Congratulations, you recently or are about to graduate! You think you have reached the peak, but in reality you are only at the base of the tallest mountain of your life. What you have to realize is that you have made quite an achievement, but compared to what awaits you, it’s nothing. Your biggest challenges still lie ahead.
In this article I will talk about the challenges you will encounter in the coming years. I will also give you the keys to success.
What should be your main goal?
In the years after your graduation, you will undertake the most tumultuous period of your life. Your college education has prepared you for your career. However, you have received no training to address problems in other areas (see wheel of life below).
Your main goal should be to have balance and be successful in all spheres of your life, not just in your career.
You will also need to address the problems in all categories.
But don’t be discouraged because it’s a nice problem for which I will give you strategies.
What will be the next steps in your life?
Most of you are currently in the natural phase called “early adulthood”, which is between the ages of 20 and 35 years. In early adulthood, you will cross the five traditional bridges to adulthood, shown in the table below.
This hectic period is called “enterprise”. It takes a lot of enterprise from young adults to fulfill their many responsibilities in this phase. You become truly independent compared to the previous steps of your life, when you depended on your parents. This is a very big responsibility for which many are not well prepared.
| Early adulthood
(20 – 35) |
Midlife
(35 – 50) |
| Five traditional bridges to adulthood
1. Leaving school 2. Leaving home 3. Steady full-time work 4. Conjugal union 5. Parenting Many repeat this cycle following a relationship breakdown |
Career progression
Family occupations
|
| Creation of debt:
Acquisition of home, furniture’s, cars, student loan. |
Reduction or increase of the financial burden
Reflection on the meaning of life Midlife crisis |
To succeed in your life, you will need to do much more than simply go through these natural steps of evolution, as explained in the following sections.
What will be the major issues?
There are three major issues that you will need to take into account in this hectic time.
Issue # 1: Since almost 50 % of your time will be spent at work, it will be difficult to keep your life in balance.
Issue # 2: Up until 25 to 30 years, the path is very clear and you just need to follow the natural steps: we go to school, one year after another, we follow a well-established program, we cross the five bridges. In midlife, however, there is a period where the path is not so clear, especially when it comes to your personal life. This will become problematic for many people because there are no real markers, no program, and no curriculum.
It is during this period that major problems may occur:
- Separated family with huge negative impact on children.
- No direction in life! No purpose!
- Career stagnation.
- Financial struggles, excessive debt/ out-of-control expenses
Issue # 3: The 3rd main issue during the early adulthood phase begins after formal education. Most people don’t start their personal development which would give them the tools to meet the challenges generated by the two previous issues.
The task may seem daunting, and it is, but it is achievable. The following sections will provide solutions.
What are the challenges?
Previously, I mentioned that your main goal should be to have a balanced life and achieve overall success. To do this we must first understand what these challenges mean, so let’s define them:
Work-life balance is a concept that supports the efforts of employees to split their time and energy between work and other important aspects of their lives
About 50% of your time will be spent at work, therefore you can understand why this will be a major challenge.
The second challenge is achieving success, so let me offer you two simple definitions of success:
Being successful in one sphere of your life simply means that it gives you pleasure and happiness in the short term and benefits in the long term.
There are five levels of success, if you want to know more about them please read the following article:
Success is also the ability to solve problems. The bigger problems you will solve in your life, the more success you will have.
So what is the solution?
The solution to deal with these issues is to undertake personal development.
Why?
Because the first 2 types of education fail to address the problems of early adulthood and midlife in the other categories of the wheel of life.
What are the skills required to achieve success?
The skills that I propose will be useful both at work and in your personal life.
Here is the list:
- Leadership (Responsibility, Values, Vision, Mission, Goals)
- Emotional Management
- Decision-Making
- Communication (this will determine the quality of your relationships at work and in your personal life)
- Time Management
- Financial Management
This list may not be complete, but it is nevertheless a very solid base to improve your quality of life.
To get more information’s on those skills do the free assessment “Chart Your Life“:
http://pierredussaultcoaching.com/en/#take-your-first-step-toward-more-success
Conclusion
During the tumultuous period following your graduation and the beginning of your career, the personal development sphere is often one of the most neglected. It must become a priority as it is what will ensure success in other spheres, since it will enable the learning of the skills necessary to solve life’s problems. The application and mastery of these skills will help you achieve balance and success.
I wish you the best for the future!