10 Ways To Navigate Your Twenties

Welcome to your twenties, a period in your life that’s full of uncertainties and little to no guidance at all. Unless you’re lucky to have someone to teach you the ropes, I’m assuming that you’re like most of us. Just absolutely lost. But don’t worry. You’ll survive. Sooner or later, you’ll learn how to swing by. But just in case, here’s a list of ten things to help you navigate through this uncomfortably dim stage.

1. You don’t have to know what you’re doing

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Calm down. It might be unsettling to see people zipping through their life seemingly knowing what their purpose is but trust me, most, if not all of them, are just as lost as you. The trick to it is that they’re discovering and you might as well do the same. Experiment with hobbies and explore your interests. It will give you something better to do than panicking.

2. It’s okay to make mistakes

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This ties in with the first point. In case you’ve forgotten, let me remind you that you’re still young. You have time. There are people out there in their forties and fifties changing their jobs because they discovered something they like doing. Your twenties have fewer responsibilities so you have nothing much to lose. It’s better to make these mistakes now rather than later and wishing that you had more time to build upon these blunders.

3. Have a release

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It’s a good idea to have some form of release for all your stress and anxiety. It could be painting, playing video games, or exercising. Anything that helps to get some pressure off your mind. Having someone to talk to is a big bonus. But if you don’t have anyone to go to, writing down your thoughts on paper gives some relief, even if it’s just a sentence.

4. Time management is key

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This isn’t your teens anymore when you have an adult to remind you not to spend too much time on social media or video games. You’re the adult now. Finding a balance between responsibilities and ‘me-time’ is perhaps the biggest key to opening new doors during your twenties. As someone wisely said, learn the difference between enjoying your youth and destroying your future.

5. Be wise with money

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Do you really need to buy those shoes on Amazon? Hey, if you can afford it then go ahead. But financially stable or not, it’s important to keep track of what you spend your money on. The goal is to save so that you have enough to lean back on when times are hard. And if life’s going easy for you, those savings will be a big help in any investments you might make in the future.

6. Build a network

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This won’t be a big deal if you’re extroverted. But if you’re introverted, boy, do you have some discomfort coming your way. As much as you’d like to keep to yourself, you’ll have to build friendships if you want to make things any easier. Knowing the right people can get you the job you want. And even if you still get employed without any help, you’re still going to have to interact with colleagues to complete tasks. But don’t force friendships. It’s better to be alone than to have people around who sap on you mentally.

7. It’s not too late to learn a skill

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Be honest. You’ve seen videos of young people who just shred the guitar like Jimi Hendrix or paint masterpieces like Leonardo da Vinci. Then you sulked wishing you had the time as a kid to build a skill like them. Well, it’s not too late. Getting to their level may take ten or fifteen years, maybe. But that’s not a lot. By the time you’re in your thirties or forties, you’ll be making Renaissance art or music if you start now. You may not have started out young, but you’ll still have the skills when you're in your middle ages.

8. Learn to disconnect

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Sometimes you spend too much time connecting with the world that it drains you. It’s okay to keep the phone down. You don’t have to know what your friends are doing on social media all the time. Also learn to disconnect from your thoughts. A little meditation and mindfulness does wonders to get you organised and back on track.

9. Know how to procrastinate

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If you don’t procrastinate, you’re not human. Everyone does it once in a while and it can be destructive if you don’t know what you’re doing. At best, you should try to reduce it. But if you’re going with it, learn how to structure your activities. If you’re procrastinating on starting on the essay due tomorrow, do the other essay that’s due the day after. Sounds counter-productive but it works. Just fill in your procrastinating time for an assignment with another assignment.

10. Take a cold shower

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I’m leaving this for last because it’s a personal lifehack. If you find yourself too wound up with your thoughts and all the stress, take a cold shower. I find that it helps me ‘wake up’. There’s something about the cold that heightens your senses and helps you become aware of the thoughts that are taking a toll on you.

Hopefully, some of this helps you from crashing. If you’re surviving with some happiness, more power to you. But if it’s going rough, remember the saying: It’s just a bad time, not a bad life.