Your quarter-life crisis is quickly approaching. There are days when you look around for an adult to help with a specific situation, and then frighteningly remember that you are the adult. Being able to sit down and watch the new episode of your favorite show has become a forgotten necessity and you don't remember what a full night of sleep feels like. As a twenty-something, you've realized that life truly does happen in the blink of an eye. While you may not be able to accomplish all of these, I've compiled a list of 25 things that I think everyone should try to do before they turn 25.
1. Travel.
If visiting a country you have never been to or going to a different continent isn't an option, find somewhere in your own state or somewhere in your own country that you've never gone to and go explore. Traveling opens your mind, expands your understanding of others, and allows you to engage in meaningful experiences that will change the way you view yourself and the way you view the world. Traveling in your own state can still introduce you to new experiences and change the way you view the world. Check out your state parks or state parks in surrounding states for inexpensive travel ideas.
2. Learn to read for pleasure, not just for a course.
Literature allows you to engage with diverse characters who think differently from you, question your own biases, and examine the world from unique perspectives. While reading may seem like a mundane pastime opposed to watching Netflix or playing Pokemon Go, picking up reading as a hobby will increase your understanding of the world around you and become one of your favorite activities. Reading for just thirty minutes a day has been proven to increase attention span and increase retrieval time for memory, which will make processing what you read for courses and important information easier.
3. Build healthy habits.
Making physical activity a part of your daily routine by walking or biking to classes instead of driving, doing business phone calls while walking outside, or scheduling in time for hiking with friends. Substitute going out for pizza with making a healthy dinner with friends and invite each guest to bring specific ingredients. Try out those Pinterest Recipes you've been waiting to make. Building healthy habits doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming, as there are many activities in your daily routine that can be replaced by healthier options.
4. Learn to love yourself.
Accept the parts of your life or your body that you cannot change, and appreciate the parts of your life and your body that you love. Realize that your physical appearance is not as important as your overall health or who you are as a person, and constantly strive to become better. Find something to love about who you are right now, and then focus on improving the areas that you want to grow in.
5. Let go of toxic relationships.
While it is difficult, there is nothing wrong with distancing yourself from someone who holds you back, damages your self-esteem, or prevents you from achieving your dreams. If you have a toxic friendship or relationship in your life, don't be afraid to take healthy steps to distancing yourself from the person or ending the friendship. It isn't healthy to be friends with someone who emotionally drains you, brings you down, or insists on changing you.
6. Mail a thank you to a teacher, coach, or mentor who helped you grow.
Take a moment to send a simple "thank you" note to someone who inspired, influenced, or supported you. It will make their day to know that you remember them and the influence they had on your life.
7. Keep a journal for at least 6 months.
Keeping a handwritten physical journal of your thoughts, goals, ideas, activities, and questions for at least six months will allow you to hold yourself accountable and look back to see how you have grown. You don't have to write every day or write down everything you do. You can make lists of things you want to accomplish in a certain month, set goals for yourself, write down an idea that you had, or write down a question that you have about what is going on in the world around you. If writing is difficult for you, you could keep a short video diary or make a scrapbook that you update frequently with keepsakes, lists, photos, and short blurbs.
8. Face a fear.
Afraid of heights? Find somewhere to rock climb and take a friend with you. Afraid of talking to new people? Make a goal of complimenting a stranger daily- it doesn't have to be elaborate. Simply tell the cashier at Walmart that you like her makeup or tell the girl who sits by you in Physics that you love her enthusiasm.
9. Volunteer.
Volunteering your time to help animals, to help the environment, or to help others is a great way to learn more about yourself while also giving back to the community. Volunteering with friends can help strengthen your relationship, but you can also volunteer alone. There are many volunteer opportunities to pick from, including planting flowers at local parks, walking dogs at animal shelters, or tutoring children. You can also volunteer by donating your talents, such as sharing your talent for painting by volunteering to teach a Girl Scout Troop how to paint something simple. You can make a difference by just volunteering for a few hours each month, and volunteering will truly improve your life.
10. Discover something you're passionate about.
Finding a passion can take time, but is worth it. Discover an event, a cause, or a topic that excites you. Being passionate about something will help you find hobbies, build meaningful friendships with others who share the same passion, and open up opportunities.
