It’s like life is a railway station, where we are the passengers and every aspect of our lives has its own train. The College train, the Career train, the Marriage train, The Health train, The Social Life train… The thing is, everyone is running at the station and trains don’t even stop to pick up passengers! You have to run, jump and if you’re lucky enough, you will catch the train or get lost. Or at least that’s how life feels like in our twenties!
To all the lost twenty-something souls out there, this one is for you.
1. Stop running and take a good deep breath
After graduation, things get messy. There is no one to tell you where you should be or what you should be doing anymore, so some of us follow the crowd. “I should find a job, I should find a job.” Instead of repeating this like everyone else, stop and ask yourself “What now? What do I want to do with my life?” Which leads us to the next point..
2. Be brave and take risks
In our twenties, it seems like the decisions we’ll take will define the rest of our life. Rubbish! This is the time to make wrong decisions. They will define who you are, but they won’t define your life. You define your own life. Take risks and try out the wrong jobs, how else will you know they are not for you? Do what you think is right, until you find out if it is or not. Don’t play it safe, be bold.
3. Don’t compare your journey with others’
When we’re feeling lost, we look at others for guidance. There is nothing wrong with that, but watch out for the fine line between asking for help and comparing yourself to others. We are all different and follow different paths. You are not your friends, so do not compare your path to theirs. You don’t want to be them, you want to be you.
4. You will be uncomfortable 99% of the time, and that’s alright
That’s a hard one to swallow, but that’s the thing about the twenties, they’re uncomfortable! You won’t start at a job and suddenly be everyone’s favourite in the office. You won’t get the hang of things at work from day one… Chances are, a lot of things are going to make you feel uncomfortable and scared. Just do it – be scared later. That’s how you expand that comfy comfort zone of yours.
5. How you spend your life is how you spend your days
Dreaming is good, in fact it is vital, especially at a young age. But dreams will remain just thoughts stuck in your head if you didn’t pull them out and work on making them come true. Life’s fast rhythm overwhelms with obligations; earning a living, taking care of a parent…etc. If you didn’t find the time to write, paint, dance, volunteer in an NGO, play football or whatever your dream is, if you kept saying “One day I will…” you will achieve nothing.
How can you reach your goal if you’re not taking any step towards it? Make time for your dreams in your present day; they deserve to see the light.
6. Life is not what you do, it is who you are
The idea of having to carve out your career and find the “perfect” job is a huge weight on our shoulders, but life is not about how much you get paid or how high your position is. They are indeed important things, but don’t make your life all about them. Life is what happens to us while we are busy making other plans. Don’t get too caught up in thinking about the future and forget about your present.
And most of all, when you’re lost in your twenties, remember that tomorrow is another day. It is a new chance to find yourself.
