25 Valuable Things I Learned Before The Age Of 25

1. Quality always outweighs quantity. Friends, makeup, clothes, men…

2. Listen to your gut instinct. More often than not, it’s correct.

3. It isn’t worth it to beat yourself up over what you eat. Indulge in the cookie dough.

4. However, moderation and balance are key. Maybe don’t eat cookie dough every single day.

5. Freaking be yourself. And if you don’t know who that is, actively work on becoming that person.

6. Move. Out of your parents’ house, out of your hometown, out of state. Learning to live on your own is invaluable.

7. Make a large purchase by yourself. There are few feelings more satisfying than knowing that you worked your ass off to buy something and now it’s completely yours.

8. Create some type of savings plan and stick with it. As fun as it is to go out every weekend, it’s even more fun to not live paycheck-to-paycheck.

9. Make friends who are more than just drinking buddies and who are actually there for you beyond Friday and Saturday nights.

10. Find a hobby BESIDES drinking. (Your body and your wallet will thank you.)

11. If you aren’t happy at your current job, find a new one. You are way too young to be stuck in a job that you hate.

12. Live within your means. Life isn’t about “keeping up with the Joneses.”

13. Work on building your credit. You’ll thank yourself in a few years when you want to purchase a car or home.

14. Get to know your parents as “people” and form a friendship with them.

15. If you aren’t already friends with your siblings, work on building those relationships. They will be there for you when nobody else is.

16. Develop your own sense of style and wear whatever makes you feel absolutely incredible about yourself.

17. Travel. As much as you can, to as many places as you can.

18. Keep up with the news and form your own opinions about the issues that are going on in the world. It’s okay to have views that differ from those of your parents and grandparents.

19. Social media is just a highlight reel. Please don’t get too caught up in it.

20. Don’t spend so much time looking for “the one” that you lose sight of who you are. That person will come around when they’re supposed to.

21. Spend your money on experiences rather than things. You’ll always remember that incredible concert experience but one day you’ll have to throw away that pair of overpriced jeans.

22. Get outside of your comfort zone. Say hello to a stranger, travel alone, try a new hobby. Just do something out of the ordinary and see what happens.

23. Plan for the future, but don’t get so caught up in your plans that you forget to enjoy the moment.

24. Dream big and work towards those dreams daily.

25. Just be kind. To yourself and to others.