Coming of Age in a Paradigm Shift
to a Sustainable
Socio-Economic Environment
&
Charting a
Personalized Adult Pathway
to
The New Generation of Adulthood
The Emergent Paradigm Shift
A "paradigm" is a set of beliefs that define the parameters and operational framework for the prevailing social, political and economic order
of society in a sustainable environment. Belief systems are the foundation for a stable society. Paradigm shifts are disruptive and cause turmoil and conflict when existing beliefs are initially threatened and challenged by different ways of thinking and doing things in an emergent paradigm shift. The following list is an example of some of the prominent new beliefs in this emergent paradigm. These represent the parameters of a new age of adulthood for Gen Z
An information age dominated by social media
New age tech and A.I.
Challenges to mental and social wellness
Health is wealth
Domestic political and social instability
Demise of status quo community structures and institutions
The potential for chaos and conflict in an emergent new world order
Climate change and environmental sustainability
Degrowth
An Aging Western Society
The merging of the traditional three stages of life into Intergenerational Longevity & the “Hundred Year Life”.
LGBTQIA2S- lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer & questioning, intersex, asexual or agender & 2spirit.
A world without work, remote work & the “Gig” economy.
Affordability
The Career Perfection Trap
Mission
To develop a mentoring program for Gen Z youths in the secondary education streams to provide them with the personal skills, mental stability and emotional confidence to articulate who they are, with what they want to do in life and engage in the requisite personalized first attempts in learning (‘F.A.I.L.s’) that will enable them to ignite their passion and chart a personalized pathway into the new generation of adulthood.
.
The Mentoring Program
A Gen Z Personalized Adult Pathway
Coming of age by Gen Z in the new generation of adulthood in an era of longevity isn’t about talking at youths and telling them the direction they should take in embarking on an adult career. Coming of age for Gen Zs is taking place in a paradigm shift. Gen Zs require mentoring that focuses on how to empower them to embrace and engage in a series of "first attempts in learning" (F.A.I.L.s) that will enable them to articulate who they are and how they want to ignite their passion to thrive and live their adult personal lives to the fullest.
John G. Kelly
Your Mentor
What does F.A.I.L. Mean?
First Attempts In Learning
"You can’t let your failures define you”, Barack Obama famously said in his 2009 address to America’s school children, “you have to let your failures teach you”
You must fail before you can succeed!
Embrace the “F” Word and Succeed
“We’re taught to avoid failing and its siblings: falling, faltering, flailing, foundering, fumbling. (I call these life’s beautiful F-words). But we’d all have an easier time if we accepted that these seemingly disastrous experiences are not only a normal part of life but are actually our greatest teachers in disguise. The right mentors encourage it even. Take this from Game of Thrones:
JON SNOW: “I failed”.
SER DAVOS: “Good. Now go fail again.”
Julie Lythcott-Hams, Your Turn How to Be an Adult. New York. Henry Holt and Company. (2021). At p.36
Gen Z
Clarion Call
"This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope? How dare you! You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I’m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction. And all you can talk about is money and fairytales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!"[27] "You are failing us." Thunberg stated. "But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you.[28]
- Greta Thunberg, United Nations Climate Action Summit 2019
John G.Kelly
&
Gen Z
Personalized Adult Pathway
"P.A.P."
Mentoring & Counselling Program
The ( F.A.I.L.) Process
- Let go of all the noise you’re getting from well-intentioned counsellors, family, friends and adults with successful professional and personal lives; all those smart people “in the know” about where the smart career opportunities and good jobs are.
- Engage with a mentor with demonstrable expertise in the F.A.I.L process to become conversant with utilizing it as the starting point in personalizing a pathway and how to synthesize it in concise statements.
- Identify the first attempts in leaning (F.A.I.L.s) you’ve experienced in your life to date. Reflect on what you’ve learned about what you like and don’t like, what you’re good at and not good at.
- If you’re curious about something that you think might make for a good fit in your life than expand your (F.A.I.L.s ) to include it in your list.
- Synthesize your (F.A.I.L.s) into a concise 100-word personal statement that articulates who you are.
- P.A.S.S : Passion, Attributes, Skills, Soar
- Engage with your mentor and learn how to differentiate passion from interest and desire.
- Use your personal statement as the foundation for “igniting your passion” about life and the personal pathway you want to embark on as your entry point into the new adult age.
- Articulate your passion in a concise 100 word statement and engage with your mentor on how to personalize it in a manner that's makes a meaningful statement
- Engage with your mentor and learn how to identify attributes.
- Link your passion with your personal attributes. What kind of a person are you (introvert/extrovert). What are your mental and emotional strengths and weaknesses?
- Engage with your mentor and learn how to link your attributes with your passion and add value to your personal statement.
- Engage with your mentor and learn how to identify skills in a personal and career context.
- What skills do you have and how do you compensate for your weaknesses? How do you confront and deal with problems and how do you get things done?
- Engage with your mentor and learn how to add develop a comprehensive personal statement that links your passion with your attributes and skills.
- Chart your personalized pathway and education route that will enable you to start soaring to your emergent adult life.
