11 Resources for the Quarter-Life Crisis
During my quarter-life crisis, I would repeatedly come back to the same questions and thoughts. Here are some books, videos, podcasts, and articles that helped me address those recurring thoughts and reduce anxiety about my life trajectory. This is by no means an exhaustive set of resources, but is a selection of the ones I found more helpful.
I should be happy with my life, but…
Deepak Malhotra’s talk puts it well about his own life. Sometimes about quitting, always about learning.
How do I create purpose?
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl tells us that life is an opportunity to create meaning out of creating things, helping others, or finding meaning in suffering.
How do I figure out what I’m passionate about?
Check out the TED talk Stop Searching For Your Passion. I’m a believer that passion doesn’t just hit you overnight. It takes months or years of focus on one thing to then one day wake up and realize that that thing is something you’re passionate about.
I’ve found my passion, but…
If you need a kick in the butt, and some inspiration, have a look at The Crossroads of Should and Must: Find and Follow Your Passion by Elle Luna.
I’ve stopped trying to find my passion, now what?
Explore your options with Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans.
What career should I pursue?
80,000 hours explains how you might think about your next job or career. Passions change over time, but skills last a lifetime.
How do I respond when people ask me ‘what do you do?’
How to know your life purpose in 5 minutes and fill in those blanks.
I regret ___
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse shows that all life is process and change. Wisdom cannot be taught, only experienced. Sometimes you need to experience regrettable things in order to learn from them.
Should I leave my job or relationship or ___?
Let the folks at Freakonomics radio tell you about the Upside of Quitting. Quitting frees up time for you to get on to the next big thing in your life. If you have the means to quit.
I need motivation
Top 20 Motivation Hacks. Also the rest of zenhabits is good stuff for personal growth.
I’m still stuck
Do Something. Anything. Bias toward action.
