However, I think one of the more un-settling aspects of being an early 'twenty-something' graduate is that life really does become a free-for-all. Unlike at school and university, where everyone is of a similar age and there are clear, time limited aims, post-graduation life has a lot less boundaries. Everyone works with people of varying ages and achievements are no longer broken down and marked by first, second and third year. After conforming to an institutionalised form of 'progression' for so long the absence of this framework can be slightly unnerving.
It can seem like your friends are racing ahead of you as they progress in their careers, get promoted, buy houses, become engaged and all of those other 'important' life events which start to unfold during your twenties. But, when you keep comparing yourself to others in this way it's easy to dislike yourself and resent your current situation, the Blink 182 lyrics: 'no one likes you when you're 23' ringing truer then ever. Yet it's important to remember that everyone has their own timeline, and that's okay. Not everyone's lives are marked by the same events, happening at the same time or in the same order. The lack of boundaries and time limits creates a renewed sense of freedom and so being a 'twenty something' is the prime time to do what you want to do, define what success means to you and make the most of not having a tonne of responsibility resting on your shoulders.
I think it's time to try and embrace the freedom I have as a twenty three year old and focus on my own timeline, rather than wasting time thinking that I'm falling behind everyone else.
Laura.
Song: One Foot by Walk the Moon
It can seem like your friends are racing ahead of you as they progress in their careers, get promoted, buy houses, become engaged and all of those other 'important' life events which start to unfold during your twenties. But, when you keep comparing yourself to others in this way it's easy to dislike yourself and resent your current situation, the Blink 182 lyrics: 'no one likes you when you're 23' ringing truer then ever. Yet it's important to remember that everyone has their own timeline, and that's okay. Not everyone's lives are marked by the same events, happening at the same time or in the same order. The lack of boundaries and time limits creates a renewed sense of freedom and so being a 'twenty something' is the prime time to do what you want to do, define what success means to you and make the most of not having a tonne of responsibility resting on your shoulders.
I think it's time to try and embrace the freedom I have as a twenty three year old and focus on my own timeline, rather than wasting time thinking that I'm falling behind everyone else.
Laura.
Song: One Foot by Walk the Moon
