Ten Tips for a Productive Professional Crisis

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The midlife crisis with it’s stereotypical embarrassing sports cars and much-younger women is a well-documented phenomenon. The quarter-life crisis may not be as well known or as severe, but it afflicts plenty of young people just the same. You’ve finished college, gotten a job and generally seem to be on the trajectory you thought you wanted to be on, and then it hits you: is this it? Is this really want I want to be doing? If this sounds familiar, new-agey wellness site intent.com has some surprisingly sensible tips from Kathy Caprino, author of that may help. Directed at women, the advice on making the most of a professional crisis nonetheless seems suitable for all:

Listen to your body - From minor aches and pains to major forms of disease or malaise, pay attention to what an ailment may be saying to you��not just about your body, but your mind and spirit, too. Heed your hunches - Your intuition, or inner voice, is an invaluable source of information. Start developing a keen awareness of the ��dialogue�� within you��even asking questions and waiting for the answers. Say ��no�� to an either-or life - Are you focusing on just one aspect of yourself? Don��t do it. Reconnect with a talent or dimension of yourself that you love, but has gone by the wayside. Speak up - Speaking the truth sounds simple, but it��s not. Throughout the day, at home or work, ask yourself, ��What do I want to say here?�� Then take a risk and put it out there. Embrace “good enough” - Many women strive, even slave, to be the best��driving themselves crazy in the process. If you��re one of them, practice accepting good enough. Figure out what you��re most afraid of - Get in the cage with your fears. One by one, take them on and face what you��re most afraid of. How is it driving you, limiting you, and wearing you out? Get real about money - Money can be the means to either limiting or expanding yourself. Take time to understand your own beliefs and history around money. (Are they healthy?) Stop making excuses - We��re all good at making excuses for not acting. Take a long, hard look at your own excuses. Be open to angels [not the celestial kind] - Odds are, there are a number of ��angels�� in your life��people who love and support you, believe in you, and will give you the gentle push you need to venture into the unknown. Be open to their help. Find a role model - You might already have a role model… If not, get serious about finding one. Look for someone who brings to light the qualities and successes you admire and aspire to.

Of course when dealing with a crisis those who have passed through a similar situation already can be valuable resources. I know many readers have been there: what advice do you give to friends who are freaking out with a quarter-life crisis?