Stepping into my twenties, I really didn’t know what to expect. I had a plan and an idea of the life I wanted for myself. Over time, I’ve learned that anything can happen, and there’s so much life to live—apparently, more than I could envision for myself before entering my twenties.
This chapter of my life happens to be chapter 26!
I celebrated my golden birthday several months ago, and I told myself that this would be the year I get my life together. Although my journey has been quite interesting, I’ve grown in ways that I’d never imagine. Stepping into my twenties, I’ve experienced life, marriage, career changes, and more!
As I reflect on the great and not-so-great moments that I’ve encountered thus far, I appreciate the journey. Needless to say, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for those moments.
Here are 20 lessons I’ve learned in my twenties. I hope this post is helpful and helps you during your journey!
1. Life Is What You Make It
Whatever life that you want for yourself, it’s possible to create the life you want. In fact, with a positive mind and taking actionable steps in the right direction, you’d be surprised at all you accomplish.
When you start believing in yourself, you begin changing your life for the better by living more intentional.
2. Have A Forgiving Heart
Life is too short to keep a hold of the past. Forgive yourself, and most importantly, have a forgiving heart toward others as well. Holding on to the past can hurt, disappointment, and failures only take away from today’s peace.
3. Learning How To Say “No” Without An Explanation
I used to fear saying no to others, yet saying yes only left me feeling unhappy. As I grew older, I’ve learned to only commit to things that I genuinely wanted to do.
This will teach you how how to create a healthy relationship with yourself and others.
4. Celebrate Big & Small Wins
Taking a moment actually to enjoy your accomplishments and success is crucial. I mean, you worked extremely hard to get where you are; why not celebrate your achievements?
Each milestone is worth being celebrated, whether you consider it big or small. Nonetheless, your success is a great way to reflect and remind you of how far you’ve come!
RELATED: 16 WAYS TO CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS
5. PROTECT YOUR PEACE
When it comes to inner peace, it’s not always easy to manage if you’re unaware of your emotions. You should always be mindful of everything and everyone that you allow into your life. It’s okay to remove things and people from your space that aren’t positively contributing to your peace. Having peace of mind and calamity doesn’t dismiss your problems. However, it’ll help improve the quality of your life!
6. BOUNDARIES ARE IMPORTANT
Creating healthy boundaries for your spouse, family, friends, and your workplace is crucial. Setting boundaries doesn’t make you selfish. It simply teaches others how to treat you. You are in control of your own happiness, and every relationship that you encounter should have boundaries. However, it can be a bit uncomfortable at first, but the people in your life should respect your boundaries, even if they don’t quite understand.
7. THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF LOVE
Another valuable lesson that I’ve learned is that I’m more than all of the things I pour my energy into. Meaning, behind your marriage, job, and anything you invest your time in, you must remember never to lose sight of your most inner being!
8. TRAVEL AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
Growing up, I didn’t get the chance to explore and see new places. So, during my twenties, I made it a priority to travel. Traveling and taking a step back from your day-to-day life can help you experience more in life and truly allows you to be in the present. Traveling is an experience. You’ll learn about other cultures and create memories while traveling. Personally, traveling is like a mental reset, and I always feel inspired, hopeful, and extremely grateful for life when I travel. Even if it’s just going on a weekend getaway, there’s so much life to live outside of your comfort zone!
9. NO ONE HAS LIFE ALL FIGURED OUT
Before adulthood, I THOUGHT I had life all figured out. I just knew by a certain age; I would accomplish so many things. Boy, am I thankful that life didn’t go the way “high school me” planned for it to go. However, my life turned out so much better than I’d imagine. It’s easy to get discouraged when you see others flourish and feel as if you are behind in life. The truth is, no matter how put together someone’s life may look, we’re all getting through life the best way we know-how.
10. RELATIONSHIPS ARE WORK
All relationships require nurturing to grow and remain healthy. However, romantic relationships involve much more effort. The work doesn’t stop after dating, engagement, or marriage. In relationships, you learn so much about yourself and your partner. Not only do you go through life together, but you grow through life together as well. There will be challenges, but those moments are how you both grow collectively and individually.
11. CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS
Success doesn’t just happen overnight. There’s so much hard work that goes on behind the scenes. No matter how easy others may make it seem, it can take months or even years to see growth. So don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. If there’s something you’re trying to accomplish, keep going! Your hard work will pay off!
12. DON’T WORRY ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK ABOUT YOU
Even if you are a good person, people will form their own opinion of you. This is why you shouldn’t live life trying to please others. When you get caught up in how others perceive you, it really takes away from your own happiness. Instead of trying to change how others feel about you, embrace those who add a positive value to your life.
13. INVEST IN YOUR FUTURE
When you first enter your 20’s, it can be fun and exciting stepping into independence. During your twenties, you discover who you truly are and what exactly it is that you want in life. There’s truly no perfect way of getting through life. However, I do believe that your 20’s is a great time to start investing in some of the most important areas in your life that will impact your future. Some of the areas you could start investing in your future are:
- Investing in your mental health.
- Investing in your physical health.
- Investing in your finances.
- Investing in your spiritual life.
- Investing in your relationship.
14. NEVER STOP LEARNING
The benefits of expanding your knowledge are endless. I’ve learned that the more I know, the more I grow, and how confident I became in making bold decisions that eventually helped me out in the long run. Learning daily has given me a growth mindset and reminds me that I can improve my skills and open doors for more opportunities.
15. BE KIND
Kindness goes a long way, and you truly never know what someone may be going through. Therefore, you should always be kind to yourself and others despite how you’re feeling inside. Your kindness can easily brighten up someone’s day.
16. HOW YOU LOVE YOURSELF IS HOW YOU TEACH OTHERS TO LOVE YOU
We’re constantly growing and going through life, so practicing self-love should be a daily habit. When you love yourself, everything changes, and you become more capable of attracting like-minded people, loving others, and enjoying your life to the fullest.
17. VALUE YOUR TIME
Time happens to be something that you can’t get back. However, with a few adjustments, you can improve many areas of your life. While juggling my everyday life’s responsibilities, I used to feel so scattered-minded trying to get everything done at once. I know I wanted to change, but my priorities were all over the place. Once I began being more intentional with my time, I prioritized the important things, worked more efficiently, and live a fuller life!
18. GROWTH REQUIRES CHANGE
It’s true; change requires growth, and growth requires change. If there’s something you want for yourself, you may have to step out of your comfort zone. Growth isn’t always comfortable, and you must be willing to mentally and physically take the steps needed to see both growth and change.
19. CREATE ROUTINES
In addition to change and growth, creating routines has also made a drastic yet positive shift in my life. Whether it’s a morning routine for productivity or an evening routine for relaxation. Having a routine is extremely helpful and can create more balance in your everyday life.
20. START WHERE YOU ARE
Lastly, one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned during my twenties is to start! You know that thing or things that you’ve wanted to start or give a try? If you are looking for a sign to start, here’s your sign to just go for it!
Perhaps fear, self-doubt, or the feeling of not being well equipped to do whatever you’re trying to, has stopped you from taking the first step. Give yourself grace and take the first step towards your hopes and aspirations. Start exactly where you are with what you have, and you can make improvements along the way!
