Turning 20 is just around the corner for me, so I reflected on some important things that I’ve learned from age 0 to 19. As I leave my teen years, it’s nice to remember personal experiences and how they have shaped me. Here are 20 life lessons I learned firsthand before turning 20.
1. Own my mistakes and be comfortable with failure.
2. My past successes and failures don’t determine my future ones.
3. Say yes to last minute plans.
4. Say no to people when I need to put myself first.
5. Being more open and carefree instead of reserved is better for my mental health.
6. Make more plans with my family.
7. Be more driven to learn about my culture.
8. Reach out to friends I haven’t spoken to in years.
9. Do nice things for others, often and for no reason.
10. Don’t focus on other people’s progression and achievements.
11. Go at my own pace and be okay with how long it takes to learn and complete tasks.
12. Take breaks often instead of working through a task for hours.
13. Drink more water.
14. Eat lots of junk food before my metabolism slows down, but also work on an exercise and healthy eating regime while I’m young and it’s easier to start.
15. Understand other people’s struggles and lives no matter how different they are to my own.
16. Be productive in my free time, whether it’s to help others or myself.
17. Get involved in extracurriculars, projects, events, and volunteer work.
18. Experience the world – learn about and be involved in what’s happening in other countries in term of design, history, culture, and current events.
19. Focus on everything that’s good in my life.
20. Remember how far I’ve come and how much I’ve accomplished in 20 years.