5 things you need to learn in your 20’s

The 20s are the most crucial and thrilling time of life, where we break free from being a child and transform into an adult building the foundations for who we are going to become in the next decades of our lives. Every day would be a battle for you to be the better version of yourself. In your early twenties, you’ll be finishing up your college and somewhere in your mid-twenties, you may even face a quarter-life crisis. It’s really a roller-coaster ride throughout. You’d be making major life-changing decisions by yourself, stepping foot on the threshold of adulthood, and establishing your career. Once you enter your twenties, all you’d think about is having fun with your friends and not thinking about the future at all. As good as it sounds, it’s important to maintain and learn some profound truths during this strange time. You’d be running after money or spending it like water depending on your lifestyle but soon, you’d come to terms with your mortality and realize how short life and it would hit you like a much-needed wake-up call. It is basically your last best chance to experiment with your interests, explore potential career options, dabble in different industries, and broaden your horizons. To grow through your twenties with more wisdom and sagacity, there are a few things you must learn during this life-altering era of your life. Some of them are:

• Own your financial freedom!

As soon as you get out of school or college and step into the real world, you start realizing the value of money – nothing is cheap, and bills never stop coming. You start realizing that eating out every day is not a wise choice either. From buying groceries to doing your taxes, managing your finances becomes a huge part of your life. The sooner you’ll start saving and investing, the more financially secure you would be in long term. It’s crucial to have the financial stability to maintain the quality of your life. Start planning a strategic way of saving and spending what you have responsibly. Try looking at your needs rather than your wants. Just know that impulse shopping is your enemy and all you need to do is save, save, and save!

• Time waits for no one!

The 20s are the golden era of your entire life filled with time-limited opportunities where time management is a vital life skill that can save you from losing many great opportunities. You will be able to grab the opportunities only if you manage to put your skillsets in place on time. It is a basic life skill that you should master. The discipline to manage your time will keep you focused on long-term rewards rather than chasing short-term pleasures. One of the best ways to start working on this skill is by setting your priorities straight. You must not run out of breath to keep yourself on time. Once you determine your priorities, you’d find a lot of time at your disposal to manage work-life balance and even pursue your life goals.

• Step out of your comfort zone!

In your twenties, you are figuring things out, finding new opportunities and on your way to becoming independent. This won’t be possible if you’d be sitting on your comfortable little couch. Stepping out of your comfort zone might be scary, dreadful or might even lead to disappointments but it is also liberating, exciting and hopeful that builds up your confidence and trust. It is an incredible liberation when you can do anything you want. To step out of your comfort zone and achieve this liberation, you need to have your share of personal growth. This growth will change the trajectory of your life, the more you’d spend on personal development, the more you’d succeed.

• If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door!

In your 20’s you’d be confused and struggling to find what interests you. At this stage, you have immense scope for making mistakes, learning from them and standing right back up to start over. Finding your path may even mean disappointing people around you but in the end, nobody is going to live your life for you. Building your life goals strengthens the purpose of your life. Wondering who you’ll be in future allows you to establish what’s important to you and what you want to work towards. Sit down and contemplate what it is that you want because this is the point in your life where you have a chance to shape your future.

• Friendship is an investment!

Human beings are social animals, and it is only normal to have a social circle. By social circle we mean your network – your friends from school, college, university, work, and so on. It is said that you are a direct reflection of the people around you and successful people generally don’t exist in isolation, they connect and collaborate with people regularly. It is not even a question that everyone wants to be successful and to be one, make sure you are associated with like-minded and driven individuals. Be particular about the people you allow in your orbit. If you are not happy, learning, or growing in your circle, it might be time to move on. Friendship is an investment. Invest wisely.

In your 20s, life can feel like a skydive – terrifying, fast, and pee-your-pants exciting and it is important to learn moderation and sustainability. Excess of anything is bad; thus, whatever you do, find a way to balance it out. The practice of balancing your lifestyle can be tough but it will take you a long way to success. Also, it is important to find a sense of purpose in your twenties. As far as it goes, finding your purpose won’t be difficult as you are the one holding all the answers for yourself. You just need to uncover them. All you need to do is sit down and introspect yourself- ask yourself the hard questions of what excites you, and what you are passionate about. Instead of squandering your 20s, create opportunities for yourself, earn your wealth, learn new things, and invest in your mind and body. So, you’ll be able to reap the rewards for the rest of your life.