11. Surround yourself with people who uplift you.
The people you spend the most time with influence who you are and who you become. Challenge yourself to build relationships with people who inspire you or motivate you to grow personally.
12. Learn a new skill.
Learn common phrases in sign language, master an interesting card trick, or learn to cook creme brûlée. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we stop trying to learn new tricks and forget the excitement of learning something new. Challenge yourself to learn a new skill before you turn 25.
13. Print your favorite photos and make a scrapbook or photo album.
What photos will you show your children from your college experience? What will you do if your iPhone breaks and you don't have the last three years of experiences backed up to a cloud? Printing your photos and displaying them will help you remember the best parts of your previous years.
14. Take a weekend trip with your best friend.
Go to a nearby city, or somewhere you've never been before, and rent a hotel room. Explore new restaurants, meet new people, and visit new stores. Find somewhere to sit and look at the stars or get tickets to a sporting event. Making time for your friends is important, and traveling together will help you build amazing memories.
15. Organize a family dinner and prepare a meal for your parents and siblings.
Thank your parents, and your entire family, for their support. Organize a family dinner and make their favorite meal. Use Grandma's homemade roll recipe or make Aunt Donna's famous chocolate chip cookies. Hosting a family dinner will let you spend quality time wth your family and show your parents how much you appreciate what they've done for you.
16. Start a savings account for your dream vacation.
Find somewhere that you've always wanted to visit and start saving. If you just save $10 a week, you'll have $2,600 in five years. Challenge yourself to save as much a week as possible so that you can enjoy it in five years. Your future self will appreciate it.
17. Learn to make time for yourself.
Making time for yourself can be difficult. Between classes, work, and trying to maintain a social life, taking care of yourself often gets pushed aside. You need to learn to make time for yourself. Make time to read for pleasure, make time to rest, make time to get exercise, and make time for hobbies. Your body and health should be a priority.
18. Do yoga, or another form of meditation, at least once a week.
Being a twenty-something means having a constantly busy life. Meditation or yoga can help you slow down, and also relieves stress.
19. Go to as many concerts as possible.
Don't miss out on the chance to hear your favorite band or artist live.
20. Live alone for a year, if you have the opportunity to.
Living alone teaches you a lot about who you are, encourages you to explore new activities, and builds your independence. Living alone allows you to become financially stable, become a better budgeter, and become more organized. Living alone can also reduce the stress associated with having roommates.
21. Explore your spirituality or faith.
Why do you believe what you do? Why don't you believe what your best friend believes in? How did you become a Baptist? What confuses you about your religion? Take the time to explore your own religious views and also the time to learn about others religious views. Understanding the religious views of others will allow you to become more accepting and more openminded.
22. Learn to say "no."
Be able to say no. Be able to say "no" to the friend who always wants you to go out, to the boss who asks you to complete extra work not, or to the organization constantly asking you to donate your time. While it may be hard to say no, it is perfectly okay to do so. Sometimes you have to say no in order to make time for yourself, make time for your family, make time to sleep, or find time to study- and that's perfectly okay.
23. Donate clothes that you rarely wear.
Those skinny jeans that have sat in your closet since senior year of high school may mean the world to someone who has recently lost their home or someone living in a shelter. If you haven't worn it in more than 6 months, consider donating it to a local shelter or organization.
24. Make keeping in contact with friends from high school and college a priority.
You will lose contact with many of your friends from college, if you don't make time for them or put effort into staying in touch. You'll go from being within walking distance to your closest friends to being miles - maybe even states - away from one another. Life happens- you are working a full-time job, maybe raising a family, possibly traveling- but it is important to make time for the people who matter most. Schedule time to Skype your college roommate, let friends know when you'll be near them, and try to make time to get lunch with friends that are within driving distance.
25. Accept things you cannot change.
Let go of grudges and accept that there are some people or situations that you may have difficulties with. As much as you may want to change or control the actions of others, you are only accountable for your own actions. You can control how you respond to situations and others. Learning to accept the things you cannot change will help you become more content and more positive.
