The Defining Decade

A great college friend of mine from UNI sent me this book entitled, The Defining Decade by Meg Jay, PhD. "Why your twenties matter and how to make the most of them now." I'm not one for books like this because I find them boring. Who likes reading about the generalizations of your age group? Or being told what to do, instead of being entertained? Not me. However, I turned a new leaf and tried to be more open minded to try things I normally wouldn't. 

What I learned from The Defining Decade is that your 20's are about developing a plan for the future and taking steps to reach those goals. Many twenty-somethings feel that after college they have all the time in the world to do what they want with their lives and don't think about the consequences of not making decisions for the future. By not having some sort of plan in place and working towards it, the consequences are far greater than you may think. So, if you are planning on going back to school or being "successful" in whatever profession you desire, lay out the steps needed to achieve it. Its much easier to accomplish goals when it can be broken down, rather than being intimidated by the vastness of it.

Jay uses her sessions with people of all ages to illustrate situations in real life that people struggle with. Finding a job, dealing with a challenging work environment, choosing a career, figuring out if they are in the right relationship, deciding on when to have children, etc. 

Did you know that more than three-quarters of new jobs come from leads through contacts who are only seen occasionally? Jay describes the power of weak ties throughout our lives and careers. Very interesting to read about. 

One main concept that Jay continues to circle back to is time. It's probably one of the most precious things that we have and it's our job to make things happen. Before you know it ten years has gone by and you may ask yourself, "where did it go?" 

I know this is all easier said than done, but I think that this book could really help a struggling twenty-something figure things out and ask themselves these key questions. I think it's even a good read for any twenty-something because it's reassurance that you are on the right track and to keep making decisions that push you towards the life you want to live. 

If you get the chance to read The Defining Decade, let me know what you think because I enjoy hearing different perspectives on it. Happy reading!