20 things I wish I did in my 20s:

Your 20s will probably be the most eventful decade of your life…. & drastically different from the previous one.

I am in my mid-40s, & I have come to believe that a lot of what you do in your 20s will set things up for the rest of your life.

1. GET READ OFF ALL YOUR DEBT: Nothing will take the burden off your shoulders quite like kicking your debt to the curb. I know it sounds intimidating, especially if you’ve got a ton of Personal loan, but you’re not alone. I promise you, with some intentional planning and hard work, you can pay them off faster than you could on any standard repayment plan. And when you do, you’ll be so much freer to pursue your passions and goals!

2. LEARN NEW SKILLS: You know that thing you’ve always wanted to learn how to do? Playing an instrument, making your favorite food from scratch, editing photos, writing a novel, you name it now’s the time to do it! Let’s be real, you’ll probably never have more time or energy to spend pursuing your passions than you do right now. I was so consumed in what I was doing, that I didn’t focus on learning a new skill or building a new expertise. I wish I had. Today, skills will open more doors for you than degrees.

3. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR MENTAL HEALTH: Don’t underestimate the value of talking through your thoughts with a trusted therapist or counselor. It’s not “weird,” and it doesn’t mean that you have issues. There used to be no discussions around mental health It wasn’t taken seriously, many times it still isn’t. But mental health can make or break everything else in your life. take time to talk to friends, pray, exercise, journal, take a day off, go to bed early, or take a nap.

4. EAT WELL & FOCUS ON PHYSICAL HEALTH: While I was always conscious of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, it is easy to get swayed. Took my physical health for granted. This should never happen!

5. DEVELOP VISION : Before you can even set goals, you need to have a big-picture vision for your life. Take some time to pray and seriously reflect on what this could look like—and don’t be afraid to think big. What kind of person do you want to be when you get to the end of your life? What do you want to accomplish during your time on this planet? How do you want to serve and contribute to humanity? Once you have your greater vision in mind, you’ll be able to set more specific goals that will help you get there.

6. TRAVEL & EXPLORE NEW PLACE : All travel in my 20s was restricted to work-related travel. Realized the power of traveling & exploring much later. By Exploring new place , New culture , New people , New food you should gather experiences more than materials. Now I always visit new place to explore new things.

7. GIVE BACK: My favorite reason to pay off all your debt and get your money in order is so that you can be a blessing to other people financially who are not that privileged. So whenever you get chance help others.

8. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR FAMILY TIMELY : It’s easy to get disconnected from your family when you’re busy with adult life, but keeping in touch and spending quality time with them even virtually means the world. I know that family dynamics can be tricky, and not everyone’s situation looks the same. I did too & I never understood it fully. I wish I spoke to them more when I was away, spent more time with them & told them I love them more often.

9. SWITCH OFF FROM WORK: I was so caught up with work & the hustle that I didn’t pay any attention to life outside. Irrespective of age & profession, I think there should always be a work-life balance. There is much more to life than just work.

10. HAVE SPECIFIC GOALS FOR BOTH SHORT & LONG TERM: My goals were vague & not measurable. This resulted in me being either dissatisfied or clueless at times. Having specific measurable goals is key to staying focused .. & not wandering into different directions.

11. BUILD ADDITIONAL INCOME STREAMS: I was dependent solely on salary. Never bothered about another income. Reality hit when the company ran into financial stress & no salary came in for months. Life seemed to fall apart. Build a second income… or more.

12. BUILD STRONG SALES SKILLS: I believe, we are all sales people. We are constantly selling- our work, our performance, our skills, our efforts..in some capacity or another. I started off as a Sales Engineer but after roles changed I didn’t focus on it as much as I should have.

13. STAY GROUNDED: We work hard, to achieve things. When we see success, it is easy to get carried away And this is when you become arrogant & lose focus. This happened to me too, & it took me a while to get back. One of my deep regrets Lessons learned.

14. READ ONE BOOK IN MONTH : This is my personal goal, but reading is a great goal for anyone. If you don’t think you can swing one book per month, try one book every two months. Although, I realized later that irrespective of genre / theme, books have the power to help you in more ways than you know. Creativity, focus, communication are some areas where you can benefit immensely. but I guarantee it will make you a smarter and more interesting person.

15. EVALUATE ANNUALLY: We are living in very dynamic world where everyday is not same. Whether at a job or with regards to personal finance, you need to re-evaluate various aspects of your life periodically & work on changes as required. Analysis is needed, else you won’t know when you actually need course-correction.

16. LEARN TO SAY NO : Listen saying no doesn’t make you mean, stingy or a loser. It just means you know your limits and won’t push the boundaries you’ve set for yourself. Whether it’s turning down a freelance job, a date or a social invite when you know you can’t afford it, saying no is a sign of self-control.

17. BUILD BETTER RELATIONSHIPS: In both professional & personal lives, the depth of relationships is really important. And I didn’t put in enough effort towards that. There are people I wish I had better relationships. Started working towards this in recent times.

18. PERSONAL FINANCE : How you manage your personal finance is always important in your life. As early your learn this you will have better financial freedom in future. Plan your earning vs spending in order to reduce debt & liabilities. Spend on things where you get appreciation.

19 SEEK HELP : No one is perfect in life at some point in life we get stuck where we unable to find solution. in such case don't hesitate & seek help from family, friends, mentor who can navigate you.

20. FAIL AT SOMETHING : First, failure is not always bad. In organizational life it is sometimes bad, sometimes inevitable, and sometimes even good. Nobody likes to fail, but looking back, my times of failure throughout my life have grown me a lot. Failure Teaches You That Success Is Never Guaranteed. When trying something new, whether that is starting an online business, applying for your dream job, starting a blog, or even starting a new relationship, everyone wants to achieve success.