Review: The Definig Decade by Meg Jay, PhD

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So, if you guys can remember, way back when I said that I'd be reading ten books for October, it looks like I'll be a few shy of meeting my goal. One thing I tend to do is read a few books all at the same time and choose long, complicated story lines. For some, it may seem impossible, trying to keep all the plots straight, but it works for me!

I picked up this book because a few people close to me had a variety of responses to just the title, not even thinking about delving into the actual content to wait for judgement.

The title of the book says it all, the author really believes that your 20's are super important in shaping who you are as a person going forward. She uses research and studies to supplement her point, but also stories of actual people she has helped in her practice.

She divides the book into three important parts of life: Work, Life and Health. She then divides these sections even farther, and concentrates on issues that may seem nominal at the moment, but make a difference ten and twenty years down the road. For work, she talks about how 'weak ties' can actually land you the perfect job. In the life section, she discusses the importance of making sure you choose not only a great spouse, but also a great step family. And last but not least, in the health section, it's not only about keeping yourself healthy and developing those healthy habits early, but what happens when you leave having children til it's too late.

My favorite portion was when she talks about a girl who constantly feels stressed about work, and uses her family and friends almost as a crutch to get through her day. She is told to let go of that crutch and focus on learning to deal with these issues and feelings on her own. Now, she is able to create her own coping mechanisms, making her even more prepared for the outside world.

It was a quick read for me, and I would recommend it to anyone in their 20's who feels really lost. It was hard for me to relate to a lot of the examples because I have such hard and fast goals. She really focuses on those people who feel working at a coffee shop for the rest of their lives seems like an okay thing to do. She does a great job of giving names and definitions to some of those feelings we have and others tell us about, but seem so abstract.

Have any of you out there read this book and if you did, what did you think? Or what are your opinions if you have only heard of it?

I picked this book up of my own free will and these opinions are my own.