adulthood101 - Tumblr blog

[adulthood101]

The Stages of Adulthood No One Ever Tells You About

DISCOVERY: Entering the Adult World

The roaring 20’s as they call it, after how many years of school and studying its finally time to go out into the world. It’s an exciting time as it’s the first time to taste freedom, the first time to face responsibilities, the start of the rest of your life. However, it’s not all good and sweet because what faces a 20-year-old next is years of hard work, establishing yourself, and climbing to reach success.

What exactly is on the minds of these individuals, we interviewed 4 different people from different walks of life but are in the ages of 25 to 28. They may each seem different in their own ways and unique but surprisingly they’re all more similar than one might think.

At this stage they are starting graduate studies, join a company, or start their own company. This is the stage where they already join the workforce or do further studies to fulfill their intellectual needs. Despite doing different things they are all excited to learn, increase their knowledge, and experience something new. They have not been jaded by the cruelty and coldness of life and the crippling reality of working.

Budding adults try to stay as healthy as possible given their schedule at work. It can be said that health and nutrition is a priority. The 20’s are still the prime years of an individual and as such not everyone has had any debilitating sickness. However, to those who have been diagnosed with illness, they were able to adapt and adjust to their condition. These young adults are not fazed by biological hindrances, much like their attitude to challenges with their work.

In terms of contentment, these adults are still clamoring to achieve their dreams. As such, they are not content or satisfied with what they have now, they want to achieve more to go the distance and to reach the top. They may be happy with where they are now, but based on these interviews we’d say they’d be more than happy to go out of their comfort zones to reach their dreams and discover who they were destined to be.

STABILITY: Age 30 Transition

It’s a funny thing talking about 31-year-old things with a 31 year old while I’m just 23. It was weird as I found myself talking about things I couldn’t even imagine being in or doing in my life. I feel like I’m just starting out and getting a foothold in the world; actually, I still feel like a kid!

Still, here I was talking to my interviewees about their jobs. They were stable ones—they put food on the table, pay for what they need. The jobs are sufficient for their daily lives. Honestly, I can’t imagine how I’d get to that point in my life. Well it kind of scares me too though because I guess the idealistic notion of doing your dream job doesn’t always come true. Heck, the interviewees just said their jobs were “good enough” and I bet they are. I still want my dream job though.

It was interesting for me to see that each of them were also contented with generally everything in their life. They’d say that their level of fitness was good, and didn’t really worry about serious illnesses. Well, at least I have that in common with them! Well, maybe I’m even less concerned than them... Anyway, I was quite surprised to see that even in love, they weren’t really searching for something more. It’s a far cry from my crazy-in-love heart since I still keep trying to find the one.

I guess you could say that at this age, 31 year olds feel the good things in life, they feel that they are stable and can do whatever they set out to do. They are really in control of their lives. While they maybe content, they know they’re still young and have that forward-looking mindset that tells them there’s more to do and achieve with all the time they have. Wow, I can’t wait to be at this age. It’s scary and daunting having to establish your 23-year-old-self and work towards financial stability and independence.

It looks the main concern of these 31 year olds could be finances but really, they’re pretty much set—they’re sufficient. They also want to do more with their lives. All in all, you could say that 31-year-old things are like having everything in its place but still being young enough to move forward and do more.

CONTENTMENT: Entering Middle Adulthood

"He who is contented is rich." - Lao Tzu

Middle Adulthood is a time for taking stock and making decisions about the remaining years. Rich does not always have to mean an abundance of money and possessions. The word rich can be associated with finding happiness in one's family, work, and in general, life. Becoming happy requires a massive input of energy but, in the end, the outcome is actually fulfillment. However, due to the amount of time invested in balancing work as well as family life, not much time is left for managing one's self physically. There is little time for proper diet and exercise, and this makes middle adults more susceptible to diseases. 

While work becomes is a necessity at this stage, family remains the priority. Couples become accustomed to married life and are generally contented in their relationship. However, there can be ups and downs when one tries to sustain the financial and emotional needs of a family. Most of the time, the challenge to couples in middle adulthood is maintaining balance and stability within their families.

TRANSITION: Late Adulthood

At this stage, they have relatively stable careers and relationships and this enables them to shift their priorities towards their family. Apart from this, their efforts can also extend to those beyond the family system-- charity, community work, and the like. Usually, health concerns emerge at this age. Our participants are beginning to feel the effects of aging such as hypertension and diabetes. Fortunately, they are aware of their vulnerabilities so they take necessary precautions with regards to their health by engaging in physical activities and consuming healthy food.

Generally, our participants generally have stable long-term marriages. Having this relationship contributes much to their priorities at this stage in life. In particular, their focus on the family is especially the children. Overall, there is a sense of satisfaction with life having accomplished most of their goals however, given the capacity and capabilities, they still have the desire to accomplish more than they already have.

The truth about being an adult is that it's exactly as tragic or as wonderful as you let it be. And if you're ready to fight for the life you want, it is magnificent.