Why 30 is NOT the new 20

Our 20's are our defining decade. Let that sink in for a second. 

I was so excited when I came across this TED talk. Finally, someone who is not dismissing our 20's, but empowering us to take charge of these years. 

For a lot of reasons, our 20's are crucial: (according to Dr. Jay)

• Your 1st 10 years of work have a exponential impact on how much money you will make throughout your career
• More than half of Americans will be dating/married or living with their future partner by age 30 
• Your brain caps off its 2nd and last growth spurt during your 20s as it rewires for adulthood so whatever you want to change, now is the time to change it
• So, how can we avoid looking back when we are in our 30's and say "What was I doing, what was I doing?" 

1.) Forget about having an identity crisis, and get some identity capital: do something that adds value to who you are. Do something that will be an investment into who you will want to be next. Explore work and make it count. 

2.) The Urban Tribe is overrated: A bunch of best friends are great, but they can limit who you know, what you think and where you work. New people and new things come from 'weak ties' instead of your close circle. Weak ties are defined as friends of friends of friends. This is how you get unposted jobs or meeting new people. Expand your circle while still keeping your close friends close. 

3.) You CAN choose your family: The time to start picking your family is now. Yea, you may want to wait to 'settle down' but grabbing whoever you are living with or sleeping with with when everyone else is getting married isn't going to work. According to Dr. Jay, you need to be working on your marriage before you are married. Be as intentional about love as you are with work. Consciously choose who and what you want. It's not just about killing time with whoever is choosing you. 

Claim your twenties! 

Why 30 is not the new 20 TED Talk - click here to watch the whole talk