With the increasing life expectancy of the modern world, many started believing that the 20s can be considered a throwaway decade of a person’s life. Some young adults think that the decisions they make in their 20s do not matter and will not affect their future. However, according to TED (2013), it is quite the opposite. In her presentation, Meg Jay stresses the importance of this decade in young adults’ lives. She claims that the decisions made in this period have the potential to set the tone of a person’s future (TED, 2013). I strongly agree with this opinion; the main issue of the culture of 30 is new 20 is increased rates of procrastination and lack of ambition. Indeed, longer lives allow people to take time before making meaningful choices. However, this time should not be wasted, but used to understand oneself, learn what one wants from life, weigh their options, and start moving in the right direction. As such, what should a young adult focus on before entering the 30s? Also, what should be done to avoid feeling overwhelmed with rushing through years and making life-long decisions, yet not waste time, believing it to be unimportant?
Another issue that young adults face is a lack of adequate leadership. Especially in such a decisive period of their life, from the age of 20 to 30, they require the knowledge and advice of older, more experienced adults. Nevertheless, what they actually receive is not a mentor or a coach but a boss (TEDx Talks, 2018). In her speech, Danita Bye emphasizes the significance and influence of an understanding, cooperative, and skilled leader in a young person’s life (TEDx Talks, 2018). She states that even a small yet helpful piece of advice can push millennials towards major success (TEDx Talks, 2018). I believe that the issue that troubles many young adults nowadays, which also used to be of importance in my life, is the opposite. Inconsiderate or ignorant influence and advice of older generations can have a severe negative impact on young people’s lives. In light of that, what can be considered helpful in positively influencing young adults’ lives? What should coaches avoid saying or doing that can be harmful?
As an older student, my decision-making, full of opportunities stage of life, is behind. However, this is not how I would describe my 20s. Instead, it happened to be a period of making mistakes and learning the truth about the life of an adult. Being the youngest child, my parents made a decision of what they wanted me to be, pushing me into marriage rather than pursuing education and a career. As it happened to me, it often happens with young adults; they follow their parents’ advice. In my case, it concluded in a divorce and the need for rehabilitation. Despite many challenges that I had to face due to this poor decision in my young adulthood, I managed to learn from this negative experience and rearrange my life. By comparing myself of today to myself as a young adult, I can see how much I have grown and accomplished. I do not let my past dictate my future; I do not live in the past, I live today.
References
TEDx Talks. (2018). Millennial leadership: Stop complaining, start coaching | Danita Bye | TEDxBismarck [Video]. YouTube. Web.
TED. (2013). Why 30 is not the new 20 | Meg Jay [Video]. YouTube. Web.