Meg Jay, PhD THE DEFINING DECADE—Why your twenties matter--and how to make the most of them now.
Our twenties only happens to us once, and what we do during that
time matters more than most of us thought. That is the premise of clinical
psychologist Dr. Meg Jay's book The Defining Decade , Why your twenties
matter--and how to make the most of them now. These years are much
more important than the current "hype" we hear in magazines, social
media, and in popular conversations.
Dr. Jay helps the reader understand these years are a
"defining decade" (pg. xv) and what we do with them determines our pathway
into later adulthood. Dr. Jay encourages those in their twenties to
use this time wisely and with purpose to
propel oneself into where and who we want to be. In each of her sections,
"Work," "Love," and "the Brain and the Body", the
reader learns more about why "thirty is not the new twenty" (pg.
xxvii). Using current research on the adult brain learning theories she
supports the thinking that during our twenties we have optimal opportunities to create the pathway to a purposeful and meaningful life.
Although I am well past this period in my own life I have adult
children in this stage of optimal personal and professional development. How to
share this information becomes a delicate dance. Pushing too hard into this
conversation they pull away and look to other resources to validate their
reasoning. Waiting for the right opportunity becomes the better solution. Dr. Jay refers to Carol Dweck's, growth mindset way of thinking. "For those
who have a growth mindset failures may sting but they are also are viewed as
opportunities for improvement and change" (pg. 158). Building your
"identify capital" at home and in the work force (pg. 3), by
developing new connections with "weak ties" (pg. 17) can make the
unthought known" (pg. 33) to build a "customize life" (pg. 54)
so your life actually is better than what you find on Facebook (pg. 41).
Here is a summary in Dr. Jay's own words on TedTalk: http://www.ted.com/talks/meg_
Here is a summary in Dr. Jay's own words on TedTalk: http://www.ted.com/talks/meg_
