10 things I should have done differently in my twenties

Currently, I am 31 and this is the age when you reflect back on your life. Although, I don’t have any regrets, but I feel that if I would have had any mentor when I was in my twenties, life would have been different. There are a lot of areas where I think I am struggling, but that’s just life happening There could be no one in the world who goes through life without any struggles isn’t it ? A lot of times I think, what if I am given a chance to live my life again? Would there be something that I would change ? And when I think on these lines, there are few things, which I think I should have done differently.

There are a few things I think if youngsters in their twenties are able to understand, their life, later,  would be much better. But then these are just my thoughts, these are the thoughts that come to my mind when I reflect back to my twenties today. Read through to know the things you can work on today to get a better future tomorrow.

1. Use your Time wisely:  I know, you have been told about this a hundred times already. It’s an age old thing that we have been hearing all the while. But we still end up wasting our time. Do you know why? That’s because we see our parents doing the same. But what they are not able to show or tell us is, that they also are regretting it. In your twenties, Time is by your side. You can swing it into any direction you want. You can either waste it or you can use it for your own benefit. All I wanna say is that the Time is a luxury you would not have in future. Once you have a family to take care of , you will crave for a free time, but you would not get any. So use your Time wisely. Do whatever you want, but try not to waste it.

2. Discipline : It’s an easy trap to do the things everyone else is doing, and it’s an easy trap not to be disciplined about anything. But believe me, being indisciplined will not take you farther. One day or another you will have to be disciplined, either for your health, or for your finances, or if nothing else, at least for your Job. So, it’s better to inculcate this habit, sooner than later. Discipline is something that you will have to teach yourself, no one will teach it to you.

3. Live in the moment : Yes, I remember I used to be someone who’s always lost in either the past or the future. Today, when I think of it, I feel silly. Learn to live in the moment , be alert and enjoy the present moment. It’s the present which is lived fully can make better future. Otherwise, you’ll lose present for future. Enjoy your time with your siblings, have fun at the dinner table with your parents, discuss current affairs with your friend circle, try to enjoy what’s being taught in the class. The more you will start living in the moment the better the future will become

4. Learn Everything you want : Yes, I mean it, whatever your hobby could be, take it seriously. Be it gardening, or science experiments or it could be any sport. Spend your time and energy on that. Learn that skill. Believe if, it could be life saver tomorrow. When you have time by your side, use it to learn everything you want to learn. It will help you in future.

5. Make Friends : As they say, the best friendships are born in colleges. Make as many friends as you can. Spend time with good friends and nurture the friendship. Cos, tomorrow, there will only be acquaintances. In twenties you make friends without any motives, once you are out in the Jungle of life, everything will have to be justified. And justified friendships are not friendships.

6. Travel / Socialize : Travel as much as you can, gather exposure and other’s point of view. Meet people often , make friends easily and forgive other’s mistakes quickly. Don’t keep anything in your heart cos, it won’t matter later in the life. You don’t remember the mistakes of others, but you remember the memories of the time spent together. In our twenties, we tend to live in our own world. We tend to believe, that our friends are our world. But, once you will start meeting other people and start socializing, you will be able to other’s point of view as well. This will help you in future a lot.

7. Don’t be afraid of failure : Yes, we live in a society where failure has a negative connotation, but I want to give you a different perspective, take failure as a stepping stone to success. Unless, you’ve seen failure, you won’t be able to appreciate success. Fail as much as you can cos, that will give you a better perspective. Please don’t take me wrong, I am not suggesting you to fail your exams or to fail at anything by choice. All I am suggesting is that you should take failure positively and don’t be afraid of failing.

8. Study as hard as you can: Again, I am not suggesting you to get bogged down by the curriculum of your school / college. But study to get the exposure, study to get to the best colleges and study to get to the best exchange programs. And believe me, good grades in your marksheets never let you down.

9. Don’t let your passion die : No matter what it is, be it software programming or playing a musical instrument, be it dancing or singing or painting. Don’t let your passion die a slow death. Keep fueling the fire, cos, this will keep you alive later in life. Whenever you’ll be low in life , it will be your passion that will show you the light at the end of the tunnel.

10. Money is overrated : Yes, you read it right. Although we live in a competitive economy, but I still believe that money is overrated. You give your 100% to anything under the sun and you can earn money. 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, down the line, you’ll forget how much money you earned, but you will never forget what you did to your relationships or health while earning that bit. Learn to strike a right balance between earning money and living life. Learn to respect relationships and  priorities along with money.

The post was originally published here

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