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Life in Your 20s
Your twenties are one of the most pivotal decades of your entire life.
There’s no other time in your life where you’ll simultaneously learn what it means to be truly independent, while also realizing how much you actually need other people to lean on.
It’s during your twenties that you’ll also learn who you are and what you value most in yourself, while also being reminded of who you aren’t and what you will not compromise for others.
For this reason, your twenties will likely be the most rewarding, yet mentally arduous chapter of your life that will forever shape the person you ultimately become.
That being said, there are a few things you should know before you turn thirty.
20 Things You Should Know Before Turning 30
1. School cannot and will not teach you everything. While getting a degree is undoubtedly one of the best investments you can make in yourself, school cannot teach you everything you need to know about life. The best way for you to learn the most you can possibly can is to simply live your life and make the most of every experience.
2. Your character is the sum total of your habits. Your habits can either make or break you. Make sure you’re directing your energy towards positive, healthy habits.
3. Your opinion is what matters most. Do not seek validation from others for what you’re doing. Seeking their approval only diminishes the value of your efforts, and places greater emphasis on what they think, rather than what you think. Do what matters most to you.
4. You have to show people how you want to be treated. Showing little to no regard for your own well-being shows others that it’s ok for them to do the same. Humans are wired to reflect others’ emotions and behaviors simply by interacting with them. It’s up to you to show others how you want to be treated, and what level of respect you expect from them.
5. Living well is the best revenge. To live well means to live happily, which is the greatest, purest form of revenge that you could ever deliver to your past, present, and future perpetrators.
6. Humans are an inherently flawed species. Relinquish your need to be perfect, and stop expecting perfection from others. There is great freedom in that choice.
7. True happiness is an internal endeavor. Looking to external sources for happiness will only bring a fleeting sense of contentment and pleasure. No relationship, no job or career, and no amount of money will ever make you happy. True happiness can only be achieved from within.
8. Forgive, but don’t forget. While you should always strive to forgive others for your own self-healing, do not forget the hurt and pain of which others are capable of causing you. You must protect your heart and yourself.
9. Asking for help doesn’t equate with being weak. Asking for help doesn’t mean you’re weak; it means you’re strong enough to admit that you can’t do everything.
10. Time is your most precious commodity. Many people falsely assume that external rewards, such as money, are their most precious commodity. Of all the things that are the most precious, time is the one thing you’ll never get back. Money you can make again and again, but it’s time that can never be repeated.
11. You can’t be successful without having failed. Success and failure aren’t mutually exclusive events. To succeed you must fail. In the words of Winston Churchill, “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
12. The most important relationship in your life is the one you have with yourself. Of all the relationships you have throughout your life, the most important one is the one you have with yourself. You cannot truly appreciate or love others until you truly appreciate and love yourself.
13. Your body really is your temple. You only get one body. That body houses your spirit, your soul. Treat it with the respect it deserves, and take care of it.
14. The only relationships that will last are the ones that are firmly grounded in trust. Trust is the foundation of any quality, lasting relationship. Without trust, a relationship is meaningless.
15. Quality almost always matters more than quantity. Whether it’s how many friends you have, how many jobs you’ve had, how many projects you take on at work, or even how many times you can squat at the gym, quality always matters more than quantity.
16. The truth will set you free, but forgiveness will bring you peace. Holding onto anger and hate will only compromise your mental health in the long run. Show compassion to yourself by forgiving those who have wronged you.
17. Mistakes make you stronger, wiser, and more prepared for the next challenge. No mistake is ever wasted or meaningless if you choose to learn from it.
18. There is no substitute for hard work. Hard work is the single most important ingredient for success. Without it, you’ll never achieve what you are truly capable of.
19. Criticizing others hurts you more than them. Bringing down others to build yourself up may feel good at first, but ultimately it hurts you more in the long run. What goes around comes around.
20. You can be either your worst enemy, or your greatest advocate. Your self-talk can either positively or negatively affect you and your behaviors. It’s up to you to decide whether you’ll hold yourself back, or push yourself forward.
