How I Dealt With My Twenty Something Meltdown.
Everyone has been there, sitting at your desk staring at the hundreds of emails flooding in; wondering ‘What’s the point?” That feeling and that moment was the beginning of my quarter life crisis. I became a teenager officially in 2000. The world seemed so expansive and the possibilities endless; I was DETERMINED to make something of myself, like we all are. (we as a generation are very hyperbolic and I am no exception) so it was inevitable that I would burn out.
I’ve solidly worked in buying since I left university; it’s hectic, busy and fast. I loved it. Finding new products, meeting new people and finding out about their stories was what I lived for. I never stopped working. I was always late for dinner dates with friends, would pitch to market stalls while out shopping. I just didn’t stop; this wasn’t a new thing. As the clock struck midnight on the last evening of 1999 I knew wanted to be in the creative industry and so I set about doing every internship I could find to make it happen, nothing would stop me.
Cut to Christmas of 2015 and the aforementioned moment at my desk. I knew I had to make a change. I love(d) my job but knew, this was not what I signed up for. I could not meet my friends, an hour late again and grumble about being tired and busy, while scanning labels of products (often lifting plates and crockery mid conversation) to push at my next team meeting.
So I left my job. This was the single most exciting and terrifying thing I have done in my life so far. On my first day of this new found freedom, which I had never experienced before, I sat down and thought about what makes me really happy. It’s an incredibly selfish thing to do but something I had not really considered until that very moment. Yes, I thought about how I could progress in my job, what I could do to hit the milestones in my imaginary life plan (don’t pretend you all haven’t got one) but I not once considered if these things were actually making me happy.
So I thought about it and wrote a list and plan of action. After writing several lists and several plans I realised writing lists and organising, was my thing! The Study Room was born. I have been doing this for four months now, and I genuinely could not be happier.
Now I am not saying you should all do what I did, I have friends who have come to the same realisation and their response is to spend the rest of their lives travelling or finding enlightenment from planking several times a week. The reaction to the crisis will always be different, but the impetus is nearly always the same. If you’ve ever had a moment like at your desk or anywhere you should take notice.
Having my quarter life crisis helped me to revaluate what was really important, without that I would never have started my business. It’s a fulfilment I haven’t had with any of the jobs I had before and for that I am eternally grateful.
Our lives are markedly different from that of our parents. The option of a job for life no longer exists so the additional pressure to succeed and progress amplified.
Looking back at that evening in 1999, my options then were just as wide and just as varied as they are now; this time however, I am not limiting my options. I invite them all.
The Study Room is a community geared towards helping you make the most of your day as a freelancer or small business. We are an online community that develops discussion and growth through sharing best practice and communication. We provide innovative goods for productive study. We are working to include a co-working, networking and event space.
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