What are the things to do in your 20s? If you’re in your 20s, I am sure that you’ll be quite clueless about the future given the pandemic situation. But elders say that when you’re in your 20s, you’ve doors to unlimited opportunities open for you.
It is not like what you can do now you can’t do later in life. One is never old enough to start afresh. But, the level of energy you’ll have in your 20s, you might not have later in your life. So, if you’re in your 20s, make a bucket list for ‘things to do in your 20s’ and keep crossing them out once done:
Find your passion.
They say that life is too short to live for fulfilling someone else’s dreams. Find your own dream, your passion. Something that ignites a fire within you and follows it. It is not necessary to make it as your career but it can be followed as a hobby too.
Don’t make finding love your priority.
It is okay to keep searching for love but do not make it a priority. True love exists but one shouldn’t get involved too much in finding it. Contrary to the belief, it happens when you least expect it.
Make your habits wisely.
When we talk of habits, did you know that we add one strand every day to the rope called Habit till it is strong enough to pull us up or take us down, depending upon the habit being good or bad? Habits don’t make or break in a day. Scientifically, it is proven that it takes at least 21 days to make or change a habit. So, be really wise with your habits as you’ll have to invest 21 days to change it.
Do not make stress your friend.
I understand that it is easier said than done. They say that stress is the demand made upon the adaptive capacities of our body and mind. But society often makes you prone to so much stress that you go into the ‘fight or flight reflex’. As a result, these days, stress is all levels. The home, office, and every other place. Stress is omnipresent and the changes of the fight and flight reflex stay on and on, for days, weeks, months, and years. Whatever the level of stress, it is our reaction to it that will determine the outcome.
Make positivity your friend.
It is up to us to keep ourselves in the best mood. There will be so many things happening at work or at home or at any social gathering that is bound to put you down. Make sure that you hold on to your negative emotions and see how you can make them positive. I understand that it is not possible to stay positive always. One can always try to take a negative situation and dispute it on the basis of facts and opinions. If it is merely based on opinion, it can change easily.
Don’t give up because of a rejection.
Do you know JK Rowling was rejected by 12 publishers before she could finally publish the Harry Potter series? It was this series that made her a millionaire. So, if and when you get rejected, don’t give up even if you get disheartened. Be patient as what’s your will find its way. Make your rejection a lesson from which you can ponder upon what you need to improve in your work and in your life. Take it as an opportunity to work harder. A rejection shouldn’t ever stop you from moving forward.
Switch careers.
This is only for those who can. If your family is dependent on you financially, then you can ignore this. For the ones who can do it, it’s better to experiment for a few years rather than being stuck in a depressing job for the rest of your life. When you’re young, you’ve all the time and energy to explore new fields. You can switch among fields until you finally find the one which excites you with the challenges.
Always keep the attitude of gratitude.
William James, the father of modern psychology felt that the greatest discovery of our times is that we can alter our lives by altering our attitude. Once you start being thankful for the things you have achieved so far, the things that you’ve grown up with, and the things that are a part of your day-to-day life, life will become a happier and fulfilling experience. Be grateful to God as you owe your existence to him. But, the first thing that you need to do is acknowledge the existence of God. Be grateful to your parents, for they provided you every sort of support. Be thankful to your friends in whatever efforts they put into your friendship.
When in doubt, learn to surrender to the universe.
In life, we have seen that as we become more and more confident in our abilities, we tend to try solving all our problems by ourselves. But then there are some problems in our lives that are beyond us. Unknowingly, in ignorance, we keep on trying, banging our heads to the wall. Nothing happens and we get very stressed out. We forget that there is a higher power outside there, who is our great friend. I agree, that there it is our duty to solve our problems, but if there is something beyond our control then we should leave it to the universe and turn to God for guidance.
Start accepting things as they are.
There will be moments in your life which will be very difficult to explain. The question ‘Why me?’ will loom very large on the horizon. No one can give you the answers to that question. Then the stress is automatic. Now the question is if we should let ourselves be stressed. No, definitely not! Under such circumstances, try learning to accept things as they’re and move on with life.
