Before we get too deep into our conversations on the quarter-life crisis, let's set up a solid definition of what it is, and a reason why it's not such a bad thing.

A definition
There are some marketing-speak definitions of the quarter-life crisis that refer to age brackets, 'millennials', etc. Though I do think there are generational and demographic trends, let's go a bit deeper.

You know you're in your quarter-life crisis when:

1. You're in the early stage of your career, however you define that.
2. You've had a couple of jobs, but don't know what you want to be when you 'grow up.'
3. You know the next 'logical' step, but don't know if it's right for you.
4. Everyone around you is tired of hearing about your career woes.
5. This list is not exhaustive. If you have other interesting indicators, send us a tweet.

Why is it a good thing? You can still change.

Many people are discussing how the employment market has changed, and the "new employer-employee compact" is a very real reality. Career and life are both much more fluid now.

You might wish for the simpler bygone days, when your career path was laid out, you had a steady job, and there were no surprises. But, no! By dealing with these issues of direction now you can much more easily handle them than later in life, during a mid-life crisis.

The mid-life crisis is a crisis of reflection. But the quarter-life crisis is a crisis of anticipation.

[caption id="attachment_101" align="alignleft" width="300"] anticipation[/caption]

The difference here is pretty big. Individuals in their 40's and 50's look back at their lives and try to make sense of it all; they wonder why things turned out the way they did, and sometimes try to make radical changes relatively late in life.

In your 20's and 30's you're still at the beginning of a journey; looking forward you wonder where you want to go and where life will take you. You're presented with an unfathomable array of possibilities at a time when even subtle changes can ripple and have a big impact.

Disqovery is all about the quarter-life crisis. Understanding yourself, what motivates you, and what is important to you is key to getting through it, and Disqovery is here to help you do exactly that. Did you sign up yet?