They say your twenties are your selfish years; the years when you figure out who you are and what you want. That may be true to an extent, but perhaps more than that, your twenties are your learning years. It’s where you tackle so many important lessons, most of them probably learned the hard way. It seems like we all learn the same lessons, just in our own time and from our own unique experiences.
The important part is that we figure out these lessons while we’re busy figuring out ourselves:
1. Manage Your Finances
You know that piece of paper you get every month from your bank, or your credit card company? Actually, open the envelope and look at it before depositing it directly into the trash. Make note of where your money is going, then take a deep breath when you realize exactly how much of it is fueling your coffee habit and bar hopping adventures. Follow a budget, open a savings account, start building credit, and most importantly, stay educated. The more you pay attention to your finances now, the better off you’ll be
2. Cherish Your Friends
I don’t just mean the ones who go out and party with you every weekend, although these friends may also fall in that category. I mean the ones who open their doors at 1 a.m. when your heart has just been broken. The ones who are always up for a road trip or spontaneous adventure, but also brunch followed by a two hour nap. The ones who push you to do better and smash your goals while also working on their own. Your twenties tend to be the time when you find long-term friends. Choose them wisely and hang onto them tightly.
3. Be Kind to Your Skin
The way you treat your skin in your twenties will lay the foundation for the way it looks in your thirties, forties, and so on. Maybe the post-acne, pre-wrinkles look is working real well for you right now, but it’s truly a science to maintain. Treat it well. Drink your water, moisturize, wear sunscreen, and, wash your makeup off before bed. I’ll say it again in case you missed it the first time: WASH YOUR MAKEUP OFF BEFORE BED.
4. Dress for Success
Look the part to play the part.
5. Learn to Unplug: Social Media is NOT Everything
Never take anything you see on Facebook or Instagram too seriously. Nothing is always 100% accurate on social media. So before you go beating yourself up because you aren’t that perfect girl with the flawless selfies, put your phone down. Go for a drive, blast some Beyonce, and bring yourself back to reality. Remind yourself that we all have flaws and we all have a past, even the girl with the perfect selfies.
6. Be Open-Minded, But Know Your Limits
Always be open to new experiences, but know when enough is enough. Push yourself to do better but not at the expense of your health or well-being. It’s so important to know what you’re capable of accomplishing and whether or not it’s a good idea. Just because you can consume 37 jello shots doesn’t mean you should.
7. Learn from Your Mistakes
We all make mistakes. They are inevitable and probably the best learning tools. What is important is that you avoid the habit of repeating them. So maybe you consumed the 37 jello shots against your better judgement. Did you learn a lesson? Most likely. Should you make the same mistake again a few more times just to be sure you learned it? Probably not.
8. You Don’t Have to Have it All Figured Out
In your twenties, it seems like everyone around you is getting their life together while you’re stuck in a rut. They’re getting “grown up” jobs, maybe getting engaged, married, or even having babies. Meanwhile, you’re celebrating that you watched an entire season of New Girl in one day. You don’t have to have your whole life planned out. The job you’re working at but don’t especially enjoy isn’t necessarily the one you’ll retire from. The best way to ruin your twenties is by thinking you have to have everything figured out. Enjoy the unknown while you can.
9. Never Stop Learning
You don’t have to part with those old sweatpants or even the little miniskirt from high school that you swear you’ll wear again one of these days. But perhaps save them for a lazy Sunday or, you know, Halloween. Whether you’re going to a job interview, a date with the Prince Charming you met on Tinder, or a night out with the girls, dress for success. It’s like a secret confidence booster that you never knew existed until you tried it.
Be cultured. Be a nerd. Be educated. If something interests you, learn about it as much as your heart desires. Visit new places, go on an adventure with no set itinerary, and meet new people that you can learn from. Just because you graduate and leave school doesn’t mean you stop learning. Embrace any opportunity to take on a new subject or skill, and run with it. You have a great big world around you. Take advantage of that.
10. Don’t Lose Your Inner Child
Stay educated, aware, and most of all, young. Don’t waste your twenties worrying about the could haves and should haves. Sing Disney songs in the car with your best friends (don’t act like you don’t know any). Go on a blind date, even if there never ends up being a second one. Buy the shoes that you can’t necessarily afford, but absolutely have to have. Have fun and love your twenties. You have so much time to settle down and figure your life out. But for now, appreciate the stepping stone you’re on in life, and be in love with every minute of it.
