Quarter-Life-Crisis: Navigating by Your Inner Compass

“An alarming number of college graduates are feeling uncertain about their future,” said my colleague.

We were discussing our recent experience with coaching twenty-somethings. One of his former clients, now in their twenties, had recently written him, “I took this great job and I’m making good money….but I’m really unhappy. I don’t get it. Where did I go wrong?”

As we shared our stories, it appeared that we were glimpsing a larger trend. A little research confirmed my suspicions. Among the several reports I read, a Harvard Business Review story summed up how the world of work has changed dramatically over the past twenty years, particularly in its impact on young adults.

“There are nearly fifty million twentysomethings in the United States, most of whom are living with a staggering, unprecedented amount of uncertainty. Most have no idea where they will work or where they will live in five years. They don’t know if they are a day or a decade away from a promotion, or when they will be able to pay their bills.”

Meg Jay, HBR, August 2020, ‘Recent Grads are Drowning in Uncertainty”

Over the past year, I worked with several men and women ranging in age from 20–29, each of whom, in their own particular way, was stalled and adrift in their professional life…