A thought on careers and relationships

You’ve spent your 20s & 30s building a significant career.

And then you meet someone special.

Are you ready for it?

When you’re building a career in your 20s & 30s, your focus is singular.

You’re working hard and putting yourself first (because that’s all there is).

Then someone comes along.

Suddenly, you’re not just managing deadlines, team members and your next move.

You’re also managing dinner plans, life chats and shared dreams.

And this is fun!

Early-stage relationships can feel effortless.

You each give a little and don’t ask for a lot.

And yet, you’ve already made a commitment you haven’t been up front about (particularly to yourself).

It’s the significant investment you’ve made in your career.

I’m not just talking about the hours you’ve put in.

Or the potential upside you’ve been working so hard towards.

I’m also talking about your identity.

Before this special someone, a lot of who you are is defined by what you do.

This sense of self will be challenged as your relationship evolves.

And this is amazing for your personal growth, if you realise it at the time…

But here’s the reality most people don’t talk about (especially when they should):

Your career doesn’t slow down as your relationship speeds up.

The more your career advances, the more demand there’ll be for your time, energy and focus.

And guess what?

The same dynamic is playing out with your relationship too.

The worst thing is committing to someone and saying your career comes second, only to have a work opportunity come up later that you want to put first.

I just don’t want you to be naive.

It’s important for both people in a relationship to understand what they want for themselves and for each other.

And it’s really important to do this self-reflection and have these discussions as early and often as you can.

Just remember.

Your career doesn’t need to take a backseat to your relationship.

And your relationship shouldn’t fall apart because you didn’t realise until later how committed you were to your career.

You just need to keep focused on making conscious decisions that respect you both.

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Ben and Bec have taken me through the QLA Framework over the past 12 months. They have a unique understanding of what twenty-somethings are seeking - clarity, purpose and systems to achieve what they want in life (to name a few). It is with sobering gratitude that I can reflect on the past year and say wholeheartedly that I've managed to gain all of the above with QLA’s help.

The Quarter Life Framework is so simple, yet so powerful. I tend to overcomplicate things and burden myself with a lot of different problems to make sure everything is working. The Framework allowed me to simply get clear on what I actually wanted. A lot of the things that were stressing me and bothering me fell away when I realised they didn't really matter or they didn’t affect what I was aiming for. It allowed me to be more laser-focused on the actions that would help me get to where I want to.

Initially, my goals for the next few years were fuelled by fear of running out of time, but through regular discussions with QLA surrounding my life plan, goals, passions and ideal lifestyle, I was able to pursue the right projects with purpose and clarity. QLA took away a lot of the pressure and stress I was feeling, and helped me understand if my interests were just whims or if they were the right paths for me to take.

Quarter Life Academy not only enabled me to gain clarity in what I want for myself now and in the future, but also empowered me and grounded me with a confidence that I can achieve all I set out to do. Ben not only provides his insights and thought provoking questions, but he is supportive and encouraging the whole way through. The structure was comprehensive and thorough and I felt inspired to lead the career journey with Ben's caring and considered guidance. For anyone who wishes to elevate their lives beyond where they’re currently at, I recommend the Quarter Life Academy wholeheartedly.

Working with QLA has enlightened the extent to which fear dominates me. Once I understood this, I’ve more easily considered and grown excited by the prospect of success, rather than focussing on the potential failure which my mind had decided would most definitely eventuate.

By following the steps outlined in the Quarter Life Framework, and with Ben’s help to consistently challenge my own thinking, I was able to map out what I really wanted my professional life to look like in the foreseeable future. For anyone who wants to take their career and life to the next level, I highly recommend Quarter Life Academy!