7 20-Something Challenges That Can Be Made Simple

All of the answers aren’t in the same place. You will have to pull from experiences, friends, teachers, colleagues at work, and even strangers to have all of the answers, and even then they won’t be obvious or clear necessarily. But, you’ll at least have a better idea as time goes on. Here are a series of challenges twenty-something’s face in their time navigating life – that are logically simple – but forever complicated by anything, and basically everything.

1.) College. It’s the first choice – that leads to a series of choices once the first is made. College is actually a lot like those games on your smart phone that have the “in app purchases” tag in microscopic print beneath the “free” button. You think you’re doing something great when you download it – and you’re getting a great value, too! And then, you realize you have to buy those blasted coins to do anything, and everything beyond the first level. That being said, do your best to keep one decision in front of you, or on your plate at a time. College doesn’t have to be overwhelming, and it won’t break you, physically.

2.) Paying for college. I laugh when people stress about this, honestly. Listen, there are only two scenarios for obtaining higher education in this country – and neither are worth stressing yourself out over. You will pay for it, or someone else will pay for it. Maybe your parents will, or you’ll receive scholarships. But, if you’re 17, or 18 years old – and footing the bill yourself – you will not be paying for it in one lump sum – since you haven’t worked long enough, or been in the work force long enough for that matter to cover one semesters financial obligation of higher education – much less all 4 years. You can responsibly pay off your student loans after you graduate, and that will take us to number 3.

3.) Finding a job. Jobs exist. They’re real. No matter what the news says, or what statistics say about job trends. If working is what you desire – even in the most highly unemployed fields – you will find work. Maybe you’ll have to move somewhere you don’t absolutely love. Remember, if you do it’s only a stepping stone – and you can be on your merry little way, as soon as you find the next opportunity. But, don’t let your preconceived notions about what your career path will look like from when you were a freshman blind you to the realities that have made themselves clear in the 4 years you’ve spent at school.

4.) Making, and keeping friends. Friends will come, and they will go. People will come, and people will go. You’ll work with people, work for people, meet people, hate people, love people – and everything in-between. Understand that it’s a cycle, and a process. IF a friend is meant to be there, then they will be there – one way or another. If they are not, then they will fade, and eventually disappear.

5.) Dating. You will meet people. You will go on dates. You will attempt to “find love,” and probably fail miraculously at it. But, that doesn’t mean it needs to be complicated. Keep pushing forward, and use some of that pragmatism you’ve been practicing in this area of life as well.

6.) Equality. It would seem as though our generation, particularly twenty-something’s are absolutely consumed, and obsessed by the idea of equality. On paper, it’s simple – but obviously undoing 100+ years of bad stereotypes, and habits has its challenges. The point is if we’re going to tackle this bad boy, we better do it logically – and practically – instead of messily, and disorganized. After all, the idea is literally as simple as “all people being equal.” Period.

7.) Understanding others, and teaching the next generation. It really should be as simple as finding some moral unification – and teaching those actions. But, here I am writing about how nothing we set out to do is as simple as it may seem on the surface if we let it become complicated.