Thanks to Societal Norms a Quarter Life Crisis is Totally a Thing

So, July has been a bit loco, it marks the halfway point of 2013 also known as “The Year of Me” andddd I turned 25. Yep, that happened. You guys, a Quarter Life Crisis is totally real and yep, I’m kind of freaking out about it. Why? Well because my Facebook feed (pesky social media) is full of people doing awesome things that go both with and against societal norms. With: engagements, weddings, babies galore. Against: Quitting jobs to start businesses or chase the dream job, moving away and raising hell. Me? I’m floundering.

For the first time in a long time I asked myself what am I doing with my life? And for the first time I sit and ponder because I have zero clue but I’m trying pretty dang hard to figure it out.

2013 I have dedicated to me and finding new passions and igniting old ones. I’ve been learning a lot about “my” people, the Internets and my eating habits to create a healthier and happier me!

The Year of Me: Try new things, take risks and seek adventure in hopes of changing the world.

As a young professional woman I feel like there is a societal stigma that says we have to hold ourselves together and be ladies even when we’re falling apart. The awful truth? Harsh reality? I’m 25 and for the first time in my life I don’t have a plan. But I’m a planner, always have been. I have a gazillion-and-one to-do lists, post-it notes all over my desk dictating what’s on my plan for the day, week, month. I’ve been known to have back up plans for the plans.  Always be prepared. That’s my motto.

Today, I’m like uhhhh what’s next in this life? (Again, floundering.) I already fulfilled my original plan.
Plan: graduate high school, get into college, study journalism, be the first in my family to graduate college, get a job in the communications/journalism industry. Check, check, checkitycheckcheck. Maybe I let fate and hard work take over? Perhaps. Sounds like a plan. (see what I did there?)

I’m learning to embrace this rite of passage before the next plan/goal/fate-awesomeness in my life comes to fruition, which is to someday have a family of my own. But for now I’m content with working on impressing myself by dating myself. Call me selfish if you must, but there is something to be said for being your own número uno in life! Olé!

Here’s a little ditty of a poem I drafted up for myself as I embark on the next 6 months of The Year of Me! Hope you can relate to it in some capacity and feel inspired to take control of the wheel in this journey of life!

This Life
By Karlyn Williams

Tired sitting side car
This life
Grab the wheel
Floor it
Wind caressing tendrils
Rounding the curves a little too
Fast
This life
Dare to be great
Dare to take chances
Just dare
This life
Drive to seek passion, joy,
Promise to pump the breaks from time to
Time to enjoy
This life
Take care at yellows
Be patient at reds for they will
Flip to green
To go
Seek your dreams
This life

What have you done this year for yourself!? What are you planning to do this year for yourself!? Share it in the comments!

7 thoughts on “Thanks to Societal Norms a Quarter Life Crisis is Totally a Thing

  1. anashayne

    I’ve done a full turn around myself in the past 6 months. I made the goal last year to be moved out of my parents officially and fully by new years. I moved into my apartment officially on December 30th, 2012. I accomplished that goal. Since then I’ve actually matured quite a lot, absolutely everyone I know has noticed. And in the past couple of months I’ve had many epiphanies, issues, new goals and ideas. And I’ve come to the conclusion that I just want to be happy and be the best me. So I’ve started eating better, started multiple 30 day challenges, got my guy off soda, and I’ve started exercising more, and I just want to do everything I can to make the most of my day/week/month. 🙂
    I’ve decided to start really living life for me, not for anyone else.

    Reply
  2. anashayne

    I understand planning, I’m a planner as well, not quite to your level, but a planner none the less. Try to simply enjoy your day, its okay not to know whats gonna happen. If it drives you crazy, just make minor goals to get you from point a to point b in life. Or plan an event or party just for the fun of it, so you have something to plan and focus on so you feel less lost. Thats what I always end up doing when I feel out of control, I get back in control of something, anything. 🙂

    Reply
  3. A Little Coffee

    Happy birthday!!

    I’m also a big planner by nature, but the planning of your life is never done, that’s the thing. Like you just outlined in your post, you made a plan and checked off every item on the list already… but you’re only 25 and you’re not done yet, life just keeps changing and you’ll have new goals. I’m still figuring out what to do with myself in this one life. Don’t sweat it. You’ll figure it out as you go along, and it’s okay if it looks a little messy some of the time. 🙂

    Reply
  4. tracesofspace

    I love this!! I’ve been going through my quarter life crisis my entirety of college… so reading this I guess it’s going to last a bit longer (I’m still 21). But I’m so happy to know that others are going through this. I also see my friends who studied abroad, have amazing internships in NYC, are dating hot and seemingly perfect boyfriends… and then there is me. None of those things. So then you kind of feel like you’re wasting your life, like you’re not out there experiencing stuff. Part of me really wants to pack my bags and move to Australia just to say I did it. LOL! Maybe one day I will. great post!

    Reply
  5. Pingback: Moral Panic Mode: ‘Becoming’ vs. ‘Being’ Theories of Researchers | The Shattered Glass Slipper

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *