This month I’m excited to feature guest blogger, Jason Mollica. When Jason suggested writing a post from the viewpoint of someone who has successfully maneuvered through his quarterlife, I was all over it! I also love the fact that Jason is still exploring and still learning. I’ve always believed that a quarterlife quest is more of a state of mind than an “age thing” (read my thoughts here). Enjoy!
When I first stumbled upon Eran’s blog, I began to think about what my life was like at the quarterlife mark. It’s been some time since I was 25 (I’m 37) and things are very much different now.
In 1998, I was a year into a full-time television and radio career in Philadelphia, Pa. that I believed would eventually bring me a big anchoring job in New York City. The nights were long and full of friends/co-workers my age talking about life (we thought we had it all figured out). However, I also had enough of a carefree nature to date someone three states down from my native New Jersey (That wasn’t one of my smarter moves).
Everything I was doing was mostly focused on my career, with the personal stuff sprinkled in. And that’s where I was a bit skewed. You need to have a personal/professional balance. In my opinion, it helps for perspective. But back then I had no clue what I was doing… and that isn’t bad.
Is it the end of the world just because you don’t know what you are doing or where you really want to go at 25? No way. I’m actually in the same boat now (sort of) at 37. In 2005, I left television for the world of public relations. I wanted challenges at 25 and I want them now too. I wanted to control my own destiny the best I could, not others doing it for me. I still feel the same way.
Over the last few months, I’ve been thinking about branching out on my own. I want to start my own consulting firm that would enable me to focus on my personal life better (my wife and I have two children), while also having an eye on what brings me joy: working with people to help bring them success. I also want to speak to high school students about their futures, while still enjoying their lives.
One piece of advice that I always take with me is to be a dreamer. This world is built on them. Never stop dreaming! Write down three, four or five things you want to accomplish by the time you are 30 years old. I remember the story of actor Jim Carrey. He held a one million dollar check he wrote to himself in his wallet. It reminded him of where he wanted to get to after being broke.
It’s never too late to have a life and it’s never too late to change it. Just remember that as you consider where you are… whether it be your quarterlife or beyond.
Jason Mollica is a public relations professional in Amherst, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo. He also writes about life, career, and everything in between at his blog “One Guy’s Journey.” You can also follow him on Twitter, @JasMollica.