DEVELOPMENTAL CRISIS IN EARLY ADULTHOOD: A ...

and is no longer so concerned with money and status, as summed up in the following
quote:
“Before I wanted to be successful. That meant being rich and famous.
Now there's a more wholesome edge to my ambitions. Look at the evidence - I
work for a children's charity now and I earn half as much as I once did. I still want
to be a success, but how I measure that success will be different. I'd take the money
if it was offered, but I'm not prepared to sell my soul to get it. If it comes, it will
come as a consequence of my making a positive impact on the world...To bring
about change for the better in some capacity. And if I'm going to be famous, it'll be
for that reason too.” (p.21)
Lilly’s early aspiration was also to become a psychologist, before she ended up in PR.
After her crisis, she embarks on a new job for a medical regulatory body in their
sponsorship department and undertakes a degree in psychology, with the aspiration of
later working in psychology in some capacity:
“In my dream world I would like to do clinical psychology, because I have been
working in a clinical environment for 2 years and its what I wanted to do originally.
On the realistic side of things, I would have to be so broke if I had to go and be a PhD
student.” (p.11)
Before the crisis, Lilly’s aims “were kind of traditional, you know, do what you are
supposed to do, middle-class thing really”, and success was simply “earning more
money” and climbing a career ladder. She suggests that before the crisis she was
“much more materially-orientated”, aiming at “nice house, clever-sounding job, a
'catch' -type boyfriend, nice stereo, posh bars.” Now she is aiming at “work-life
balance, intellectual stimulation, love and laughter.” Like Victoria, Lilly stated that
she is less concerned about money since the crisis. She said that before, success was
gauged through money and power. But now success is about being happy and doing
what one wants:
“Now success is about being happy and doing what you want to do. Now it’s like
having a basic amount of money, being happy and everything else.” (p.15)
When Mark left his job during the crisis, he started as a freelancer in the same
consulting industry, but found this did not bring the satisfaction that he hoped for. He
then made a radical career break, and went to chef school, aiming to train in running a
restaurant. After finishing the chef school, he did more freelance work for a while
before deciding to do a Masters degree in organisational behaviour. After that, he
started a full-time PhD, and took on some teaching commitments, with the intention
of going into academia. He was still doing the PhD when I interviewed him, and he
said that he is now committed to an academic career. There was, he said, no chance
162