Work hard in whatever you do.
Now’s the best time to put in that extra effort. So, irrespective of whatever you choose as your career or your passion, work hard for it. Your hard work will not only bring you success but a sense of satisfaction for the rest of your life. It will help you develop the habit of never backing down until completing the task. All the hard work done in the initial phase of your life might benefit you in further phases. So, stop thinking and start working on your goals.
Be happy with what you have.
There are two things closest to the gospel truth. One, that it is our duty and right to be happy. Second, that happiness is not something that you get off the shelf in the supermarket. It is within you. And only you can choose when to be happy. No one except you can give you happiness. People spend their lives in finding happiness in things or people. But until you aren’t happy with you already have, any new thing can’t make you happy. Even if it does, it will be quite temporary.
Forgive people even if you can’t forget.
All of us tend to get very angry with the people who have harmed us. The wrong could be real or imaginary. We tend to harbor that anger within us. We even have the feeling of guilt for some activities that we have done in the past, something we don’t actually approve of. We keep beating ourselves for the whip of such guilts. When we harbor anger against others or ourselves, we end up becoming our own worst enemies. This is the reason why one has to learn to forgive, both others and ourselves.
Don’t run after perfection.
One aspect of our psyche is that everything should be perfect. From our parents to our friends, everything inside our world should be perfect. Running after perfection shows your lack of acceptance of the things. Once you start accepting things as they’re, you’ll start adoring the imperfections in your life. It is your expectations that make you run after perfections. Change them!
Start practicing kindness.
We have nominated ourselves as the critics of this world as we love to criticize all and sundry. We don’t even pardon ourselves. In fact, we are our worst critics. We tend to pulverize our self-esteem so badly, that we don’t even need any other person to do that. Stop this behavior. Try being kind to yourself and to others. Trust me, you’ll feel liberated.
Stop seeking approval.
If we go back to our childhood, every first step that you take, every new thing that you do, every new word that you utter and everything that you do for the first time is applauded. You are rewarded for those. Even when one goes to school or college, we are applauded for our academics or our work in extracurricular activities. This develops a habit of approval inside every human. It is only a few who are able to distinguish the reason for approval from the need for that. We forget that the ones who have been approving us are the ones who have cared for us or have seen our progress. You might not get that approval at your workplace or even in your social circle. It is okay! You don’t have to run after people for seeking approval. The only approval that should matter in your life is your own.
Travel to explore new places.
They say that every journey has something new to teach. The way a new place changes your mind, the way the new experiences shape your mind, nothing else can. So travel as much as you can and try going for solo trips as that brings a lot of perspective in you.
Do not waste your time.
If you manage your time well, then there is a lesser probability of you getting into trouble at work or at college. There is a Sufi saying which states that there is forgiveness for every sort of sin except the sin of killing the time.
Maintain your health.
As long as you’re fit, every problem in your life can be dealt with. If you start to maintain the habit of working out from your 20s, you’ll have a healthier life ahead. Make a workout schedule every day. You can start working out just for 15 minutes a day and as you go along, you can start increasing the time. A healthier body results in a healthier mind and vice versa. So, begin your day with a workout session. Also, try maintaining a balanced diet and keep the junk food for your cheat days (which needs to be just one day in a week).
Never play the blame game.
This is one of the aspects of our lives which we go ballistic about. Nothing in this life happens because of our mistake or our doing. If we have a poor self-image, we blame it on our parents or our teachers. If we don’t get what we want, we blame it on God. For once, we have to learn to take responsibility for ourselves and our actions. It will be better if you discontinue the blame game in your 20s, as it might go on with you blaming your partner and then your kids.
When we are in our 20s, we love to experiment with our looks, our clothes, and every materialistic thing around us. But it is our mental health that we ignore. Even though there are innumerable things to do in the 20s, but the most important one should start working on your mental health. You can check out fun things to do in a sleepover by clicking here.
