This is a post that I so meant to write leading up to my 30th birthday last month, but alas, the insurmountable pile that my life has been lately was a little too much for me that week, so please excuse the tardiness of this post! I’ve been doing a lot of reflection back on the last decade of my life, it seems like I almost lived two different lives within the span of that ten years. My twenties were definitely full of a lot of adventures, mistakes, wins, and growth, and it is safe to say that I am a wildly different person than I was at the start of my twenties, and that is totally ok with me!! Let’s face is, the twenties are incredible, but they are also tough! With that being said, I thought I would share the major lessons I learned throughout the last decade of my life so that if you are going through it yourself!

Timing is everything…find your own and embrace it!

I’ve always been really hard on myself, and that was no exception throughout my twenties. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worried that I am “behind” in my life…whether that means behind on college, getting married, having a career, etc, I’m always concerned with trying to play “catch up” with where I thought I would be. The thing is, no one’s life really works out like you assume it will when you’re growing up, so embrace the timing you have in your life and realize everything happens for a reason.

Find What You Love, and Do It

I think so much of the time, we put such an emphasis on having a “good career,” which roughly estimates to a “high paying” career. While money is great, it really does not buy happiness. Don’t pursue a career path simply because you think you will be able to make X amount each year. Find something that you can look forward to every day, rather than dreading your work.

Practice Self Love/Self Care

While it is important to be there for other people and to work hard, it is also important to take care of yourself. This is something I had to learn the hard way in my twenties. Self love and self care go hand in hand. Learn to allow yourself time to rest and rejuvenate so you can give more in other aspects of your life! Everyone needs a little time out now and again.

Nobody Has It All Together

I know it seems like everyone around you has all their shit together, but let me tell you, they don’t! This is one hard lesson I had to learn in my twenties, because it led me to constantly compare myself to others and my perception of the people’s lives who surrounded me. In reality, people may look like they have it all together, but no one truly does. We are all just trying to do our best!

Work Your Ass Off…Now’s the Time!

Your twenties are the time to work hard, play hard as they say. One thing I wish I would’ve done in my early twenties is work smarter. I definitely worked hard but not in a career that was going to lead me to a successful career path. Find what you want to do, and work your ass off, because your 20’s are the time to establish yourself and make some headway in your career in order to better set yourself up for the years to come!

Learn to Fall, Then Pick Yourself Back Up

Don’t see mistakes or failures as a negative thing. Every time you mess up, its just another opportunity to learn. No one is perfect, and like I said before, its all about figuring things out in your twenties. Accept the good, the bad, and the ugly, and you’ll be much happier with yourself in the long run.

Stop Trying to Please Everyone, Because You Won’t

I used to drive myself crazy in my early twenties trying to make everyone happy. I often made decisions and did things I didn’t want to do simply because I felt that I needed to make certain people in my life agree with me or approve of what I was doing. Look, it is your life. You only get to live it once, so don’t waste your time trying to do things that don’t match up to what you really want. At the end of the day, only you have to live with the decisions you make, no one else! You do you, boo!

Stop with the Comparison Game

This one is hard for me. I am always comparing myself to other people. It gets exhausting, let me tell you. When you do this, it is nearly impossible to ever feel happy with yourself or feel fulfillment. You will never measure up when you’re constantly comparing yourself to your perception of other people’s lives. Stay in your lane and realize that everyone is on a different path. At the end of the day, other people’s lives may look perfect, but rest assured, they probably most certainly are dealing with similar issues that you deal with.

Get Yourself Some Real Friends and Hold On To Them

As I went through my twenties, I realized that with friends, it is more about quality, not quantity. Honestly, I would much rather have my now somewhat small circle of friends than a large group of friends. As I’ve gotten older, I have realized that I only have so much time to keep up with friends, which has definitely made my social circle shrink a bit, but honestly that is for the best. The friends that I do keep around lately are amazing women who not only inspire me but also totally have my back. Find those friends and keep them close!

Take Risks!

While you are in your twenties, take risks! As the years go by, the opportunities to take risks will lessen, so while you are young take risks because even if they end up not working out, you can easily recover and learn from those mistakes.

Live In The Moment

Ok, this one sounds cliche, but it is one that needs to be said. I have struggled with this one too throughout my twenties. I am constantly worried about the future and making sure that I am on track to being where I think I should be at that point in my life, or constantly worrying about the future and whether or not I am going to reach my goals. While it is great to be thinking about these things and working toward them, don’t forget to just enjoy where you are at right now in this moment. Trust that your hard work is going to pay off in the long run and enjoy today!

Travel as Much as You Can

I wish someone would have told me this when I was in my early twenties. I think because I was so scared of having enough money to live and pay bills that I wasn’t ever thinking about seeing the world. It wasn’t until the second half of my twenties that I really felt like I was in a stable enough place to get out and travel. While I know I have a lot of travel in store, I wish I would’ve taken more time in my twenties to travel more. It truly is the best time because it is when you’re most likely to have the least strings and responsibilities attached to your life. Get out there and explore!

You Can’t Control Every Situation, but You Can Control How You React

So many things in life are out of our hands. While life is full of ups and downs, it really is up to you how you handle these twists and turns. When things are less than ideal, you can either let it get you down or you can choose to see the positive and work through it. If you learn to roll with the punches from an earlier age, you will be a much happier person down the road.

Find Ways To Manage Stress

In today’s day and age, its nearly impossible to not experience stress at some point or another. Everyone has different pressure points, which means we all have to find different ways to manage the various stresses that life puts on us. Find whatever way that helps you to personally manage this stress, whether it is exercise, meditation, or a hobby, and make it a regular part of your life.

Practice the 80/20 Rule

Look, you can’t keep it 100 all the time. Whether that is in regards to health, productivity, your career, etc, you have to give yourself some grace. I know the 80/20 rule usually applies for diets, and while I fully support it in that realm of my life, I think it can be applied to nearly every other aspect of your life. Stop expecting perfection and allow yourself to be imperfect every once in a while.

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Dress: Eliza J Dresses/ Handbag: Cult Gaia/ Hat: Brixton/ Necklace: Sugarfix/ Earrings: Sugarfix/ Shoes: Marc Fisher

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