For anyone who has recently turned twenty, you understand the disappointment that comes with this birthday. While you, yourself, may be excited to celebrate the end of your teenage years and begin a new chapter that is your twenties, your peers will question your excitement because “twenty is the worst.” After hearing that you were turning twenty, most of the responses you got were probably a heavy sigh followed by some sort of lament for this mediocre birthday. Everyone assumes you should be disappointed because you haven’t quite made it to the coveted twenty-one. Contrary to what these people might think, there are a million reasons to celebrate turning twenty and no reason to believe that this year can’t be your best one yet.

Turning twenty is a reason to celebrate! Life is about celebrating small victories and making it through your teenage years is a definite victory. Twenty is the beginning of an entirely new chapter of your life and that should be exciting and terrifying and anything other than boring or disappointing. This next decade of your life will bring on new adventures, challenges, careers, and countless opportunities. Stop dwelling on the mediocrity surrounding the idea of twenty and start pursuing the dreams that you’ve had since you were little. Make connections, take chances, and push yourself so that your twentieth year is exciting and productive.

Finally, twenty won’t be mediocre if you refuse to let it be. Every day it is a conscious choice to make that day the best that you can within the circumstances you are given. So, in your twentieth year, challenge yourself to make every day better than the last. Challenge yourself to grow and mature, work each day to make today’s you better than yesterday’s you. Twenty is a year of progress and improving yourself. Work hard this year and better yourself so that next year you can celebrate with a drink and call twenty one of your best years.