I remember as a kid, I would think ahead and envision what my future could possibly look like; at the oh so very mature age of 12 I would say to myself “I’m going to be married with a house and puppies, maybe a ranch, by the time I’m 26.”
Mmm pre-maturely ambitious planning, kid, ey?
Fast forward to 25, going on 26 years old, and that vision of how I pictured my life in my 20s couldn’t be farther from the truth. What took me not too long to realize was how big our world is; with far more opportunity and adventure than our childhood self could ever imagine. What took me not too long to realize was that our days to be really, truly selfish, ambitious, and rebellious were, to be frank, somewhat numbered. So, I stopped planning my life down to a T; stopped putting a timeline in place; stopped waiting for the world to align with my wishes and dreams.
Instead, I started chasing them.
Through that process, I’ve learned that I would rather do any of these 50 things than settle in my 20s:
1. Travel the world.
2. Get drunk and sing karaoke with my best friends.
3. Learn how to cook.
4. Publish my writing.
5. Get my masters degree.
6. Spend all weekend binge watching rom-coms, drinking wine, and eating Chinese food.
7. Appreciate relationships. Date and learn. Date my type, date the complete opposite of my type. The good guys, the bad guys, the book worms, the biologist, the athlete, the media sales guy, the dork.
8. Ask for a promotion.
9. Get another tattoo.
10. Volunteer.
11. Learn a new language.
12. Learn how to play a musical instrument.
13. Train for something; run a marathon, weight lifting, competitive anything and commit.
14. Go on a road trip across the country.
15. Practice yoga/meditation.
16. Read and study God’s word.
17. Learn to make the perfect cocktail.
18. Fall in love.
19. Go through heartbreak, survive heartbreak, and bounce back stronger.
20. Break down my walls. Stop being afraid. Voice my opinion. Communicate.
21. Treat myself to dinner and a movie, alone.
22. Accept my past and move forward.
23. Take care of my mind, body, spirit, and mental health.
24. Enjoy being on my own.
25. Push my limits; test myself. Experience anything and everything.
26. Spread positivity and gratitude like f*cking confetti.
27. Change someone’s life; make a difference.
28. Learn to be still; be patient; be content.
29. Learn to express and handle emotions.
30. Talk. With friends, family, significant other, a therapist. Feel the feels, don’t hold anything back.
31. Establish myself – personally and professionally.
32. Give second chances.
33. Forgive.
34. Become familiar with the perfect wine and food pairings.
35. Become financially stable.
36. Do things that terrify me.
37. Go out of my way to pay it forward; with friends, family, strangers.
38. Smile and make others smile.
39. Buy a stranger a drink.
40. Read a book, cover to cover.
41. Discover my signature drink.
42. Do things first; make the first move, say I like you first, love myself first.
43. Listen to my own advice.
44. Keep a journal.
45. Ask for help. Learn to not have to battle every obstacle on my own.
46. Be a kid again; be a grown up. Realize that I can be both and live a fulfilling life.
47. Remind the important people in my life how much I love and appreciate them.
48. Learn to love my own company.
49. Learn to embrace change.
50. Cherish the time I have to be really, truly selfish, ambitious, and rebellious.
Life will happen and life will go on, but always accept what is and move forward with what’s to come. This world is far too beautiful, with zero limitations. Don’t wait to start creating and living your best life.
Don’t settle. Start living. 
