..A response to the modern gap between adolescence and adulthood
More people between the ages of 18-30 are asking questions such as, “What should I do with my life?“ or “How do I know I’m on the right path?” Current society provides an abundance of opportunities; yet ironically all the options can produce anxiety, second-guessing, and insecurity about the future.
And there are not many tools to help with this problem.
Your twenties are fun and exciting, yet it can also be a time of frustration and ambiguity. Kind of an adult, but not really…trying to figure it out and make it work. You could even find yourself in the midst of The Twenties BeatDown™.
If you relate—you’re not alone.
The transition to adulthood has become more complicated for a growing number of young people. Coming of age in the 21st century is more complex and hazardous than it was just a few decades ago. [1]
Prepare a Future℠ is a program I began developing in 2005 to help young adults with these exact issues. This curriculum was formed out of scholarly theory and my experience with the hundreds of young adults I’ve coached or mentored over the last decade.
The primary objective for young adult development is individualization, which is the fancy social science term for someone figuring out who they are, what to do with their lives, and take productive action steps toward those aims.
Developmental individualization helps someone lay a foundation for their future, grow in character, and build critical identity capital necessary for success in a rapidly changing world–and perhaps more importantly, how to make a difference.[2]
Prepare a Future℠ is a developmental individualization coaching process to help someone identify where they want to go and those areas that might be holding them back.
There are three major components:
1) Intrapersonal (the individual)
2) Interpersonal (relationships and communication)
3) Social (roles and society)
Those I work with consistently report feeling more clarity about who they are, what’s important to them, and being more aligned with a sense of purpose. Years later, they regularly report more confidence in their decisions and often reference success in their careers and relationships.
Contact me for individual coaching Explore the vision for Prepare a Future℠
Comments from two individuals I mentored in their early twenties now both nearing 30.
Drew has been a mentor to me over the course of my career. As a mentor/coach, Drew worked with me to identify and define my values, and then helped me figure out how to make my career path align with those values, finding my “true north.” I would recommend Drew to anyone who is feeling “lost” in their job/career.
-Seth Berman, Associate Vice President at BB&T Capital Markets
Drew is great to talk to when in need of some advice and organization in life. I think back almost a decade ago to one of the most important conversations I had concerning all of my career options, including joining a family business. Without pushing me towards any of the individual scenarios, Drew asked the right questions so I could talk it through; I felt like I finally had the clarity I needed to make the right decision. The same questions and strategies we worked through are applicable to big decisions I make today.
-Kurt Schron, Manager of Web Analytics at Ally Financial Inc.
Contact me for individual coaching
A few more comments from clients
“You had a process to help me figure out my strengths and weaknesses and get comfortable with that sooner rather than later. You helped me realize who I was.”
“Working with Drew helped me to define my individual skill-set and focus my personal desires in the correct direction.”
“We focused on my personal vision and the goals that I wanted to achieve as well as overcoming my own (self-created) barriers to success. Through this process, I was able to quickly identify my fundamental strengths and weaknesses. From there, Drew helped provide real-world experience to help guide myself and others toward a vision by utilizing our strengths and improving our weaknesses.”
“Drew simply helped connect the dots in my life. No one had ever helped me identify what I was good at. I feel like I have clear direction, and I’ve never been so excited about my future.”
__________________________
Reference:
[1] Côté, J. E. (2000). Arrested adulthood: The changing nature of maturity and identity. New York: New York University Press.
[2] Côté, J. E. and Levine, C. (2002). Identity formation, agency, and culture: a social psychological synthesis. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.