Tips for Surviving Your Twenties

Your 20’s is supposed to be the time when you graduate your school, get introduced to the free wide world, get the freedom of doing what you want, the way you want, and when you want. The power struggle about making your own decisions is supposed to end, your parents can’t stop you anymore, well at least legally. You find love, start planning for vacations, go out drinking, have crazy experiences and so on. 

Sadly, a lot of you would have had a confused face halfway through reading this, not if you’re in your teenage if that is the case then stop worrying, I don’t want you to be depressed from now. Well, the reality is that the twenties are not all fun, to be honest, it’s riddled with hard work, coming of age battles and responsibilities. 

It’s always more difficult in the beginning. You have to get out of your comfort zone, start ‘acting’ like an adult, and when you see your first paycheck, all those arguments with your mum about not switching off your TV when you’re not watching start making more sense. 

As much as a cliche it might sound like, working hard in your twenties does mean lesser problems in the future and finding financial stability in the thirties when you can’t burn the midnight oil as consistently as you can now. If you aren’t born with a silver spoon in your mouth, the reality is that you have to work hard to make a mark in the world and live a wealthy life. Considering this, it makes the most sense to work your hardest when you are comparatively younger with lesser responsibilities. 

How do you survive your twenties? There isn’t a cheat code for this, but some things that might help are what we are going to be talking about today. These are things that I have learned from my experience and things that everyone experiences at some point.

Stop Thinking Too Much

Yes it’s hard, yes you have next to no free time, and yes you can’t see light at the end of the tunnel. When you are feeling low and want changes in your life, chances are you might research about, “what is the fastest way to earn money?”, believe me, we have all been there. 

The rabbit hole that we get into throws a lot of choices towards us and we are tempted to do a lot of stuff half-heartedly rather than doing one thing with all our heart. The trick is to not think too much in the future – have a plan, but don’t fixate on the deadlines too much. Allow yourself the time and freedom to test uncharted territories. When you stop thinking too much, you allow yourself to be more inviting of opportunities which would otherwise go past you.

Money is Temporary, Health is Permanent

It’s such a common thing to do. When you are busy,  you stop caring about working out or eating healthy. Yes, you are completely engaged in your busy twenties, but it honestly doesn’t take as much time to make small changes for better health. 

When you are young, your body has better metabolism and responds to actions faster. Simply put, it is way more difficult to attain a healthy body and brain when you go past your twenties. Not only does a bad lifestyle cause bad health, but it also makes you less productive. Your body without proper care and food is simply not sharp enough to yield the results you are expecting. You don’t need to be busy to be productive is what you need to learn.

Monthly Budget with a Twist, Set Goals Before the Month 

Don’t stop after creating a budget for the month. Start analysing your spending habits and categorise them with essential and luxury spendings. After this, you can set goals for the month to come. 

Having a budget does not mean you need to be a miser and give up on things that make you happy. A budget simply helps you be transparent with your spendings, it helps you be in control of your financial life. 

You Make Your Own Luck

Luck is unsurprisingly one of the most overused words since it is easier to blame your environment and other people rather than doing self-reflection and taking criticisms. If you look at most successful people, they’ll never claim that they knew they were going to be industry giants neither will they claim that there exists some well-kept secret that is only known to the people who succeed. 

Successful people do simple things consistently and are not afraid to change and adapt if things are not going according to plans. You need to be hungry to grab any and all opportunities that are thrown at you. You are not owed an opportunity by the world, but if you get one, make sure you make the most of it because you never know when you’ll catch the attention of someone important who was once where you are. You make your own luck. You’re going to go through hardships anyway, make sure you make the most out of it.

Final Thoughts

Your twenties can feel daunting because you are thrown into a whole new world with very limited knowledge and expected to make the most of it. What you have to remember is that taking one day at a time is the best way to go about things when everything seems out of control. Taking a breather every now and then is the best way to grasp new concepts without getting overwhelmed by everything.

While these are your crucial years, they are also the years when you have the chance to learn and grow. While you need to grow in your career, you also need to grow as a person. Don’t be afraid to take risks or just take some time out for yourself. 

Give priority to self-care. That is a concept that is widely under-estimated but holds a lot of power to keep you on your best. No matter how busy you are, take some time out for yourself and your loved ones.