As I get older there are little changes I notice every year. Some things are hard to accept and a bit of a bummer, while others come with maturity and are welcomed changes. Nobody can avoid getting older, but there are some things I have noticed that can help with the process. Now that I'm on the tail end of my mid 20s I'm trying to make as many changes now that will become healthy habits for when I'm older.
1. Eating whatever I want.
It's crazy how quickly this snuck up on me. There was a time that I could live off pizza and beer without gaining a pound. Now a days I have to monitor how many carbs I eat and hit the gym constantly just to maintain. I've been known to go overboard on diets, which I eventually get burned out on. I'm now looking for that perfect balance of eating healthy, yet still eating what I enjoy. I'm much more likely to order a salad for dinner now though.
2. Blaming other people for my shit.
When you're in school it's easy to make excuses for things that go wrong in your life. Maybe you think your professor has it out for you or maybe you think you don't have enough time to study and that's why your grades suffer. As I've gotten older I've found that I need to be the change and be proactive in my life. I did well in school, but for the times I didn't do well on a test or in a class I can now see, I probably could have worked just a little harder. I could have spent an extra hour or two studying or revised that paper a little more to get a better grade. When I look at things now I try to ask myself if I'm truly giving something 100% or if could I be working a little harder. I try to be as honest as I can with myself and really give things my all and don't blame my shortcomings on other people.
3. Making time for people who aren’t real friends.
I'm one of the last one of my close friends to graduate from college, which has also made me one of the last ones to get a real job. It's crazy how each of us all got so busy at once. None of us have the luxury of all being together on a Tuesday afternoon and not having to worry about waking up until noon the next day. We all still make time for each other though. We keep a group chat alive and still make sure to do things most weekends. We also schedule trips together and have a great time. That being said, I've also cut out some people who aren't real friends. My free time has become more valuable to me, so if I'm going to spend time with people it's going to be with people that I don't share a superficial relationship with. When I'm out with people now they are the people I want to be with and want to be with me.
4. Drinking cheap alcohol.
Now I'm not saying I drink top shelf, I'm still on a budget, but you can bet your ass I won't be drinking any ABC brand generic vodka off the bottom shelf, for $10 a handle. I will also turn down a free Natty Ice if offered. There are a couple reasons for this. The first one goes back to number one on this list. Now that I have to watch what I eat more carefully I hate to blow senseless calories on something that doesn't taste good. It is now about quality of beverage, rather than quantity. A second reason that I avoid cheap liquor now days is because hangovers are for real now. I always thought my older friends were full of it when we would drink the same amount and they would complain about being sick while I was fine, not the case. Investing in a slightly better brand of booze can greatly reduce hangovers. Trust me, it's worth the investment. Besides, life is too short for shitty beer.
5. Sweating the little things.
As I've gotten older I have gained more responsibility and obligations. Seeing those new things have put other things I used to worry about into perspective. I'm sure as I get older I will look at the responsibilities I have now and think it was dumb how much I worried about them. I'm doing the best I can to look at things and not let them get to me or lose sleep over them. As long as I stick to #2 and do everything in my power to be the best I can be then there is no reason to worry about the things I can't control. I'm doing my best to not take life too seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Life's short, enjoy it!
