From an early age, kids are raised watching television shows, movies, and the people around them. They start to form goals and shape themselves to fit within certain timelines.
Some goals, such as graduating in the top percentage of your high school class or finding the prom dress of your dreams, are healthy. Some goals are restricting.
People are so used to growing up, thinking that they need to graduate high school, find the perfect spouses and create pairs of kids by 25 years old, that they don’t think about what else they should be accomplishing. I don’t intend to demean people who get married young and don’t look back. I admire it. Of course, this way of thinking has improved since our parents’ generation and those before them, but everyone could benefit from stepping back and figuring out what more they can get from life.
I’ve decided to set my own goals that I would like to accomplish or, at least, reach for by the time I’m 20 years old.
Say yes to as many opportunities as possible.
As young adults, sometimes, we are unaware of the opportunities presented to us. We often get caught up in school and work and forget that we still have the rest of our lives to do everything else.
In the meantime, become a "yes man." Don’t look down on anything because you don’t think that it will help you or does not seem exciting enough. You never know what could stem from even the smallest opportunity to work or go somewhere with someone you never expected.
Learn something new.
Whether you are in college or not, take the time to learn something new as often as possible. Watch a documentary about life in another country, check out a book on Celtic philosophy, or learn a new language.
We’ve all realized by this point that knowledge is one of the easiest and cheapest resources to possess for this generation (if we are totally ignoring college). There are public libraries, online articles and studies, and even Netflix.
So, consider holding off on watching "Grey’s Anatomy" one night and watch something educational instead. You’ll find that it can be just as entertaining.
Find someone that makes you happy.
Finding someone that makes you happy doesn’t mean that you need to find someone to marry— just someone who will tag along on all of those opportunities that you’ve decided to say yes to, no matter how crazy they may sound.
We can do a lot with our lives, but, unless we have some type of companion to share it with, our souls will never be content. You’ve got your whole life to find the love of your life, so, until then, there is nothing wrong with dating around and getting to know as many people as possible. How do you know if he or she is the one if he or she is the only one you’ve ever met?
Do what makes you happy.
The ultimate goal in life should be to find happiness. Travel, read, create art, find love, try something new, try everything. The more you try, the closer you’ll be to finding what makes you truly happy.
If getting married right out of school and raising a family brings you happiness, then go for it. Just don’t forget that you probably still have a good 70 years ahead of you. Make them count.
