Navigating The Twenties – A Q&A with Anastasia Lite
A couple of weeks ago, I entered my fourth decade of life. Turning 30 has been strange and it's the first time I’ve felt like a true adult (not to mention, a teen at Splashy Fen referred to me as ma'am...). As such, it is time for me to indulge myself and impart my wisdom and knowledge.
1. Don't be afraid to quit: Growing up, academic achievement came quite easily to me. I didn't have to try too hard to be a straight – A student (yes, this is an unabashed humblebrag). Failure, to me, was anything under 80% – that was until I got to UCT to do Actuarial Science. I remember being flabbergasted at getting 60% for my first Maths test. It seemed unfathomable. It was the first in a series of dismal (but passing) marks. I wasn't doing well, plus I hated every second of being in a lecture room and learning about annuities and stochastic processes. It just didn't excite me. Not one bit. So, I did something I had never done before in my life – I quit. Quitting Act Sci was one of the most difficult decisions of my life (especially because the bursary I was on was Act Sci-specific). For a long time, I felt like a failure. The 'hardest course in university' had beaten me. However, changing over to a course that I enjoyed more made a world of difference to my mental health (and my marks). It was a decision that was all-consuming and devastating at the time, but I realise now that it was the best decision for myself.
2. Failure isn't always a bad thing: This may seem like an oxymoron but hear me out! When I realised that the probability of me becoming an actuary was lower than the lecture attendance on a rainy Friday afternoon, I was faced with the daunting question: what do I want to do with the rest of my life? After 3 years of Act Sci, I now just had a year (well, 6 months given how early companies start recruiting) to decide on my next move. Without any restrictions and the world as my oyster, I really dug deep into what it is that I wanted to do and asked myself what it is that I really enjoyed. I spoke to different people; I attended different career information sessions, and I did an internship. So, how did I decide to go into Global Markets? An old mentor from high school invited me for a drink, told me about what he did, it sounded exciting... and the rest is history.
3. Find the right mentor: That sets me up perfectly for my next point – finding the right mentor. Finding the right mentor is like finding the right partner: you need to go through a few frogs before you find your prince charming. I have a mentor who advises me and challenges me on my career decisions. I also have another mentor who advises me on personal and relationship matters. Sometimes, you are lucky enough to find a mentor who encompasses all your needs, but that's a rare occurrence. A mentor is someone who is older, (hopefully) wiser, who guides you and who can sound-board you when you're about to make some big life decisions. So, how do you find the right mentor? Firstly, you and your mentor need to align on values – this is super important and something you only find out after a couple sessions. Secondly, your mentor should be aspirational to you. Thirdly, once you find the right mentor, you need to own and drive the relationship. They are doing you a favour so be sure to know what you want to get out of the relationship and show up to sessions prepared. This will make a world of difference and ensure that the mentorship is a mutually beneficial one.
4. Take care of your mental health: You ever have a period of time where it seems like you're the unluckiest person on Earth? Well, I did. From a house break in (take out insurance, don't make the same mistakes I did) to a childhood friend being murdered in cold blood, to some family drama I probably shouldn't expose to the world, and I started a new job. I tried to push through the weeks of turmoil, coupled with pushing myself at my new job and something inside me just broke. The saying 'you're ok, until you're not', is what comes to mind. One day I was waltzing along, ignoring my problems and suddenly, I had a breakdown. Getting help isn't a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength and something I wish I had done much, much earlier. Take care of your mental health. Meditate, do some yoga, speak to professionals and lean on the people around you.
5. Take time to do things you enjoy: When you're building your career, it is easy for it to become all-consuming. My first year of work, I was putting in 11 hours a day and then heading out for networking drinks 3 to 4 times a week. Needless to say, weekends were spent on the couch, ordering takeout because I had no energy to do anything else. Before I knew it, a couple years had passed, and I was caught in the same rut. It wasn't enjoyable. I felt sluggish and very little excited me anymore. Once I picked up a couple hobbies and found a bit more balance (I left work a bit earlier 2 times a week), things started to seem a little less bleak. Coming to realise that work isn't everything and it is important to cultivate outside interests may seem quite obvious, but when you're trapped in a cycle, it is very, very hard to break out of it. Don't make the mistakes I did – make sure you don't fall into the cycle at all by drawing your boundaries early on and making your intentions clear.
To end off, my last little bit of advice is to always put yourself first. What this means is look after yourself, look after your interests and treat yourself like a priority. Growing up as the eldest daughter, I was so used to putting others before me, often to my own detriment. Once I realised that I could only serve others when I am at the best version of myself, I started taking my health and happiness a lot more seriously and trust me – I haven't looked back!
Written by: Anastasia Lite
Edited by: Emma Reinecke
About the author Anastasia Lite : Anastasia is a (freshly minted) 30 year old who is currently a sub-Saharan African Sales Trader in Global Markets at a large South African bank. She recently completed her MBA at Said Business School in Oxford and also has degrees in Economics and Finance from UCT and UNISA. She is passionate about the inclusion of women in finance as well as the development of African Capital markets. In her down time, she enjoys eating good food and dancing (poorly).
Navigating the Twenties Ms Zinhle Novazi
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