Quarter Life Crisis

The quarter life crisis age is between 25 and 35 years old. Traditionally referred to as “the prime of your life.” Why? I have no idea. I guess it’s because this age range has a 1950’s reputation of being a time before you had to make major career choices, get married, settle down…etc. This was the age range where you relished in freedom, explored, and lived unencumbered. 

Honestly, this mindset feels like foolery or at the very least some Netflix's original feeding us a load of feel good crap. 

Real life….the lives that you and I are living aren’t this type of made up fantasy.  Our lives are filled with real decisions, pressures from parents, jobs we don’t love, relationships we wish we had, and shit like pandemics to deal with.

If you’re a millennial, feeling like the walls are closing in and faced with decision overload you might be dealing with a quarter life crisis. A crisis that hits this age range like a hurricane off the North Carolina coast. Trust me. I’ve survived a quarter life crisis and live near the North Carolina coast. 

Conquer Your Quarter Life Crisis

So, in response to this, I want to give you 3 questions that will help you conquer your quarter life crisis. These questions are designed to help you reflect and bring awareness to your situation. They’re designed to give you direction and help you pinpoint where to shift and get the answers you need to overcome your feelings of doubt, frustration, and overwhelm that are all part of a quarter life crisis. 

Here we go…..

Question #1

What assumptions or beliefs guide your decision making? 

You might have to work backwards with this question. For example, think of the last 3-5 decisions you’ve made. Write them down. Next, reflect on each by asking yourself what assumptions or beliefs led me to this decision? The answers to these questions are going to reveal a deeper understanding for your decision making. You’ll have to decide if, based on your answers, if this is how you want to continue making decisions. If not, what beliefs or assumptions do you want to live by in order to make better decisions? 

Question #2

What does having a “meaningful life” mean to you? 

Take out a piece of paper and draw a circle. Now divide that circle into 6 equal parts. In each part write down a category that represents your life ie. career, relationships, finances, etc.  For each category write what it means for this part of your life to feel meaningful. What would it require? What do you want? What will bring you happiness/purpose? Lastly, prioritize each category and make a plan to move closer to what meaningful means to you. 

Question #3

How does overthinking get in the way of your decision making?

I gotta be honest on this one. This happens to me often. I overthink, over analyze, and generally talk myself out of solutions for hard decisions. Clients I’ve had over the years have expressed a similar struggle. In fact I here are  4 client approved actions to help stop overthinking. In this case here’s what I’ll tell you. The big thing to know about overthinking is that it’s normal. We all do it. We just need to notice when it does because when we notice we gain the power to disrupt the pattern and take action where needed. 

The quarter life crisis can be a catalyst for change and start of a new phase of your life filled with new aspirations, fresh perspectives, and reestablished values. It’s a time for soul searching and finding the answers you need. You are on a journey to achieve your full potential. Just keep following your curiosity and stay open to the possibilities.