QUARTER LIFE CRISIS

Life can hit pretty hard sometimes; harder still, in the formative years of adulthood. With a flailing job market, immense pressure to be “yourself” (while still pleasing everyone) and heartbreaks galore, being a 20-something is no easy feat. When you feel like you have hit rock bottom, gathering the courage to pick yourself up can seem impossible. That, my friends, is what I like to term as a “quarter life crisis.”

Like business, when this crisis dawns upon you, it is time to reset your objectives, align your strategy and use the resources at your disposal to hit the target. Here’s how:

1. Travel wide and far. One of my biggest regrets in life is that I didn’t make an effort to see the world earlier. When you are feeling down, pack your bags, buy a ticket and don’t look back. And if you can’t leave immediately, at least book that damn ticket so you have something to look forward to. It’s an instant pick-me-up. I plan to volunteer with an NGO in Tibet later this year, teaching English, staying with a local family and writing content for their website. I couldn’t be more excited. Life truly does begin at the end of your comfort zone.

2. Realign your strategy. Think back to the things that you promised yourself you would do last year. Have you completed them? If not, why? Do you still want to achieve these goals? Do you have new goals? Start by thinking about the person you want to be. Happier? What is your source of unhappiness? Change it. Fitter? How do you make your lifestyle healthier? Do it. Set a one month, one year and five year plan which details what you want to do, how you want to do it and when you want to do it. Stick it up in a place where you will see it every day (my plan is stuck on my dresser in glittery purple letters). And then go out there and achieve! Become the person you want to be, the person you need to be.

3. Eliminate the negativity. Bad vibes take a toll on everyone, no matter how charming, smart and optimistic you are. It could be a person, a habit, a job, anything. In business, you must eliminate the processes, people and products that do not add value to the firm. Do the same for your life. Get rid of the negativity and kiss your quarter life crisis goodbye.

4. Find an outlet for your creativity. I strongly believe that everyone has some sort of creative inkling, however large or small. Harness this innate creativity and use it to do something productive for yourself. One of the biggest reasons for discontent is the lack of meaningful work. That is the very reason I started this blog. Do something meaningful and do it for yourself. Do it for a break from that mundane job. Do it to stay sane.