By now you probably thought you’d have your entire life
figured out and planned down to a T, and kudos to you if you do. But if you’re
like me you’ve probably realized that you can spend months or even years
drafting the schematics of your life, but at the end of the day life has a
funny way of giving you exactly what you need and taking away what you don’t.
I've learned more in 25 years of living than any academic institution can ever
teach me, so I decided to share some of my insights with you.
- Your
grades don't mean a thing. Trust me. Not once has an employer
asked me about my grades, because frankly, there’s more to being a good
employee than how well you succeeded academically. This leads me to my
next point...
- It's
okay to take an extra year to graduate. I did. Everyone learns at
a different pace, so don’t let that discourage you. Just because I
finished last doesn’t mean I gave up.
- Don't
settle for mediocre friends, jobs, love, relationships, and life. It's
just not worth investing in if they're not making you happy.
- Appreciate
the people who care about you. Money and jobs will come and go,
but time is something you can never get back.
- Your
mental health is just as important as your physical health. Please
make sure you take care of yourself.
- It's
okay to spend money on things that make you happy. Life is too
short to not have the underwear, the coffee, or the haircut you want.
- Friends
will come and go. Sometimes without fault or without reason,
relationships will deteriorate. It will happen when you're six, it will
happen when you're sixty.
- Everyone,
including your family, your co-workers, and your best friend will talk
about you behind your back. And you'll talk about them too, it
doesn't mean you don't love each other.
- Make
life easier for those around you, not harder. Hold the door open
for the person behind you, or invite the new co-worker to lunch on their
first day. It takes less effort to be a decent human being than to be a
nasty one.
- Time
heals (almost) all wounds. But some cuts and scars you'll have to
carry with you for the rest of your life.
- Success
means different things to different people. Don't look down on
someone whose dreams and aspirations aren't as extravagant as yours. At
the end of the day, success is what makes an individual feel accomplished.
- You
can't have it all. And you shouldn't want to, because that's the
quickest way to bring unhappiness into your life.
- Start
saving as soon as you can. Sure you're only 25 now, but the
sooner you start saving the less you'll have to worry about in the future.
- Bring
a notebook to every meeting. Trust me. And write down everything
you don't understand to clarify later.
- Always
choose people over salary. People matter more because the cost
of working with jerks is too great. Once you've worked for an incompetent
tyrant who is all about themselves, you'll never choose money over a
leader again.
- Check-in on your parents to tell them you love them. Don't forget that
while you're busy growing up, they're also growing old.
- Things
almost always never go according to plan. More often than not,
nothing goes the way I plan it to. Have a general idea of what you want,
but just make sure you're flexible with how you get there.
- Once
you've hit rock bottom, the only place you can go is up. Six
months ago I got fired, and I had no idea how I would turn my life around.
But rock bottom became the foundation on which I rebuilt my life. Now I've
got a better job, better leaders, and a better salary.
- Confront
people when you've got an issue with them. People can't read
minds, so if you've got an issue with someone, tell them instead of
talking about it behind their back.
- Know
your credit score. And keep it high. Pay your bills on time.
Practice responsibility now and try to have as little debt as possible.
- You're
only human. You don't have to have it together every minute of
every day. Cry if you have to, break down if you have to, it's okay.
- Forgive,
but never forget. Forgive those that have wronged you, but never
forget the valuable lessons they taught you.
- Don't
be afraid to fail. People learn from failure just as much as they
do from success.
- Don't
compare yourself to other people. It's hard to not be envious of
people who are 10 times as successful as you are, but remember that
everyone is going at their own pace. Comparing yourself to others will
only make you miserable.
- It's
okay to have no idea what you're doing with your life. Most of us
are winging it anyway. I still don't even know if marketing is my passion
yet, and yeah that terrifies me, but I'm just going with the flow for now.
Your twenties are a huge growth period in life. You change
from being a child to being an independent adult. You do a lot of growing up
and maturing, I know I certainly did. But your experiences make you who you are
today, and you should be grateful for all the ups and downs that life has
thrown your way so far.
But for now.. I'm still just trying to process that I'm
closer to 30 now than I am to 20.