I’m turning 25 soon. It’s a strange age to grasp—definitely out of college, a full-blown adult—car loans, credit card debt, career choices, relationships, etc., have all begun to matter more than they ever have before. All the ideas you had about who you were, who you were going to be, where you were going to be, what you were going to be doing—have either changed or are certainly (and hopefully) beginning to change.
I was one of the lucky ones and knew what I wanted to do going into college and have started to cut a career path for myself. All in all it’s a big relief in these
challenging times. But sometimes it can feel like it comes with a jar of pickles (yea,
Pickle, that game you used to play as a kid), meaning being stuck between work and play as you watch your friends travel and explore, living freely with no clients to keep happy or bosses to impress, and (in some cases) no rent to pay while living with parents or relatives. It’s like you have to either commit to being an adult and live vicariously through those friends, or bail on the career for a few years and jump aboard their travel-train and hold on to the next (and last) few years of honest-to-god youth, exploiting it for all its worth. And then you think “how could I afford to travel if I didn't have a job?” No idea. It’s a mystery I can never solve.
Personally, I deal better with the
known rather than the
unknown, so usually I am glad to be on a career path. Am I where I want to be in my career though? No. I thought I’d be creating more exciting work or at least be making more money. I am taking steps toward where I want to be and what I want to be doing. Which leads me to sacrifice and compromise—two other aspects of being an adult that can hit you suddenly across the face and leave a bruise. The decisions you make no longer affect only you, they impact everyone around you, everyone you care about. It’s tough to know what or when to make a sacrifice or compromise.
I’m not complaining, or whining—reaching 25 is something that most individuals get to experience and each will deal with it differently. I guess I’m suggesting that it’s a good time to take a step back and reevaluate yourself, your goals, your beliefs and whatnot, and to
act accordingly. It's hard to be part of a generation whom thinks the world owes them something, so just start acting and stop waiting.
