy with something in your life, you have obviously been comparing yourself to someone else and thought hmm...if I had that I will be happier. And sometimes these are the things that drive us to attain levels that we never would have. But if on the other hand, it drives you to feel less worthy and less self fulfilled, then you are not doing yourself any favours and are wasting your life away, and merely waiting on the start of your mid life crisis straight after your ages pushes you out of the quarter life crisis.

Do yourself a favour and just have the right perspective.