As a twenty-four year old, I find myself in strange place. It's somewhere in between having a full-time job and still needing to mooch off of family members. Or trying to build my credit but at times, having a negative balance in my checking account. What do I call this juxtaposition? This part is called your twenties.
It's hard here but not for the obvious reasons. Yeah, we're usually broke, living with family, and living from paycheck to paycheck, but that's not the brunt of it. We're also high strung, inpatient, and unappreciative of our position in the world most of the time. Being a millennial ignites a shitload of confidence but also applies an insane amount of pressure. The times of using your twenties to figure shit out are long and gone. Your twenties are crucial. Your twenties are now.
After being in a slump about my current employment and overall life situation, I decided to get some positive reinforcement and I began The Defining Decade, a book I had been itching to read. A few of my friends found it very helpful and inspiring in their journey to the dirty thirty, so I decided to see what the hype was about. So far I like it. Despite being within the first few pages of the first chapter, I feel like I've already gained some insight. The author made a very interesting point that I briefly mentioned earlier.
Dr. Meg Jay stresses that many of us twenty-somethings have been misinformed about where we are in our lives. A lot of us have been told that thirty is the new twenty or that your life starts at thirty. While I don't necessarily think that there's ever a wrong time to get your shit together, I do hear her. She believes that your twenties are probably the most significant years of your adult life because they set the tone for the rest of it. It's sort of similar to muscle memory or like when your mom used to make you make your bed everyday so one day, it would become a habit. These years are not only supposed to be used for experimenting but to purposefully self-explore, in all aspects of your life. Like I mentioned, I'm only beginning the book but I have a feeling it's going to be great. I have a few concerns of my own that I'm saving for the love and careers chapter. But until I reach those sections, I'll keep doing my field research.
So where do we go from here? How do we capitalize off of what may feel like some of the most uncertain and undeveloped years of our lives? Shit, I don't know. But I do know that taking the time to realize how much you have accomplished in your short time as an adult can make you feel better. Everyone is figuring it out, no one has the answers. Quite honestly, I don't believe there is one answer to making the most out of your twenties; I just think it's imperative to live them with purpose and intention.
It's also one of the last times you'll be able to consume whatever you want.