Take a look around you and at the people in your life. What do you see? Couples that are practically married, friends starting their careers, people finding their purpose and others that are out looking for those very same things. Everyone in their twenties, whether they’re in college or post-grad, are all in very different points in their lives which at times can prove to be confusing when it comes to gauging our own success by the means of others.
But who’s to say what a successful 20-something-year-old looks like? Is it the accomplished student with multiple internships under their belt? Or is it the junior in college who still has no idea what they want to do for the rest of their life and is just here for a good time? While some people seem to have it all figured out on paper, the reality is that we’re all figuring it out as we go and that the people you would consider as successful are probably just as lost as the rest of us.
Before we stress ourselves out any more than we already are with the end of the school year, VALLEY is here to remind you that the twenties are supposed to be the hottest years of our lives, so why don’t we act like it? Here are our tips and reminders on how to make the most out of your twenties, stop comparing yourself to everyone around you and build up your confidence as a young adult.
Set Goals
Goal setting is arguably the most important aspect of any successful person’s life because, after all, they had to have started somewhere. Plus, it’s good to get your thoughts out where you can look at them and gauge where you see yourself in the next week, month or year. So grab a pen and jot down some of your answers to these goal-setting prompts:
- Where do you see yourself in six months? A year? Five years?
- What are you working towards?
- Professional goals for the next month? Personal? Physical? Mental?
Stop Making Comparisons
We know it’s easier said than done, but trust us when we say that staying in this self-destructive mindset is more harmful than you may realize. It is when you stop making these comparisons that you begin to realize everyone really is just figuring it out as they go — just like you. The best way to fix this mindset is to come to terms with the fact that you are not the same person you were five years ago, let alone a year ago, so who’s to say we should compare someone else’s chapter 10 to our chapter 5?
YOLO
While it’s hard to define what it means to be a successful twenty-year-old, in all honesty, who cares? Shouldn’t the opinion of ourselves hold more weight than that of the people around us when it comes to making the most of our young adulthood? Whether you’re in the midst of beginning a lifelong career, pursuing a passion or still figuring it all out, VALLEY wants to assure you that no matter what happens you’re going to be okay. Remember to take a step back from the hustle every once in a while and enjoy the process of figuring it all out. Who knows, maybe you’ll look back one day and see it was the best part of it all. Don’t kid yourself — these are supposed to be the best years of your life.
So book the trip, apply for the job, get out of your comfort zone and take it all in.
Tweet us @VALLEYMAG with your thoughts on what it’s like to be a twenty-something-year-old and how you’re planning on making the most of your twenties.
