This past week, I turned 22. Am I feeling 22? Not really, but I am the oldest in my friend group so they make sure I do. I’m just in the beginning of my 20s, but I want to reflect on some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way. For those just starting their 20s, in the middle of it, or nowhere near it, here’s 22 things I want you to know. Cheers to 22 and cheers to more years and lessons in the future!
- You’ll Find Your People
You’ll meet lots of people in your life, some will come and go and others will stay. The ones that stay stick around for a reason. Wherever you’re at in life, if you haven’t yet you’ll find the people who you can confide in, talk hours with, spend time together with, and realize you met for a reason.
- It’s Never Too Late To Start A New Habit
Whether it’s today, tomorrow, next week, it doesn’t matter. If you want to pick up a new skill, do it. You want to learn a new language? Do it. You want to start waking up early? Do it. I would always convince myself to not start anything new because it’s just easier that way. Creating a new habit can only happen when you choose to do it and stay consistent.
- Experiment With Everything
I spent a lot of time figuring out what I liked and didn’t like. Experiment with your style, your studying habits, cooking, joining a committee, interning, and more. Everything is an experience and now is the perfect time to try out different versions of yourself and see which is your favorite “you.”You
- Sometimes You Don’t Get Closure and That’s Okay
This was a hard pill for me to swallow. Like most people, I’ve had my fair share of friendship breakups and words left unspoken. I carried a lot of it with me for years and it wasn’t till I kept hearing it repeatedly that I realized you’re never going to get closure 90% of the time. Someone reminded me that I’m only hurting myself because the other person probably forgot about it years ago, so why am I the only one holding on. It’s true. As long as you make peace with yourself and the situation, you’ll be better off. Trust me.
- Say Yes More
You’ll be surprised what seems scary at first can turn out to be really fun. You’ll thank yourself later for agreeing. Of course, this doesn’t mean saying yes to everything. Don’t be afraid to push yourself a little, but still uphold your boundaries.
- Take Opportunities
Sometimes you’ll get a cool opportunity to do something. Take it! (if you can) When weighing out the pros and cons, just think when will you ever have this opportunity again?
- Experiences > Money
I remember I saw a TikTok saying something about how you can always get that $50 later down the line, but you’ll never have this experience again. I’m a firm believer in making a little splurge for an experience and during this time it’s crucial to take advantage of what you want to do. We’re young and we should be making memories with the people we love.
- Embarrassment Isn’t Real
It’s crazy to think how in my head I get about possible embarrassment. In reality, I’m not worried about what people around me are doing, so why would they care about me?
- Take Advantage of Help
The hard lesson I’ve had to learn is knowing it’s okay to ask for help. No one can do everything by themselves (no matter how hard they try). Especially in college, there’s so many resources offered and I wish I had taken more advantage of them!
- Live Your College Experience
I’m in my last semester of college (Crazy! Right?) For me, college felt like it flew by so fast. I’ve enjoyed my time, I’ve met some really cool people, and made tons of memories. Live your college experience to the fullest (however that looks for you!) Take it in. Before you know it, you’ll be on the verge of graduation like me.
- Sometimes You Can’t Do Everything
This is kind of similar to taking advantage of help. I learned no matter how many to-do lists or things I wanted to do, sometimes I can’t complete everything. That’s fine! Sometimes I can’t go to every little event I was invited to. That’s fine! Life’s all about balance and it’s up to you to figure out what’s your priority!
- Prioritize The People You Care About
Tell people you love them. Tell them you care about them. Ask to spend time together. Even just sending a quick text letting them know you’re thinking about them is such a small way of showing your appreciation. Things can get busy, but I always like to check in with my favorite people (family, college friends, old friends, long distance friends, etc) to let them know they’re important to me and part of my life.
- Don’t Be Scared To Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
It’s good to push yourself a little at a time. I’ve come a long way since my freshman year. If I didn’t push myself, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Things can be scary, but they can also surprise you for the better.
- Self Care Isn’t Selfish
Prioritizing yourself doesn’t have to be selfish. At the end of the day, you’re looking out for yourself too and it’s important to do check-ins with yourself to make sure you’re doing alright.
- Breaks Are Okay
Sometimes life can get busy and then every day just feels like a constant go, go, go. Take some breaks throughout your day whenever you can. Whether it’s a day off, an hour, or even 5 minutes, take some time to check in with yourself.
- Advocate for Yourself Because Who Else Will
No one’s going to speak up for you except you (especially if you never mention it). I have a hard time with this, but it’ll do you good advocating for yourself, your needs, and whatever you need to say.
- Try New Things
This is kind of similar to the experiment one. It’s good to try new things to figure out your likes and dislikes. Maybe you’ll find out you absolutely hate something, but what if you loved it? You’ll never know till you try.
- People Care About You
Surround yourself with good people. At the end of the day, you have people (whether that’s friends, family, etc) who care about you. End of story.
- Learn to Detach
I overthink a lot. Sometimes I’m even thinking about what other people could be thinking. I need to stop that. At the end of the day, their thoughts are theirs and mine are my own. I need to stop making assumptions and connecting the two.
- It’s Never That Deep
Back to my overthinking, most of the time it’s never that deep. Whatever I think they might be wondering or doing, it’s not worth losing sleep at night.
- Be A Little Spontaneous
I’m a virgo. I can be a little scheduled, but I met a friend who did everything spur of the moment. It terrified me. She ended up becoming one of my closest friends and because of her I learned being spontaneous can lead to a happy day and I would’ve been stuck sitting around at home if I didn’t go.
- Things Will Always Work Out One Way or Another
It’s hard to stay optimistic at times. Things happen. Trust that somewhere in the future, you’re good, you’re happy, and you’re thinking about how your past self had nothing to worry about.