Twentysomethings often feel a pressure to get life right immediately. I want to know what my career/vocation will be for the next 50 years. I'm impatient to attain mastery at my craft. And by the way, what is my life's craft? I don't even know yet. As a result, it can cause me to feel lost, behind, and anxious.
Not to fret though, frameworks to the rescue!
A life framework introduced to me by a mentor helped me with thinking through this clearly (originally called The Meadows). Here it is, simply:
my 20s are a time to explore & try new things, my 30s are a time to find my ‘one thing’, my 40s are a time to attain mastery at that one thing, my 50s are a time to pass it on to the next generation, my 60s are a time to think about legacy and ending well.
So... you mean as a twentysomething year old, I still have a whole decade to truly figuring out my path? Nice. You mean, I can choose to move to Belgium and become a dolphin trainer for a few years with minimal risk because the most impactful work only happens in my 40s? Okay may be that's a bit out there, but you get the point.
I know that not everyone is privileged with this much freedom of choice, financial stability is a real concern, and to make a life pivot work, it takes a lot of work. But overall, this was incredibly liberating for me to hear, and I find that zooming out helps me feel more settled with my current 'wayfinding'.