By
Updated 6 years ago,August 8, 2019
Our twenties mark our entrance into adulthood.
They define a decade of unrelenting change, pain, and growth.
The lessons learned throughout such pivotal years can fundamentally alter our worldviews, dreams, and desires.
Brandon Woelfel
Slowly we unravel and rebuild, blooming into evolved versions of our past selves.
If only it were such a linear process.
You see, our twenties are a terribly messy time.
We find ourselves scrambling to situate in a world that all too often seems destined for destruction.
We struggle, but we persist.
As we end the chapter on our twenties, we can reflect on all that weve learned.
We can see how our failures fueled our journey and where our efforts were purposefully squandered.
Moving into our thirties, we appreciate this knowledge as a stepping stone to stability.
We know the paths that serve us and those that lead us astray.
We understand whats important and whats better left behind in our trial-and-error twenties.
Looking for the adult in the room.
When something unexpected happens, look to yourself for direction first, not others.
Believing people are as they appear on social media.
Our feeds are nothing more than creative highlight reels of our best selves.
Fighting for people who wont fight for themselves.
Its an excruciatingly painful waste of precious time.
Staying out all night.
This is particularly important to remember when you have young and relentless kids at home.
Sharing those side hustle skills for free.
Start charging for your time, resources, and talent.
Now you know better, so do better.
Saying yes when you should say no.
Consider this: Every time you go against your needs and wants, you betray yourself.
Is this any way to protect your most important relationship?
Surely you deserve better.
Thinking you need a romantic relationship.
If you find a partner who supports your personal growth, great, but dont expect it just yet.
Despite what Hollywood has made you believe, your twenties are about developing a strong bond with yourself.
Once you do this, you could have healthy relationships with others.
Oversharing on social media.
There is power in privacy.
Expecting to know your purpose.
There is no magic switch at thirty that tells you where you fit into lifes puzzle.
So stop stressing about your purpose and focus instead on your passions.
Its time to get organized for the sake of your success, sanity, and serenity.
Clutter clouds your energy.
It creates unnecessary frustrations when you cant find things.
It says you dont care about your space.
If youre struggling to keep everything orderly, put priority on your bedroom, kitchen, and working areas.
Avoiding the doctor or dentist.
Yeah, you and everyone else.
These arent supposed to be fun activities, and theyre also not supposed to be optional, either.
Practicing preventative health means saving money, stress, and potentially your life.
Talking about your big dream.
Throughout your 20s, you probably entertained and ditched a lot of different dreams.
Enough talking, more trying, failing, and trying again.
Go for it or leave it behind.
Staying in toxic relationships.
Whether its a parent or partner doesnt matter.
Decide what your boundaries are, and if they are not respected, make your move.
Pretending to like things you dont.
Dont worry, weve all been there.
Someone we like says theyre into this or that and suddenly so are we.
Sometimes we can keep up the charade and other times its obvious.
Either way, its wrong.
Its deceiving, obviously, but its also adding incorrect energy into the universe.
You cant find compatibility by creating it.
If you havent come across that chapter yet, sorry for the spoiler.
Seriously though, repressing emotions is like borrowing money from a line of credit.
Theres interest to pay when the time comes.
Any sense of entitlement.
Forget feeling like you deserve certain things to happen in your life.
All this does is lead to great expectations that can easily go unfulfilled.
The world doesnt owe you anything, no matter how badly you want or work for it.
Being too busy for self-care.
you should probably be your own best friend at any age.
Dont wait for others to tell you to slow down and rest so you feel you deserve it.
Rest isnt deserved; its needed.
If you dont rest, you cant be your best.
This has a ripple effect on everyone around you.
Theres nothing polite about negating someones nice words.
If someone pays you a compliment, just thank them and be done with it.
You dont gain anything by putting yourself down.
When you feel like a fraud, dont get discouraged.
Revel in the fact youve fooled others into believing something you dont yet feel.
Hang onto that feeling until it manifests into confidence.
