How to make the best out of your 20s.

[u/tunitascreek]

I've been getting some good vibes on replies I've given on living your best life during your 20s (which I can thankfully tick off).

So, I decided to spill the beans on how I lived out my 20s so that it may be able to help some folks who might be struggling with what to do and how to go about it.

1/ Travel and/or live-work abroad

If you can, save money and travel.

I was fortunate enough to backpack through Asia, Europe, and the Americas during my early 20s, then worked and lived in the US for close to 10 years.

Exploring new places regardless of how close or far is one of the best experiences you will ever have. Period.

Travel brings a lot of rewards and challenges with it - learning new languages, appreciating (and even tolerating) other cultures/religions, and opening your eyes to a world very different from yours.

Living abroad is another step up but not for everyone. However, if you ever get an opportunity to do so, give it a try. You will gain so much life experience in a short period of time.

2/ Network & Build Connections

Networking in your 20s is underrated.

But, networking makes me feel uncomfortable. I'm not a natural extrovert. This was a tough one for me.

I found the best way is to attend events and gatherings that align with your interests i.e. sports, anime, etc. I tend to avoid generic mixers, but that's just me.

Introduce yourself to others and find ways to collaborate. Even if nothing comes out of it, at least you'll have built a connection.

Some of the best relationships I now have are a result of randomly meeting people at parties, events, and overseas during my travels, some of whom have now become close friends.

3/ Have Adventures

This is the decade when you start building memories as an adult - make it count.

Adventures isn't just about traveling (although it does play a big part), it's also about the people you spend it with and the moments you share with each other.

Going camping/hiking, running your first marathon, having a first date, going out on the town with your best friends, attending a music festival, etc. are all adventures.

It is your moral duty to have fun and have as many adventures as possible.

4/ Invest in your health

Your 20s go by fast.

Sometimes your health can take a back seat to everything else that's going on in your life.

Building good habits and routines around your health is a long term investment that will pay dividends into the future.

Go to the gym, lift weights, run, cycle, swim etc. I'm a big fan of living a hybrid lifestyle of both strength training and endurance.

Regular fitness and exercise are the single best things you can do for your physical and mental health.

Doing this as early as possible builds strong habits that can take you into your later years.

5/ Invest in your financial future

Learn to invest for the long term.

It's so easy to splurge and spend when you're young, which you definitely should.

BUT, it's also about being responsible for your financial future.

Save a portion of your income and put it in a few buckets:

• A rainy-day fund
  
• Your retirement fund (401k or otherwise)
  
• A high-yield savings account with a reasonable APY
  
• Invest in stocks and equities (ETFs and Index funds)
  
• Invest in real estate if you have the funds
  

Any remaining funds are yours to enjoy.

I was very carefree in my early 20s but really buckled down when I hit 25. The earlier the better.

You won't have as much money as you want to spend (now) but you certainly know that it's being invested in assets that will earn income and appreciate in the long-term.

NOTE: This is not investing or financial advice!

6/ Avoid stupidity

Reminder to self - don't get into trouble or injure yourself!

When you're young, you'll be surrounded by people encouraging you to do stupid sh*t.

It's easy to be peer-pressured.

It's up to you to say no if it can affect you and your future.

Avoid getting a criminal record.

Avoid injuring yourself to the extent that it affects your long-term health.

Avoid taking extremely high risks without a backup plan.

Avoid making friends with the wrong people which can trickle into the above.

Live out your best 20s but ensure you're there at the end of it so you can head into your 30s unscathed.

7/ Surround yourself with the right people

You're going to meet a lot of people along the way.

Some of them will become lifelong connections, but others will be questionable.

Choose your people carefully.

Avoid those who make you feel uncomfortable, put you down, want to take advantage of you, and convince you to do things you don't want to do.

Build out your friend detector so you know the right people to hang out with.

8/ Find someone you care about

Hit the dating circuit.

The happiest people I know were able to find a partner they cared about and with whom they could share experiences.

It might take a while to find the right person, but you'll never know unless you go out there and mingle.

Even if you don't end up together forever, you'll at least be grateful for all the times you spent with each other and those memories and experiences still count.

Some people prefer to be a lone wolf, but it's so much better with someone by your side.

9/ Level up your skills

It's your duty to develop useful skills.

Explore different areas and find what sticks.

University/college can only do so much.

• Start a business.
  
• Learn how to code.
  
• Learn how to write.
  
• Learn how to sell.
  
• Learn how to market yourself
  
• Learn how to communicate
  

Skilling up will put you ahead of 99% of your peers.

This makes it easier to find a job, build a business, build relationships with others, and set you up for long-term success.

10/ Move out of your parent's home

It's easy to stay comfortable at home. I get it - Mom's free delicious food, free laundry service, free accommodation, etc.

This is a mistake.

Move out and find your own place once you have the financial capacity to do so.

It's going to be hard at first, but you'll eventually find that it provides you with so much freedom and liberation.

It means you now have responsibilities.

You will learn a lot from living without the safety net of your parents.

All of this will make you stronger and more resilient.

Ultimately, if you can follow any of the above tips, there's no doubt that you will have no regrets.

You would have lived your best life priming yourself for your 30s and beyond.

Hope this has been helpful.

If you like this, give me a follow, and share it with others who need a bit of guidance.

[u/permanentburner89]

Good list but 6 should come with a caveat. Failure is the greatest teacher. You just don't want to fail so hard that you permanently affect your life in a negative way.

But man, I had some epic, epic failures that few others have experienced that have given me a very unique perspective that I wouldn't give for anything.