I and most of the people around me are in the stage of our lives when we are technically considered adults but still may feel like directionless teenagers. It’s a weird and stressful bridge of development that is loaded with pressure to be wildly productive, make a financially-secure plan for the future, cultivate a satisfying and reliable social life, and stack up as many unique experiences before we presumably have to settle down for a more orderly way of life. It feels like there’s a lot to be done before we enter the ‘real world’ (?) and that if we are lazy now we’ll screw up our chances of succeeding later. While it is true that we should seize the moment and do our very best to reach our greatest potential, I think it’s important to reframe it in a way that is less stressful and more forgiving. 

Something I’ve been working on in order to simplify this act of ‘figuring it out’ is to keep track of my likes and dislikes. Fascinated by something? Lean into that. Dislike something? Weed it out if you can, or at least focus on it less. I started a rather embarrassing list on my notes app that I log my random preferences on. It looks something like this— LIKES: passionfruit drinks, lava lamps, 80s movies, stained glass windows, pop art, neon signs, swimming, redwood trees, etc. How will this help me move toward my goals? Well, I feel that if I remind myself of who I am through little tidbits it will be easier to recognize whether or not the choices I make feel good/right for me versus inauthentic/not great for me. 

It’s also been helpful for me to think back to what I really liked as a kid and which of those things still resonate. Creating parallels between my younger self and my current self allows me to have a better sense of my overall identity and pinpoint what I should continue to do to enjoy my life. For example, I’ve always liked pretty pictures and videos so recently I’ve tried to take more of those. Is this exactly what I want my future career to be? I don’t know, but at least practicing it now should give me a better shot at answering that question. The beauty of young adulthood is that we have the freedom to do most activities and projects just for fun. It’s a time to figure out what you like, what you’re good at, and what shall stay or go. Even if you try something that ends up failing or you end up hating it, at least now you’ve narrowed down your options, right? As a reminder to myself and my fellow untamed youth, don’t take yourself too seriously, stop feeling embarrassed, and have fun exploring your options.