My Dear Zillenial Readers,

For those of you entering your late twenties (as much as you’d prefer time would slow down) I have some insights from my one year of being what can no longer be considered a “young adult”. Call it a quarter life crisis, or a real coming of age – but somethings just don’t feel the same. We’re no longer burdened by what we want to be when we “grow up” but rather the lingering thought that we maybe aren’t all we could have been. And if like me, you’re spending your time reflecting on what you might’ve done wrong, I’m here to play the devil’s advocate and tell you why you might be overtly critical of yourself when really, you’re on the right track.

1. The Definition of Success: Assuming we’ve all heard the popular “don’t judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree”, take a minute to reflect on what you’ve been measuring yourself against to decide whether or not you are “successful”. Is it the societal standard or the criteria your parents made you believe is what’s necessary for a fulfilling life? Is it a comparison to your peers or a comparison with the life you envisioned for yourself as a teenager? Is it an area you’re even interested in or pressured to “perform” in because if you didn’t you’d come across as conventionally “unsuccessful”?
   
   Different milestones mean different things to people and while its near impossible to succeed in every aspect of life, think about your top 3. What 3 areas do you WANT to “succeed” at?

2. The Race Against Time : The big 3-0 is very real and seems to be looming over our heads like a ticking time bomb. Ask yourself “So what?”. Maybe you had a list of things in mind you thought you’d have figured out by then and things have not necessarily gone as per plan. But in the time since you first envisioned it, do you still want those things? If you still want those things, have all the variables been within your control? And even if they were in your control and you couldn’t quite achieve what you’d set out to, does life stop at 30?

If you ask me, we’re just getting started. Fret not if you didn’t make the Forbes 30 under 30 list – FYI – they have a 40 under 40, 50 under 50 and a 50 over 50 too! So if you’re feeling like you haven’t “made it” maybe you’re still “in the making “.

3. The Influencer Influenza: If it ain’t viral, it ain’t relevant and if it ain’t Instagrammable is it not enjoyable? Being the first generation that got introduced to social media in our childhood or early teens we consume content maybe more than we consume meals on a daily. While it seems harmless, it does largely influence what we think of as desirable; whereas that doesn’t necessarily translate to achievable.

Its important to remember that what we see online is a carefully curated, edited version of reality both when it comes to influencers and people we know. People share their achievements and major milestones, both personal and professional and showcase the best version of themselves – which doesn’t really speak of their struggles or what they had to do to get there. Also bear in mind that individuals or corporations who make a living off content creation will naturally create a narrative that fits their brand and that the algorithm itself is feeding you exactly what it knows you need to see to be influenced.

In a generation so concerned with appearance, acknowledge that reel is not a true reflection of real.

4. “WhEn wE WeRe yoUr aGe” : The only thing common between 2 generations is that the each would’ve heard the same statement from their predecessor and will likely say the same to the next generation. Calling it an “Apples versus Oranges” situation would be an understatement, cause at least they’re both fruits.

Population size and demographic breakdowns, education levels, employment level and wage rates, cost of living and factors for wealth creation, life expectancy, family set ups, technology and ways of working – just a list of things off the top of my head that have seen drastic changes every few years, if not annually. If ALL that is different, how do we expect experiences of 2 people born in different eras be the same?

Next time you feel like you’re nowhere close to where your parents were at your age, remind yourself you are in an entirely different simulation and the rules for winning are not the same.

If you’ve successfully made it to the end of this blog and found the slightest bit of reassurance, let me leave you with one last thought: the only thing you’re really failing at – is failing to give up.

XO,

Your friendly neighborhood Zillenial