Assalamualaikum, hello 2026!
As I’m typing this at 12:15 am in the dark, with the dim balcony lights shining through the curtains and my two kids sleeping soundly, I stare at my screen, and an instant flashback takes me back almost two decades to when young Syaza Nazura started writing on a blog. It feels surreal that this blog, or at least multiple variations of it, has existed for that long.
Granted, I’ve been on and off writing and updating this blog over the years. I was not as consistent as I would’ve liked, and I had so many ideas and thoughts that died off in my head just because I was (1) worried about what others would think about what I write, and (2) pre-occupied with other stuff until the motivation or idea just fade away. And, yes, I am going to blame my undiagnosed ADHD for that.
I realized that in the past few months, or at least the past couple of years, that my motivation to actually do stuff related to my business or my writing (or anything in my life, essentially), fluctuates a lot. I’m not sure if it’s the hidden ADHD traits, or pregnancy and breastfeeding hormones, or just life taking over and overwhelming me. But whatever it is, that drive is somewhat on a high tonight, hence why you’re actually reading this randomly typed out blog post with no filter (or, at least, very minimal filter).
Farewell, my youth years.
Malaysia officially changed the age range for youth. So, while youth previously referred to anyone between the ages of 15-40, as of 1 January 2026, the upper age limit for youth is now 30 years old. And, unfortunately, as someone who is, *gulp*, over the age of 30, I am now officially not considered a youth.
While I always joked with colleagues and friends about me being forever young (cue: see me dressing up as a student half the time), I have never really thought about what it meant to actually grow up. Sure, as you bid farewell to your youth, you also bid farewell to discounted tickets, student fares, or opportunities marketed for youth or young leaders.
You have somehow crossed the invisible line in your life where the expectations are just different.
When you were younger, just finishing university and joining the real world as a young adult, life felt and looked different. You’re allowed to experiment, to try new things (and fail multiple times). To mess up here and there. And, yes, while you are still living up to society’s expectations, people also still give you grace. “Oh, he’s still learning, that’s OK.” or “Don’t worry, she’ll get there, let’s see how she learns from this mistake.”
As a youth, you are expected to be confused. Confused about life, about where you belong. About what you want to achieve in life. About who you are and where you want to go.
But when you crossed that invisible line?
People’s expectations changed. Hell, your own expectations of yourself changed.
You’re expected to already know things. People look at you and demand decisions, directions, stability. You want to hop on and off a job like you’re riding a bus? Sorry bud, you have bills and commitments to pay and can’t afford to be out of a job for long. You want to play around and see what sticks? Sorry kiddo, you’re a big kid now, you’ve got decisions to be made.
And, yes, while I know to a certain extent that this is not always true, and that people can still change careers and lifestyles and all that stuff. But God, the sudden amount of pressure when you realize that you’re no longer the youngster in the office and that you now have people looking up to you for guidance and support?
Like, what do you expect? I faked it ’til I made it, and now I have to teach another person how to do the same? Are you kidding me?
“Syaza, I’m surprised you’re still there and have not jumped yet.”
A couple of friends made a joke a few months ago about how I’ve been at my current job for a little over 2 years now. This is officially the longest I’ve been at a company, as my previous jobs were around 1 year, 2 years, and 8 months, respectively. So, the fact that I survived (okay, not just survived, but thrived, even, if I can say so myself) at the same place for longer than 2 years meant something. At least it does to me.
That’s when I realized how much I’ve changed since I crossed that invisible youth line.
Part of this change can be attributed to my motherhood, of course. With two kids, of course, my priority in life has changed. But the biggest change of all is perhaps the clarity I now have about what I do and what I want to do with my life.
My impulsivity has reduced dramatically, but for a good reason. Gone are the days when I get excited about trying out every single thing I find and focus my energy on intentional projects and/or ideas. I no longer spend time chasing everything; I choose opportunities aligned with my values and priorities. And I become more mindful about where my time and energy goes to, as I strive to be present where it matters most.
Life doesn’t get smaller; it becomes deeper and richer.
Yes, I still have big dreams I want to achieve. But I have also learnt to slow down a little in life, to take things one day at a time. To enjoy the simpler joys of life – a quiet morning with my kids, a nice lunch date with close friends, or even just a relaxing massage day all by myself.
And hitting certain life goals by a certain age limit? I try not to focus on that anymore. Growing older also means realizing that everyone is living life on their own timelines, and understanding that you cannot keep comparing your achievements and successes to others’. For me, this is perhaps the hardest thing to overcome. As a super-competitive youngster, I thrive on competition. Or perhaps it is deep-seated trauma coming from years of boarding schools and constantly being asked, “Why are you not first in the class/year? Why is XXX better/scored higher than you?”
But now, I’ve learnt to soften that voice in my head. Instead, I’m training it to say fewer, bigger, better. And, yes, this is coincidentally also our current motto at work – focusing on fewer initiatives, but translating them into bigger and better impacts. And this is perhaps my strategic thinking hat on, but as someone who believes in her work and how it translates to real life, I know this holds true, at least in my own life.
Goodbye, impulsive youth years. Hello, grounded adult years?
And this concludes a full hour of me rambling and ranting without an actual end in mind. So I guess that’s it for now – if you managed to read through this whole 1,200-word essay (yes, I wrote 1,200+ word in an hour, mixed in with a little Foodie Sizzle game sesh and nursing in between), hats off to you. I’d love to hear your thoughts (if you have any!), so please share them in the comments, send them over in a DM, or whatever!
Until the next post, whenever that is (please give me an idea that is insanely fun and weird that hits that sweet ADHD motivation spot with just the right amount of curiosity and joy) – stay awesome & take care!