:::Article written by Shirley Paul:::

What would you do if you achieved a desired life, yet on the inside felt incomplete? You’ve worked hard to maintain the balance of a dream career, relationship, and life. Suddenly, your career becomes unfulfilling and your goals stagnant. Where would you turn?

“At the age of 24, I felt like something was terribly wrong. I had a great job, boyfriend, and perfect grades. On the outside everything was perfect, but on the inside I felt unaccomplished, lost, stuck, and confused,” says Nailah Blades.

Embarking on a journey to find her purpose, Blades began to dig deep. She joined women’s groups and sought out mentors whom she hoped could guide her onto the right path.  She also researched informational resources to help her cope, which she found vital, but were scarce.

Blades was experiencing a “Quarter Life Crisis.”  This is a period of time in a woman’s or man’s life that usually occurs between their early twenties to thirties, and is sparked by major transitional periods in their life. For example, the passage from college into adulthood or starting a new career.

Going through this Quarter Life Crises was hard for Blades. She struggled to find her true inner happiness and purpose.

“I took the steps of figuring out who I was and what made me happy. I made it my personal duty to ensure that what I was doing in life fell in line with my own self satisfaction,” says Blades.

Like all struggles we endure in life, Blades’ Quarter Life Crisis finally came to an end. Little did she know something beautiful would emerge from her experience. With renewed self-confidence, Blades started to take heed to all the wonderful qualities she possessed.

“Growing up, I’ve always had a passion to help people and considered myself to be personable and relatable. I was always the person that people could confide in and vent to. I also realized how much I loved to put the pieces together and figure out how to get from Point A to Point B, to bridge the gaps. I loved interacting with people and I liked to connect people with what they needed most,” says Blades.

Reflecting back on her Quarter Life Crisis, Blades notes the lack of resources available to certain women.

“The information I found was geared more towards older women. After discussing [my Quarter Life Crisis] with younger women my age, I realized there was a void. I wanted to fill that void,” she says.

Combining the expertise of an old age issue with a new age approach, she decided to be the voice for younger women.  Blades became a certified Life Purpose Coach specializing in Quarter Life Crisis.

In January, 2010 she started her own business, Polka Dot Coaching–connecting the dots of your twenty- something life.  Blades turned her experience into a passion. With Polka Dot Coaching, she strives to be the motivational and professional resource younger women can turn to.

Tips from Polka Dot Coaching:

The biggest thing is to know who you are. These days we’re too caught up in doing what makes other people happy. Find your passion, and own it!

1. Identify the things that get you upset.
2. Identify what makes you want to jump out of bed each morning.
3. Be in tune with your values and your essence; make sure everything you want to do in life lines up with your values, so that there is nothing causing conflict in your life.
4. Once you figure out who you are, take the steps to figure out what you want and how it lines up with your career.
5. Plan out how you are going to go after it, and how you can manifest it into your life.
6. Figure out what works for you and how you can infuse your best into your life,  living a more passionate life little by little.
7. If you want to live out your dream in a particular field, do your research!
8. Eat, breathe, and love your passion. The best way to get into something is to immerse yourself in it.
9. If you have trouble getting to the first step (or beyond), get an accountability buddy that you can learn from, or get a life coach.
10. If you need to talk to someone to clear your mind, speak to a psychologist.
11. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Today, Blades sits as the sole proprietor of Polka Dot Coaching. She juggles her time between maintaining her social media outlets and conducting consultations. Yet, her hopes and dreams for Polka Dot Coaching don’t stop there.

“I would love to one day own an online magazine for the 20 something to 30 something year old woman.  I have a vision to be a big inspiration resource for people that are ready to live a vibrant life. I aspire to reach out to as many people as I can,” says Blades.