The Age Anxiety
Approaching the age of 29 can trigger a heightened awareness of numbers and a sense of unease about perceived adult expectations. This feeling isn't solely
personal; societal obsessions with timelines and well-meaning but often overwhelming advice from relatives can amplify this pressure. While there's a nostalgic comfort in reminiscing and enjoying the present, a curiosity about what lies ahead, particularly the supposed stability and wisdom of one's thirties, also emerges. This internal negotiation with age, ambition, and the myth of having life perfectly mapped out is a common experience, especially for those in industries that value youth and constant newness, creating a parallel to the pressure placed on individuals to remain relevant and current.
Redefining Milestones
Shweta Kapur, founder and creative director of 431-88, describes her late twenties as a phase of 'organised chaos,' filled with running shows and designing collections, often at the expense of sleep. She initially believed that by 30, everything should be figured out, but found the milestone to be liberating, dissolving much of the pressure. The shift wasn't drastic but involved working smarter rather than harder, exchanging all-nighters and poor coffee for efficiency and better brews. Kapur humorously recalls her younger self’s expectation of being retired by thirty, contrasting it with her current reality where this age feels like a new beginning rather than an endpoint. This perspective challenges the notion that ambition wanes with age, suggesting instead a transformation in how it's pursued.
Challenging Timelines
Celebrity stylist Isha Bhansali emphasizes the healthy aspect of having faith but cautions against turning that faith into rigid deadlines. With 19 years in a fast-paced industry, she observes that today's 'hustle culture' is intensely demanding, leading many to feel like they are perpetually falling behind. However, Bhansali points out that exhaustion often stems not from the work itself, but from the arbitrary timelines we impose on our self-worth. She reassures millennials that they are not finished but are merely hitting their stride. As a 29-year-old, Bhansali had expected to be married with children by thirty, but instead found herself leading teams and growing professionally. Her core message is to avoid self-recrimination if one's path deviates from societal norms, especially for women who often carry internal clocks for career, marriage, and family.
Artistic Evolution
Photographer and director Rid Burman expresses feeling more energized and curious in his later twenties than ever before, debunking the idea that ambition diminishes with age. His younger aspirations of 'having it all' were largely materialistic, but he admits the underlying desire was for artistic respect, aiming to be on par with his idols rather than just chasing commercial success. A significant life-altering pause, encompassing two years of sabbatical, travel, and introspection, proved more formative than any previous job. Burman's journey became less about a radical reinvention and more about rediscovering his authentic self. The transition into a new decade, like turning 29, can feel daunting, carrying a weight that self-help alone can't erase. It might not be about possessing all the answers, but rather about releasing the grip on those we thought were essential.
