Figuring Out Your 20s: The Forbes 30 Under 30 List
Recognition will come in time, and I choose not to let accolades and man’s approval motivate or define me.
(Getty Images)
Forbes recently released their 30 Under 30 North America Class of 2024 list and it contains go-getters and innovators across 20 industries who will lead the way in the next generation, all under 30.
As a 20-something-year-old in the second year of my career, I paid more attention to the list than in previous years. I was thrilled to see someone who graduated from my college only a year before me on the media list and another who was part of my rotational program make it on the marketing & advertising list.
Reading with excitement, I still have mixed feelings.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about my career and wondering if I’m doing enough or where I need to be. I feel this immense pressure to figure it out and be the best. My greatest fear has always been being average. This was instilled in me by my Caribbean immigrant parents, who encouraged me to strive to be the best in my courses, attend a great university, and secure a great job. Although I’ve checked all of these accomplishments on my list, there is still this deep longing to understand what my career should look like and how I can prove to the world that I’m doing better than everyone else.
The 30 Under 30 list makes me wonder what makes a person’s story worthwhile and makes them an innovator or a trendsetter. There are so many people I know under 30 who I believe deserve to be on this list. Does not being on this list mean they’re not leading their generation? I love it when people use examples of individuals who didn’t change the trajectory of an industry until later in life. It’s always a great reminder that careers look different.
As in every article I’ve written for this column, I’m sharing how I’m dealing with these thoughts.
I’m stopping myself from comparison. I wrote about navigating comparison and how charting a path to achieve your goals and aspirations in your timeline and releasing unhealthy pressure is beneficial in the long run. I’m reminding myself it’s OK to look at people’s lives as inspiration but not the blueprint. My career will look different, and that’s a great relief.
I’m constantly learning, growing and achieving. I will continue dreaming big, working hard and being reminded that I will reap what I sow. Recognition will come in time, and I choose not to let accolades and man’s approval motivate or define me. It’s challenging, but I’m embracing all I’ve achieved to date and trusting the gifts and talents I’ve been given will take me further than I can imagine.
Tracy Noze is a Seattle-based journalist.
Edited by Nykeya Woods