You are young and free. It’s sometimes hard to see how the decisions you make in your 20’s affect the rest of your life. The truth is, your 20’s are the foundation for the rest of your life. Here are 10 mistakes 20-somethings should stop making now to ensure a bight future.
You should stop wasting time.
You can waste time in many ways, especially before establishing your future. With your entire future ahead of you, it often can seem like there are unlimited amounts of time. It’s not the case. Use your time to do things that matter to you. Spend time on things like traveling, networking, building relationships, and climbing the corporate ladder. If your time-wasting hobbies are keeping you from being productive, take a hard look at limiting or eliminating them.
You should stop wasting money.
Too often, in our 20’s, we want stuff. From expensive designer clothes, to fancy electronics, and many other possessions that take up a huge chunk of our income. Stop wasting money on these things. They are going to be out of date and out of style quicker than you imagine. Take your disposable income and invest in your future to ensure you have great experiences. Remember, memories last forever, so spending money on that trip to Europe will always be more valuable than a big screen TV that will need to be replaced in three years with the newer, larger model.
You should stop relying on social media.
Social media has it’s place, no doubt. It keeps us connected and can be a great way to stay in touch. But it can’t be the only way! Make sure you are maintaining real relationships and giving your friends and family the face time they need and deserve. You can see what someone is doing on Facebook, but unless you are with them in person, you’re viewing their memories rather than making your own.
You should stop making everything a #1 priority.
Priorities. It seems like everything is vying to be at the top. Relationships, family, career, friends, pets, houses, school… they can be overwhelming! Take time to prioritize your life. It will make things less hectic and keep you from feeling overwhelmed.
You should stop spending time in a dead-end career.
It’s easy to stay in a career that’s leading no-where. Serving, bar-tending and retail can be great careers, but you want to make sure you understand the future ramifications. When you’re in your 20’s, working crazy hours and nights and weekends may seem like a perfect scenario. But as you get older and start with a family and friends, you can miss a lot based on that choice. Make sure you think about the future before deciding on the career you will pursue.
You should stop staying in bad relationships.
Your first love can be hard to get over. And bad relationships can linger much too long. Stop spending time with people who don’t make you a better person. When you’re in a bad relationship, it will make the rest of your life more difficult. Evaluate your relationships and don’t wait to get out of poor situations.
You should stop relying too much on others.
Whether it’s depending on your parents for bills or relying on your co-workers to pick up the slack, your 20’s are a time to become more independent. Take help when you need it, but start working towards financial independence.
You should stop worrying about the small stuff.
Too often we spend time worrying and dealing with petty things that turn into big, huge problems. Stop worrying about the small stuff. Whether it’s a fight with your significant other, a problem with your co-worker, or a problem in some area of your life, spend the time to fix it and move on.
You should stop partying like a rock star.
Have fun! You’re young. But you’re probably not a rock star. Stop acting like one. Don’t let having fun get in the way of what you need to do on a daily basis. Find other things to keep you occupied besides bars and clubs. You’ll quickly find you can have much more fun at the museum, at a sporting event, or a small festival. There’s plenty of ways to have a great time.
You should stop risking your future.
The key to it all? Make sure your 20’s set you up for a great future. Start saving your money. Make sure you are optimizing your career path. Ensure you find a great, healthy relationship that will be strong for years to come. Set yourself up so your future is bright. If you’re doing things that risk this future, change it now. There’s a lot of years in front of you, make sure you make them great.
Featured photo credit: Josef Seibel via flickr.com
