Last week I turned 24. I didn’t make a big deal of it, because frankly, turning 24 isn’t that big of a deal. 21? That’s a big deal. 25? Also a big deal. 24? Not so much. But then someone reminded me that 24 is the beginning of a person’s mid-twenties, and therefore the end of the learning curve into adulthood that is the early twenties. Realizing this, I took some time to think about what I’ve learned over the past four years. Here they are, the 5 things I learned in my early 20s:
1. Your potential is not tied to your current situation.
For the majority of my early twenties I managed a restaurant. I hated it. And yet I worked there for four years. Why? Because it was a just a college job and I was young and still lacked the experience to do what I really wanted to. We’ve all been there, doing something we don’t like but not ever doing anything to change it. I learned two things through that experience. 1) A college job is still a job and four years is far too long to spend doing something you hate. 2) If you always let perceived inexperience be an excuse, you’ll never see your full potential; the only way to gain experience in something is by doing it. You control your circumstances, not the other way around.
2. Traveling is a necessity, not a luxury.
Growing up, my family never went on vacations. It was only in my early twenties that I started traveling more. In four years I went from being able to count the states I had been to on one hand, to needing to look at a map to remember them all. Travel is a necessity. It’s in our blood. The next time you feel complacent or restless – go somewhere. Don’t trick yourself into thinking you can’t afford to travel. You can. What you can’t afford to do is stay put when your soul is aching for adventure.
3. What you think you need and what you really need are rarely the same things.
When I was in my early twenties I thought that I needed possessions, security, and a five-year plan. I couldn’t have been more wrong. What I really needed was simplicity, purpose, and community. Needless to say I quickly let go of the former and embraced the latter when I became a Roadie for Invisible Children last year. During my time as a Roadie I learned three important things: 1) There’s something incredibly fulfilling knowing that everything you need can fit into a suitcase rather than a several thousand square foot home. 2) Being confident in why you’re doing what you’re doing is far more important than being confident in your comfort and safety. 3) Having goals and having plans are two entirely different things. Goals are convictions, and plans are actions. Your actions will always change whether you want them to or not, but if you stay grounded in your convictions you’ll get to where you want to go, just probably not the way you planned.
4. Monotony sucks.
If you reach a point where you can do something without thinking about it, it’s probably a good sign that you should think about why you’re doing it in the first place. It could be a job, a relationship, or anything in between. Monotony can kill your youthful spirit quicker than anything. Don’t let it. Prioritize your life with purpose rather than preservation.
5. The past is the past, so get past it.
It took me until the last year of my early twenties to realize this, but rather than regretting the time I wasted doing things I didn’t want to do, I’ve embraced the lessons I learned, and look forward to the opportunities ahead of me. Leave the past in the past and always make a conscious effort to live in the present.
Think people should hear about this?