Surviving Your Quarter Life Crisis: Step 6

Step #6: Get Inspired by What’s Around You

As we discussed in step 5, career changes are more often than not a gradual process—less a straight line and more like a slightly curved road with an occasional bump or two.

In light of that, it’s no surprise that even highly motivated people sometimes need a jolt of encouragement on days when job concerns seem overwhelming.

We touched on some tools to make decisions and gain clarity in step 3—but when you need to engage your brain and really dig into your next steps, try these avenues of inspiration.

Peruse TED Talks archives. The TEDtalks YouTube page posts a new video daily—and has hundreds of useful, fascinating clips in its archive—while the organization’s main website has thousands(!) of TED and TEDx talks spanning every topic imaginable. Either way, there’s likely been a speaker dealing with your exact same conundrum who may have a solution or interesting perspective.

Browse the wisdom published on LinkedIn Pulse. While most people see LinkedIn as a networking tool, there’s actually a lot of interesting career insights, advice and stories published on its Pulse platform. The best part is, once you find an author you like, you can follow him or her—and, of course, comment on their essays—and perhaps learn even more from those who’ve been in your shoes.

Find a few favorite inspirational websites. There’s no shortage of websites publishing articles relevant to those dealing with the ever-changing world of tech, careers and employment. FastCompany, LifeHacker, Mic and Vox (and its tech-geared site, The Verge) are particularly good resources for the kinds of pieces that help people think smarter—and differently—about their own experiences.

Hang out on social media. Sure, too much time on any platform is a recipe for brain rot (or burnout), but it’s amazing what kind of positive vibes and motivation you can pick up from a rad Instagram photo or funny Snapchat video.

Shake up your routine. What we talked about in step 3 holds true here, too: One of the best ways to get perspective on your own life is to change your environment. This doesn’t have to be an expensive vacation or weekend away, either. Doing something different can be as simple as taking a walk at lunch, or going to a new coffee shop or restaurant to hang out. The point is to find somewhere that’s new-to-you, which will spur your senses in different ways.

Of course, there’s no substitute to going offline and finding inspiration in real-life human interaction. No, really. In step #7, we’ll explain why this is as important as cultivating a rich online presence.

Now that you’ve figured out some ways to get inspired, what are the best next steps to take? How can you make this your best year yet? Follow us for quarter-life crisis survival tips and guidance, including step #7.