Quarterlife Crisis Affecting Your New Venture?

Your alarm goes off at 6:45 a.m. and, after hitting snooze exactly three times, you begin mentally preparing yourself for the day. Only, you know your day is not going to be what you want it to be:

• You're totally unsure of the direction in which your new venture is headed
  
• You feel overwhelmed by the myriad decisions you need to make in your personal life
• You find yourself plagued by a series of existential questions related to your purpose here on earth

How come your twenties haven’t been easier?

According to some experts, you may be suffering from a “quarter-life crisis.” For those of you new to the term, it became popular with the release of a book aptly named Quarterlife Crisis: the Unique Challenges of Life in Your Twenties by Abby Wilner and Alexandra Robbins.  It has since been picked up by many others in the psychology and personal development fields and is almost exactly what you’d expect – finding yourself in a bit of an identity pickle while you’re in your twenties (or maybe early thirties).

But is a quarterlife crisis even real?  And if it is real, will it interfere with your entrepreneurial efforts?

As a professional life coach, I often work with individuals who express a certain amount of cosmic and practical angst. Moreover, as a late twenty-something myself, I’ve watched myself and my friends struggle throughout the last decade to create lives we feel are worth living. From all fronts, I’ve heard the same questions over and over again:

• Why am I so bored?
• What am I meant to do with my life?
  
• How come this is taking so long?
• What if I never get a chance to really live?
• How come everyone else seems to have it all together?

At times, these questions reveal themselves to be something other than points of interest along a journey and more in line with an identity crisis. With the advancement of technology, a more globalized network and personal/professional roles that are increasingly flexible, it’s no wonder that quarterlifers struggle with identity more than ever before.  It’s as if a train is careening through adulthood and the options along the route are overwhelming.

So yes, I think there is such a thing as a quarterlife crisis.

I also think it might be helpful to reframe the conversation, allowing ourselves to see this experience as generally common and ordinary. Chances are the person who just texted you is feeling as stuck as you are.

Viewed from an entrepreneurial standpoint, we can also let these questions of “crisis” push the envelope when it comes to our ever evolving ventures. The call to reflect and connect with our most authentic selves is a sacred gift. From that place we will be able to offer the most socially conscious services and products we can dream of.

 

Jennifer Gleeson Blue, through her company Get There From Here, is dedicated to equipping 20- and 30-somethings to create inspired, authentic and sustainable lives. In addition to individual coaching, she facilitates workshops, delivers presentations and helps organizations get the most out of their young employees. She is a graduate of Coach University and currently serves as Vice President of Communications for the Philadelphia Area Coaches Alliance. For more information, please visit www.gleesonblue.com.