NEXT for Women
Six Things 40-somethings Miss About Being Twenty-Something
Last week 40:20 Vision answered a question for Next for Women, an engaging community for young professional women, from a 20-sometthing who wanted to make sure she didn’t miss out on the important things in her twenties. The 40:20 Vision panel chimed in with what they missed.
Q. Sometimes, I can’t wait to be established in my life and career, but I don’t want towish away this time in my life. Is there anything you miss about being twenty-something?
A. 40-somethings miss:
- Friends, freedom and blissful ignorance.
- The energy to bounce back after long hours or short nights and never miss a wink.
- First times, last calls and having to wait for the call (instead 24/7 access)
- The freshness to never have to say, “We’ve tried that before”.
There is a tension between the serious and fun side of becoming an adult. Life does get more complex with increasing career and caregiver equity. But you don’t know that yet. You’re becoming responsible for yourself and that’s serious business. We realize later that while things can be serious, you don’t have to take yourself so seriously. Check out the full answer on what 40-somethings have to say about finding the fine balance between trying too hard and hardly trying on NEXT for Women:
“The reason to be in your twenties is to experiment, to have fun, to understand what you are, who you are. We know in our twenties that we’re going end up making mistakes, personally, romantically, sexually, everything. Professionally, it should be the same thing. Don’t forget it’s okay to make mistakes.”