6 Important Life Choices That Everyone Should Follow In Their 20s

By

When I turned 22, nothing felt different, which is how the story goes for most birthdays. When I turned 10, I was stoked on reaching double digits. When I turned 13, I was a “teenager,” which turned out to be only marginally cool. At age 18, the law considered me an “adult,” but I didn’t get the point of the title if I still had no idea how to drive, how to pay taxes or honestly…how to pay for anything. Then came 21. I felt a shift because I went from being straight-edge to drinking occasionally.
So, now I’m 22. Overall, it was a relaxing day with good people and good food. But now what? Every year, I wonder what the next year of my life will entail. As a 21-year-old, I learned a lot about myself and experienced things that have helped my evolution and development to becoming a quality human.
With that said, here are six important life choices I want to continue making:

1. Be brave.

I want to be OK with being outside of my comfort zone. That’s the zone where I can mentally and spiritually grow the most. To me, being comfortable 24/7 is a sign of no progress. I want progress. I want success. But life isn’t perfect. It’s the exact opposite. I’m at a point in my life where I’m OK with making mistakes. Mistakes are valuable lessons.

2. Follow through.

Doesn’t it suck when someone leaves you in the dark? High and dry? Unsatisfied? Disappointed? Let down? Follow. Through. If you tell someone you’re going to help them with something, do it. If you make plans with someone, stick to the plan. Of course, there are exceptions (life crises, illnesses, deaths, and other unavoidable issues). But I’m really trying my best to be a reliable person, especially when I expect others to act the same way.

3. Never stop being a student.

Last week, I graduated from the University of Southern California. It still hasn’t hit me that I’m no longer registered for classes, have no papers to write or lectures to sit through, and that my student discount card no longer works. But just because I’m finished with higher education doesn’t mean I have to stop learning. I’m looking forward to reading more books (that I choose, rather than professors), reading more articles, having new conversations, meeting new people and figuring out how to create new things.

4. Say what the heart wants aloud.

“The heart wants what it wants — or else it doesn’t care.” – Emily Dickinson

5. Preach.

To add to that, I think people should express, more often, what they want and what they love. Being quiet rarely gets anyone anywhere. Believe me. I’m more on the introverted side, but I’m finally realizing the importance of speaking up. Want that job promotion? Set up a meeting! Like a boy or a girl? Tell them! Want that last chocolate chip cookie? Ask if anyone wants to split it, then claim your half (or maybe you’ll luck out and get the whole thing). Speaking your mind and sharing your heart is a lot less stressful than the old “shoulda, coulda, woulda.”

6. Stop using “later” as a crutch
.

I am guilty of this. I’ll call later. I’ll email them later. I’ll apply later. I’ll clean later. No. Stop it. “Later” is just a crutch used to postpone important tasks. My gut tells me that procrastination is crippling. And yet, despite knowing this, we all for some reason still put things off. I want to attempt to wipe that out of my daily routine. Getting things done when I’m actually thinking about it will be way more productive and helpful in the long run. That pile of post-it notes and phone reminders are just a hassle — and one more thing to remember to read.