23 Things I learnt At The Age Of 23
Here are the 23 things that I learned at the age of 23. I’ve realized that these are the things that I need to keep working on, maybe for the rest of my life.
1) Don’t hate your Birthday –
It’s your choice if you want to celebrate your birthday or not. But please don’t let your birthday be a reminder of the things you haven’t accomplished yet in life. Don’t make it a day of self-hate. Let it be a reminder that you’ve survived another year in a chaotic world (especially during a Pandemic) and that you’re doing good and you will accomplish everything want.
2) Avoid perfectionism –
Perfectionism is an illusion. It makes you procrastinate. If you’re always focused on perfectionism you will accomplish little to nothing in life. It is always better to remember that beginnings are always messy and imperfect. It is okay to suck at things; you will get better with time. But expecting perfectionism from the beginning will only place unnecessary stress on you and stop you from doing things.
3) Remember your hard times and the lessons they taught you –
The hard times will pass sooner or later, but remember the lessons learned during the hard times. For it is during the hardest times that you see the real unfiltered version of the world, and you learn the most about yourself, life and people.
4) It’s okay to be vulnerable –
Don’t try to be invulnerable at all times. It is impossible to be invulnerable always. To be human is to be vulnerable. It’s okay to be vulnerable. It’s not a weakness. It takes a lot of strength to be vulnerable, to be completely honest with yourself and others. Sometimes it so happens that you being vulnerable gives others the courage to accept their vulnerability and acknowledge their issues and needs. You would be surprised to know how many people deal with the same demons as you. Being open about your struggles helps others and yourself gain strength. It normalizes struggles.
5) Don’t take life too seriously –
It’s also very important to not take life too seriously. After all, you can only do so much. Life happens and some things are just not in your control. Taking life too seriously is only going to stress you out. Let things go. Let people be. Whatever happens, happens for the best.
6) Don’t neglect career and goals –
The twenties is the beginning of our career for most of us. It is important to not get carried away and focus on career and goals. Since it is just the start of your career you have the advantage to experiment, make mistakes and learn. Don’t let your future self wish you had started focusing on your career and goals earlier in life.
7) Don’t neglect health –
At the same time, it’s also important to not neglect your health. It’s very likely for your health to be buried under the pressure of career, goals and personal responsibilities. But neglected health in your 20s show up as exaggerated issues in your 30s and later in life. It is very crucial to take of your health. Your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.
8) Learn cooking, cleaning and other basic life skills –
Irrespective of gender, everyone needs to know basic life skills like cooking, cleaning etc. for survival. The Pandemic and lock-downs made it obvious that we cannot depend on others for our survival and thus everyone should be self-sufficient and capable to do basic household chores.
9) Practice mindfulness –
Today we are constantly in an over-stimulated state due to phones, the internet, social media, traffic etc. We are always surrounded by noise and bombarded by information and updates. Due to this over-stimulation, we tend not to be completely present and mindful. Most of the time we feel like floating through life and are not connected with our inner selves and emotions. It’s important to practice mindfulness daily, to regulate our emotions, to reduce our stress levels and to be at peace. Thus it is necessary to put down our phones for at least 20 minutes every day and isolate ourselves from all noises and just connect with our inner selves in silence.
10) Stand against injustice –
There is rampant injustice in the world today and it’s important to stand against it. Even if all you have is a voice, raise it and keep raising it. You may encourage others and be a catalyst for change.
11) Make time for your hobbies and personal development –
Remember to make time for your hobbies and personal development. Do things that make you happy and reduce your stress. You don’t have to be a pro at it. You don’t even have to share it with anyone. It’s okay if you suck at it, as long as it gives you happiness, makes time for it.
12) Don’t pursue one-sided relationships –
Don’t invest in a one-sided relationship. Be it a romantic relationship, any partnership or friendship. It’s not fair to you and will only hurt you in the long run. It takes two people to make a relationship work. If the other person is not willing to put in the effort, don’t disrespect yourself and walk away from such relationships. There are a lot of people in the world, the right ones will find you.
13) Practice gratitude –
Sometimes we get so caught up in the negativity of life that we take our blessings for granted. It’s always important to be grateful. This pulls us out of the self-pity and negativity spiral and is also better for our mental health. It helps us be positive and humans tend to be more productive and achieve more with a positive mindset. This is the reason why doctors encourage people with mental health issues and the general public with stress to maintain a gratitude journal. (especially during the Pandemic)
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14) Be patient and kind to yourself and others –
The world is already a very chaotic and terrible place. Today people are more depressed, anxious and stressed than ever. It’s always better to be patient and kind to yourself and others. Don’t make someone’s or your own life terrible.
15) Don’t lose hope –
Always remain hopeful for a better tomorrow. Not only does it help in surviving today but also helps in being positive. Remember one day at a time.
16) Keep trying new stuff –
Read diverse books, try different skills, watch different genres. Experiment, experience, diversify and broaden your horizon.
17) Don’t compare –
Don’t compare yourself with others, be it blessings, hardships, traumas or life goals. Everyone is different and has a different journey. That is what makes us unique in our ways or else we would just be replicas of each other. Comparing yourself with others only results in self-loathing and envy.
18) Have a purpose and meaning in life –
Always have a purpose and meaning in life, something that you’re passionate about, something that you care deeply about, and work for it. It gives you direction and fulfilment.
19) Use time wisely –
We all are on Earth for a limited time and thus it is important to use time wisely. You may not realize this now but in future, you would wish you used your time more productively. Most of us are guilty of aimlessly scrolling on social media and spending hours binge-watching. But anything in excess is destructive. It’s important to use time wisely and make time for your career, goals, health, family and yourself.
20) Stay away from negativity and things affecting your peace –
Being human it is very likely to get involved in or even be the reason for negativity and drama to some extent, But when you realize how draining it is and it will get you nowhere in life, it’s better to detach yourself from negative situations and drama for your peace and sanity.
21) Do what’s right and what you want to do without thinking about people –
There will always be people who will doubt, question, talk behind your back and not support you in your endeavours, But if you know it’s right and it’s what you want to do, do it without a second thought.
22) Surround yourself with things that make you happy and give back to society –
Do things that make you happy, read books that make you happy, be with people that make you happy and give back to the underprivileged and needy whatever you can, be it a penny or a prayer.
23) Be your biggest supporter-
Above all, be there for yourself, be your strength and be your biggest supporter. There will be many times and many roads in life which you have to travel alone with no one and absolutely no one by your side. It is important to be your strength and celebrate yourself. It is up to you to make it solitude or loneliness.