The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter--And How to Make the Most of Them Now

In this situation, making a choice—picking one item from the menu—far from representing some kind of defeat, becomes an affirmation. It’s a positive commitment to spend a given portion of time doing this instead of that—actually, instead of an infinite number of other “thats”—because this, you’ve decided, is what counts the most right now.

But since time is finite, the decision to refuse to settle—to spend a decade restlessly scouring online dating networks for the perfect person—is also a case of settling, because you’re opting to use up a decade of your limited time in a different sort of less-than-ideal situation. Moreover, Goodin observes, we tend to contrast a life of settling w

Bottom line: We’re going to ditch the unconscious expectations and patterns that make us weak. We’ll learn how to align our actions with a version of success that makes us truly strong. We’ll create greater alignment with what makes us stronger today instead of when — or if — we cross some fantasy rat-racer finish line. And as long as we don’t take