Emerging Adults vs. Failure to Launch:
What these Terms Mean to Us
We at blueFire PulsaR prefer to refer to all our clients as Emerging Adults but understand that the majority of people easily recognize the common-place phrase “failure to launch.” As such we use the phrase and term on our website but the definition of the two speak for themselves:
Emerging adulthood is a time of exploration and self-discovery, while failure to launch is a period of stagnation and arrested development. Emerging adults are more likely to take risks, experiment with new things, and explore their identity, while those who fail to launch are more likely to stay in their comfort zone, avoid new experiences, and struggle to find their place in the world.
Some Young Adults Feel Stuck
Young adulthood is “supposed” to be a period of making new friends, exploring various job opportunities, and learning more about oneself and one’s role in society. For many teenagers and 20-somethings, this process is not as linear and their fear of the future may halt their progress towards these goals. They may be used to their comfort zone and are scared of entering the zone of proximal development, where they can learn new skills with the mentorship and assistance of others. Feelings of denial and hopelessness can lead to failure to launch during these transitional periods. Failure to launch programs give young adults the tools to launch into independence successfully.
What are the signs?
- Lack of motivation
- Lack of focus
- Poor performance
- Inability to meet deadlines
- Difficulty in completing tasks
- Avoidance of responsibility
- Disengagement from work or school
- Unwillingness to take on new challenges
- Negative attitude
- Apathy
Do you feel stuck and don't know what to do?
Give us a call to explore your options with blueFire PulsaR
How Does blueFire PulsaR Help
We provide support and encouragement to help our clients who are struggling with launching into adulthood. Being in a group setting with others going through similar challenges is helpful for creating lasting supportive relationships. This peer-based support gives our clients the freedom to explore the changes they want to turn into a reality, without the often negative influences or thoughts that they take on from others when they express a potential future track. In addition to this support, they also learn how to be in good relationships with not only their peers but also with their family. This includes everything from communicating effectively to having empathy and understanding those emotions and how to deal with them appropriately.
We utilize psychotherapy to help our clients learn how to cope with stress, to communicate effectively, make healthy choices, deal with disappointment, and to set realistic goals. Having these realistic goals helps support the emerging adults’ positive outlook on their future since they are not unreasonable or far-reaching goals that could cause the clients to feel stuck or stagnant. Communicating effectively, making healthy choices, and coping with stress all are very important factors to living a successful independent life where these adults really become their own person.