I currently, for about a month now, have been taking an online class at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. It’s an intro to graphic design course where I’ve been working on strengthening my Adobe Creative Suite skills. We have assignments due Thursday and Sunday nights; for my latest Thursday assignment, I was given the link to a lecture that I needed to watch and then post about. This lecture was given by a man named Aaron Draplin, a successful graphic designer who has designed work for businesses like Nike, Esquire and the Obama Administration. The lecture he gave revolved around 50 of his own points that he feels others should follow within their own lives. Some of these (no filter) points that resonated with me the most include: Enjoy the goddamn moment; love where you are from; know your fucking condiments; exhibit a little humility; make room for some magic; get it on vinyl; learn an instrument; know what really matters; savor the little stuff; go pantsless; know what you love; don't forget about the things that you hate; learn to roll with the good, bad, and ugly; and be thankful for everything.
We’re all very different individuals (if the current election tells you anything), so it’s a no-brainer that my exact idea of points to follow in life isn’t going to align up perfectly with someone else’s. However, I do feel like I know a thing or two about life. I still need to learn many, many things, but regardless, I’m still going to give the advice that I believe is true right now in this moment.
Here are my top 16 points I believe you should follow.
1. Don’t have regrets.
This is a point that I find myself struggling with all of the time, to be honest. I’ve looked back at certain moments or instances of time within my life and literally just shake my head thinking about how I wasn’t doing what I should’ve been doing- how I could’ve been so much better. It makes you wonder where your life would be right now. These kind of thoughts, however, are highly toxic and are a twisty, slippery slope. Don’t hold onto your regrets, because life is going to keep moving on without you and it’s your choice whether you want to move along with it.
2. Listen to good music.
I am obsessed with music. I honestly couldn’t live without it and I think it’s truthfully a mistake if anyone wants to. It’s even more of a mistake if you don’t explore all of the artists out there. Move beyond the radio. Also, go to concerts (I recommend First Ave). Music is so much more special live.
3. Make your health a priority.
Even if you’re a poor college kid, your health is still important. You only get one life- take care of yourself so you can ride it out as long as possible. I’m not saying you need to eat like a king, but make healthy eating meals a few times a week an actual thing you commit yourself to. I’m a not a very knowledgeable cook, but I do what I can. Also, don’t just sit on the couch all day. It’s so important to keep your body active, even if it’s just for 30 minutes or so- it’s better than nothing. At my current big girl job, I constantly try to take short walking breaks around the office when I can. I do my best not keep my butt glued to my chair all day. I even will ditch out on the bathroom on my level and take the stairs to the one on the first floor, little things like that can add up!
4. Give back to others/volunteer.
No matter how tragic you think your life is, someone has, and will definitely have it worse than you. I think it’s so important to give back to your community and actually care about the people in the world that are struggling. There're lots of opportunities to volunteer in the Twin Cities, or do what I’ve done and check out opportunities locally or virtually anywhere in the US on volunteermatch.org. This resource can also help students who are looking for internships, as I’ve seen many postings for volunteer interns that are needed.
5. Don’t be afraid of embarrassment.
I am genuinely a super klutzy person, despite the fact that I was a dancer. I’ve tripped over own feet, tripped walking up and down the stairs- you name it, I’ve probably tripped over it. I have legitimate scars from these experiences. But I have learned to embrace that part of me. I have no problem laughing at that part of me even if other people think it’s ridiculous or embarrassing. I can easily be caught talking to myself (thanks, mom, got that trait from you), but I don’t care. Having those conversations with myself helps me stay in tune. And besides, if you can’t entertain yourself on your own then what kind of a life do you really have? You can’t always rely on others to be there when you need someone to talk to.
6. Don’t apologize for being who you are & making decisions other people don’t like (if you’re happy with them).
It took me a really long time to learn this one. Just do it, it’ll set you free.
7. Ask for help if you need it.
Swallow that damn pride, you’ll thank yourself later. It's okay to ask for what you need and/or what you want.
8. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.
The dating scene these days is quite a mess. It’s hard to meet people once you get out of college, and then there’s the whole Tinder thing. You don’t have to fall in love if you don’t want to, but if you want to, I’d say it’s a good idea to wait to give your heart over until you actually legitimately find the right person. I’m not sure how you’re going to know if you’ve found the right person, as I think it’s different for everyone, but if you’re lonely and stumble into a relationship you might spend the entire relationship trying to convince yourself that it’s right when it really isn’t. And don’t be afraid to feel like you deserve more- you do. As the famous quote says, “We accept the love we think we deserve.” This is highly true.
9. Take chances.
Do you want to quit the job you hate for a dream internship? If it feels right, do it. There’s absolutely no guarantees in life, just the possibility that your decision could go either really well or really badly. But you’ll never know if you don’t try.
10. Learn from your mistakes.
Life can be rough, but it's important to learn from times like that. One of the reasons I say it's important to not have regrets is because instances that create regrets usually have a lesson to learn attached to them. There is always a lesson to take notes from at the end of a hard time, it's up to you if you actually want to learn it. And don't be afraid of failing- ever.
11. Have a pet.
I can’t recommend anything more than this. I’m a dog person, but truthfully any kind of pet automatically enriches your life so much. They love you unconditionally with all of their hearts- be sure to love them back.
12. Have meaningful conversations.
There are real issues going on in the world that need to be talked out. Sure, Snapchatting your night out and Instagramming your latest meal may seem important, as I've been guilty of both of these, but these actions really won't matter in the long run. I think it's so important to emerge yourself in the things that you don't have access to on a daily basis and try to understand how they might actually be affecting you.
13. Get a hobby.
Have other ways to enjoy yourself besides just going out and drinking. Read a book, play a sport, learn calligraphy, go rock climbing, learn the guitar- the options are endless, and most likely won't give you a killer hangover.
14. Stop comparing yourself to others.
This one also took me a really long time to learn. Just do it, it’ll set you free.
15. Accept your personality type & know yourself.
I am an ambivert, both independent and dependent. I like my alone time and I like my people time. When I've had too much time by myself, I enjoy being around others. When I've been overly busy with plans, then I need some time to recharge away from the world. Knowing this about myself has truly helped me, in the long run, to know what kind of a person I am, what my priorities are, and what I need in my life.
16. Put in the effort.
As you get older friendships are going to be harder to keep so put in the effort to try to nourish them. Some friendships aren’t going to last, while new ones will form. But don’t be afraid to send out that first text. Put in the effort to ask someone to get dinner with you every few weeks, and don’t be afraid of reaching out to new people or others you may have lost touch with that you were once close to.
Bonus: Be positive.
Or, at least, be an optimistic pessimist. You don’t have to believe that unicorns exist, but you could at least try to entertain the idea without rolling your eyes.
