Twenties crossroads: A tell-a-tale about time and choices

Welcome to the lives of Gen Z! Our lives are like daily soap opera on repeat. It has all things sugar and spice and not all things nice like drama, confusion, heartbreak, agony, self-loathing, and so much more. Amidst all of this, what takes the limelight is the inevitable battle of time and choices. Here I'd like to elaborate on a few lessons learnt as I navigated through life.

Jack of all trades, master of none

We have heard this term so often referring to situations where we have done almost everything under the stars and yet not being able to use our experiences to perfection. This usually gets us disappointed and we move away from our purpose to find something next – something that is shiny and looks promising — only for the story to repeat. Let's call this the Shiny Object Syndrome.

Shoumik Shahriar, General Manager of 10 Minute School, the largest EdTech in Bangladesh had a few points to add. "I was working on multiple projects and was struggling to finish them. Hence, was googling for a solution. Random internet search led me to this. I often resort to concepts and ideas to streamline my thoughts when I am in a dilemma as such."

Further simplifying the concept, Shahriar said, "Shiny Object Syndrome (SOS) is a continual state of distraction brought on by an ongoing belief that there is something new worth pursuing. If an example is to be taken into consideration, I have seen this tendency in myself and others to focus on projects that are "exciting" but not necessarily or significantly value-adding unless successfully completed. To be more precise, we sometimes focus a lot on product/campaign launches but don't keep the full focus on post-launch management. Once launched, people sometimes move on to the next exciting project rather than managing and closing the existing ones. This creates hindrance in optimizing output."

To Shahriar, as a solution, one needs to build an accountability system, develop a daily priority list, and follow it diligently rather than going after everything that comes into focus. Shahriar also pointed out that having a friend /colleague to check and balance at the end of the day was also necessary to minimise chaos.

The marriage trophy

'When will you get married' is a question that makes hearts flutter. It's a big decision and with so many uncertainties around us, does cloud our judgement. On one end, we are meant to hustle and grind to ensure we are making the most out of our lives. On the other, we are encouraged to settle and work on family life as if there's no alternative to this — we'd miss out on sanity, regularity, and normalcy if we did not follow the norm. It's an endless crossroads and hence the debate.

When asked about what she could advise her twenties self, Farida said the following: "Don't get married just for the sake of it. Don't get married early, especially not before you feel it's the right time. Instead try travelling and living your life on your 'own' terms. Load up on memories. It will shape you to become who you were meant to be. There is nothing wrong about wanting a partner or soulmate but building your life solely around that concept is wrong."

Simply said, today we have so many options like dating sites, single-mixers, and whatnot. Dating seems taxing and arranged marriage sounds boring. There's a flip side to each ideology. We must decide on which one to pursue based on life goals. And that is perhaps my lesson from the elders at the moment.

The myth of zero work-life balance

Is it even humanly, practically, and logically possible to be productive 24/7? Instagram reels and fitness enthusiasts can clap their hands and say yes! However, in reality, things are far different. Grass is not greener on the other side.

Munaem Mostofa, product manager at a fast-paced start-up called 'NEXT' agreed.

"Lately, I've been studying globally successful people and how they built their empires. Especially S&P500 ones. What struck me is that our 20s are super important, these years set the stage for the rest of our lives. Bottom line! I've set a personal goal for myself to work hard for about five years. I believe that if I put in the effort now, it will pay off big time down the road."

All in all, what can be said is that life was never meant to be easy. There are times when it feels like I'm missing out on most of the fun things in life but then again, I remind myself of my ultimate goal in life and how I would be able to enjoy everything at the right time.

To reflect better, these are the learnings I have gotten from my mentors for a better work-life balance in the future —

Spend more time doing and less time planning. Get things done.

Find a mentor who's been through it. They can help you avoid roadblocks with their experience.

Taking breaks are okay and even necessary. Give yourself some space to recharge. Go for that hangout, read that book, watch that movie. Life will wait for you – it wont run away. Don't be scared.

Keep on believing -- 'Que Sera, Sera, whatever will be, will be.'