My Quarter Life Crisis

I’ve entered this weird phase in my life where my beard is being invaded by white hair, I prefer listening to 90’s R&B playlists because people were actually in love back then, and I can’t wait to tell my friends about my most recent Netflix binge. I’m not sure if I’m getting old or reached a new evolutionary form of millennial. As I adapt to the swift changes in my life, my quarter life crisis evolves with me. I still get triggered by random Instagram posts of my peers traveling abroad. Lately, I find the majority of the events on my Google calendar are my friend’s wedding invitations. Every time someone asks me if I’m going to have a kid, I feel compelled to say “KIDSSSSSSSS” in my best Soulja Boy voice. Like someone still stuck on their ex, I’m clearly not over my quarter life crisis. Don’t worry, I’ve made some progress. We’ll talk about that a little later.

The Crisis Filled Though Process

One of the biggest complications of the quarter life crisis is the fact that you may not realize that you’re going through it. For those of you who are unfamiliar, let me walk you through the crisis-filled thought process. You’re overwhelmed by self-imposed deadlines on your success that are fueled by both real and imagined social pressure from parents, friends, celebrities, strangers, haters, etc. You start questioning yourself. What am I doing with my life? What have I accomplished? Have I made any progress? You’ll then wonder why you don’t have the answer to these questions. Unfortunately, you have the answers but they’re hidden behind a cruel wall of self-doubt. If you’re unaware of your crisis, it’s easy to fall victim to a negative mindset regarding your future and feel isolated in the process. As per usual, I plan to bring awareness to the phenomenon by telling stories that you and millions of other people will relate to.

Growth

One way to bring visibility to your crisis is to focus on your growth as a super dope human being. We sometimes underestimate how much we grow as individuals. Growth is a 24/7 cycle that never ends. It can be a mix of beautiful, ugly, rough, majestic, silent, and loud. Growth can happen on a mental, physical, and emotional level. Unfortunately, it’s easy to ignore your advancement when you enter crisis mode. This is why I came up with the phrase “anything can happen in a year.” I’ve had so many conversations with friends who truly believe nothing changed in their life. Due to those conversations, I started asking people to breakdown their year. More often than not, their mind is blown when they think about all the events that have happened. Don’t believe me? Try it yourself!

What Can Happen In A Year

A year is 12 MONTHS, 365 DAYS, 8760 HOURS, 525,600 MINUTES, 31,536,000 SECONDS. Over the last 365 days, I’ve lost 80 pounds, went to LA for the first time, ran a 5k, found out I was going to be a godfather, got hit by a car, rode a jetski, and discovered my favorite macaroni and cheese restaurant. If I didn’t think about the things that happened and impacted me, I could have easily started doubting whether I’d matured or made any moves to secure the bag that is my future. Anything can happen in a year means that life is susceptible to change. This ACHIAY motto can be applied to the past, present, and future. If you’re worried about the empty space on your ring finger or question whether you’ll celebrate your birthday in Dubai, remember that anything can happen in a year. Give yourself that expectation that something you want in life can happen in the future… like a year! This is not a promise that all your worries will be eradicated in a year; it’s just you committing to the idea that big things are capable of happening in the future. ACHIAY can create a positive shift on the outlook of your future if you invest honesty and optimism into your perspective.

Tips

If this speaks to you, you might like this tip. Create a checklist for everything you want to accomplish this year. Add any major gain you want to have, big or small. Whether it’s reading a book, going on a date, or taking a selfie on the Eiffel Tower, add it to the checklist. Also, add accomplishments that happen to you that weren’t originally on the list and check them off as the year progresses. When you look at that list a year or two from now, you’ll be surprised at how much you’ve achieved.

Is My Crisis Over?

Is my crisis over? I wish! The quarter life crisis feeds on the doubts I have for my future. I still have question marks on certain progressions I anticipate in life. Who I’ll end up with. Will I be debt free? Will I travel to the destinations on my bucket list? Am I making progression in my field? Until, I obtain clarity these things, it’s easy to retain some doubt. Fortunately, through a healthy combination of changing perspective and speaking a couple things into existence, my quarter life crisis is often ignored in favor of quarter life opportunities.

Song Of The Day

Today’s song of the day is “A lot” by 21 Savage. What can happen in a year? A lot. How many people are having a crisis? A lot. How many words are in this blog post? A lot. This song speaks to me because of its soulful delivery of contemplative thoughts from a crisis-struck person.