8 Ways to Get the Most Out Of Your 20s

Enjoy those nights where you laugh and talk about nothing with your close friends

Some of my favorite conversations I’ve ever had with my friends were about made up scenarios that we knew would never exist.  Your 20s is the best time to have these conversations, because it seems that a lot of people lose their imagination and spontaneity after 30 for some reason.  Enjoy these seemingly worthless conversations.

Do things you love, and eventually you’ll meet the person you want to be with

For some reason, people often put a cap on marriage at age 30.  This leads to early marriages, early divorces, and what I like to call bad idea pregnancies. A bad idea pregnancy is when you see someone post an ultrasound picture on Facebook, and your first thought is ‘ooh that’s a bad idea.’ Anyways if you’re single, go out and do things you enjoy doing or seeing, and eventually you’ll meet someone with similar interests as you. A few hopefully obvious side notes: the fact that you met on Tinder doesn’t mean you have similar interests. It just means you liked the way some profile pics were strewn together. Also, this tip does not mean that if you love doing meth in broken down trailers with inflatable swimming pools, you’ll meet your true love there. Well, I guess you could, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Travel to see friends that have moved

The most expensive part of traveling is the hotel, so go visit your friends that have moved to cities you’d like to visit. Also, don’t say that you’re going to come visit them, and then never do it. It only disappoints the hopeful host. Just plan a trip and go see your friends–the lodging is free and the memories are priceless.

Realize that you’re not going to be able to plan your entire life

It’s okay not to have an exact blueprint for your entire life. That’s what makes it life. Now, if you’re in your 8th year of undergrad, and you’re still not sure what you want to do, you should maybe take a minute to sort out your situation. On the other hand, if you’re a year into a job you that you thought you would like, but now absolutely hate, then you should start looking into other options. It’s a lot easier to apply to other jobs while you’re still working, because you’re not as desperate for a paycheck. At the end of the day, you’re most likely going to spend 40 hours a week somewhere doing something, and if you absolutely hate it, it’s going to affect your general outlook on life. “Hating your job leads to hating your life. Hating your life leads to you hating everything around you. Hating everything around you leads you to the dark side.” – Yoda. Kind of.

Write a letter to someone consistently

My aunt writes me a letter about every two weeks or so and it’s like the best feeling seeing that in my mailbox. The letter doesn’t even need to contain that much information. All the letter really needs to consist of is: what are you up to, and here’s what’s up with me. Usually, every single piece of paper you get in your mailbox is a bill, an advertisement for something you don’t need, or your next Netflix movie. Often times, that Netflix movie is just one you forgot to remove from your queue, because you already rented it from Redbox three weeks ago.

When you find a good dude, stick with him

You should never underestimate just a good dude. A good dude helps you move that couch that’s made out of lead up three flights of stairs, and a good dude shows up to your place with a six-pack when you’re going through a tough time. Good dudes–keep them around. Ladies, you should be trying to marry a good dude.

Have at least a loose game plan if you’re going to move somewhere new.

There are tons of 20-something articles out there that tell you to chase your dreams, move to a new city, and just experience life, man. Don’t listen to those articles. Have at the very least a loose plan. I’ve done it both ways, and it’s crazy how much of a difference having a job or knowing a person in the city that you’re moving to makes. My first attempt at moving to a new city led me to a storage shed, a job hunting wild goose chase, and a loss of all of the money I had saved up to that point in my life. A wave of depression I had never experienced before peaked on Christmas Day when I received an email alert from Target at 3 a.m. informing me that I was not going to be offered the security position at their store, even though I had a college degree and experience working at a state penitentiary. The email alert awoke me from my troubled sleep on an air mattress, and all I could do was laugh as I recognized the sad comedy behind the whole situation. The entire time I was depressed, I was waiting for responses to the over 100 resume and cover letters I had sent out. I would argue that the worst part of life is waiting, and moving somewhere without a game plan leads to a lot of waiting.

Spend your money on practical things

Spend the small amount of money you have on practical things like new dishes and cups. I hung onto broken plates and cheap cups that I had owned since my freshman year of college until I recently turned 25. I spent $20 (ironically at Target) and got a nice 4 piece plate, salad plate (or as I like to call it a grilled cheese plate) and 4 bowls.  I also spent $4 on some solid cups. That small but practical change has improved every meal and drink I’ve had since.

In conclusion: have a loose game plan, but don’t panic if everything doesn’t go exactly according to plan.  Travel, but be practical in your spending, and don’t do meth.

[Fun via Shutterstock]