The Quarter Life Crisis
The Reality Behind Building My Dream Life
I checked off practically every goal I set at 15 as part of my 10-year plan. From academic to professional to financial achievements, whether it was achieving straight A/A* grades, receiving an unconditional offer from the London School of Economics, winning awards, working at the world's best investment bank, buying property, hitting financial milestones, or being in a healthy relationship. Never would I have thought that moving closer towards my ‘dream life’ would trigger a quarter-life crisis/reset.
For those unfamiliar with the concept, a quarter-life crisis is a period of time where typically those in their mid-20s to early 30s feel extremely uncertain. It can manifest as anxiety about life direction, feelings of being stuck, having an identity crisis, being disillusioned with previous decisions, regrets on career choices, and in some cases can lead to mental health disorders such as depression. It often arises during the transition from childhood to adulthood marked by increased responsibilities, such as graduating and entering the workforce. Social media and the inevitable comparisons with others can also trigger this crisis.
I’ll start by emphasising that I am very content and happy with my life and in myself (thank God) but in my case, my quarter life ‘crisis’ was partly due to not knowing where to aim next. At 15, it's easy to make a 10-year plan that you strongly believe in because the framework is, for the most part, already established. Whether it's goals related to grades, schools, or jobs, there are hundreds, thousands, even millions of people who have sat the same exams or got into that university or graduate scheme—the path is well-trodden with lots of blueprints. However, when you aren't taking the traditional path, also coined the ‘pathless path,’ it’s a lot more uncomfortable to set goals and requires a certain level of confidence and delusion. It was also partly due to other factors which I explore in more depth in my latest YouTube video.
As I explain in the video, it took me a while to realize that what I was going through was something that was very familiar to other people. Once I did, it was a lot easier to navigate my way out of it. So if you’re reading this and can relate in some way I have a series of upcoming newsletters and YouTube videos detailing how I was able to get through my quarter life crisis.
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I got through it by traveling widely with my family, leaving home behind to create enough space for something new to emerge. Thanks for your piece and videos!