Just finished watching this TED Talk called "Why 30 is not the new 20" by Dr. Meg Jay and my mind is reeling.
I'm watching it alone in my bed, alternating between the neon signs flashing in my head "Yikes!" and then "Yes!"
A perfect mixture of terrifying and inspiring.
But, I could not agree with her more.
I totally identify with nearly every point she just made, not only how it relates to myself, but my generation as a whole.
And I'm wondering, where do I fall on the scale of preparedness?
I feel that this completely hits the nail on the head the sense of urgency, responsibility and stress I've felt since I started college (and admittedly, perhaps much earlier).
Simply put, the idea that I'd better get started with life because the clock is ticking and the time is now.
As far as peers and the media's portrayal of my current 20 somethings, the idea of the floundering, yolo-crazed loafer rings so true that it's almost laughable. She's right. They're everywhere.
But when I really break it down to my life and the ebbs and flows of young adulthood that I've wrote about on this very blog, I think I have quite possibly, the complete opposite problem.
Motivation is there. Drive in tact. Appropriate doses of pressure from parents who expect me to succeed as a self-sustaining adult: check. I mean, I've got the makings of a young lady who I feel Dr. Jay would label as "on track." So much so that I've been the girl on the couch talking to the psychotherapist and hearing her say that I need to take a beat and take some pressure off.
Calculated and scheduled, my preparedness introduces me into a new sub-group: The Never-Satisfied Always-Reaching 20 Somethings.
This is the catch 22.
Be like them and spend your twenties confused, wasteful and lazy.
Be like me and spend your twenties controlled, stressed and pin-point focused.
Both paths sound terrible. And both paths sound to me like they are taken out of fear.
Simply put, the idea that I'd better get started with life because the clock is ticking and the time is now.
As far as peers and the media's portrayal of my current 20 somethings, the idea of the floundering, yolo-crazed loafer rings so true that it's almost laughable. She's right. They're everywhere.
But when I really break it down to my life and the ebbs and flows of young adulthood that I've wrote about on this very blog, I think I have quite possibly, the complete opposite problem.
Motivation is there. Drive in tact. Appropriate doses of pressure from parents who expect me to succeed as a self-sustaining adult: check. I mean, I've got the makings of a young lady who I feel Dr. Jay would label as "on track." So much so that I've been the girl on the couch talking to the psychotherapist and hearing her say that I need to take a beat and take some pressure off.
Calculated and scheduled, my preparedness introduces me into a new sub-group: The Never-Satisfied Always-Reaching 20 Somethings.
This is the catch 22.
Be like them and spend your twenties confused, wasteful and lazy.
Be like me and spend your twenties controlled, stressed and pin-point focused.
Both paths sound terrible. And both paths sound to me like they are taken out of fear.
What do you guys think?
Twenty somethings-- do identify with her points?
Thirty somethings-- do you feel like your twenties were spent wisely?
Forty-somethings and up-- what are your thoughts?
My clock is ticking.
Oh, and by the way, internship starts in t-minus 14 days.
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