"Your 20s are your 'selfish' years. It's a decade to immerse yourself in every single thing possible. Be selfish with your time and all the aspects of you. Tinker with shit, travel, explore, love a lot, love a little and never touch the ground." — Kyoko Escamilla
1. Half-assed love
Although realization has probably set in that you are now 20 years old, and you may have gone two decades now without finding a significant other, there's no need to settle. If you find yourself in a non-ideal relationship with someone who doesn't give you what you deserve, please leave. Leave because you are young. Leave because you are possibly too young to give someone your full love and attention. Leave because you must first love yourself in order to love someone else. These years are for finding yourself and growing as an individual; therefore, it is completely all right to not know who you are yet. Being in a relationship that requires constant attention or leaves you feeling poorly about yourself or disappointed is something you should not settle for at 20 years old. Don't let the fear of being alone dictate your life.
2. Buying items for full price
This should be a go-to rule. Obviously it is more than OK to splurge once in a great while, but why pay full price for everyday clothing necessities when there are many stores willing to help a college student out with special discounts? Peep this list for some of these stores, and always carry your student ID, so you can take full advantage of this while you can!
https://www.giftcardgranny.com/blog/student-discounts/
3. Believing that this is how your life will always be
The future can be scary, but people get what they settle for. It's all right to live in a studio apartment or not get the job of your dreams right off the bat. Twenty is a stepping-stone age; you are not expected to peak today or tomorrow. Your long-term goals matter; no matter how unrealistic they may seem at this time in your life, you need to believe they will one day be reality.
4. Not allowing yourself to indulge in guilty pleasures.
You deserve you time. Whether your guilty pleasure is reading, writing, adventuring, taking the long way home in order to listen to your favorite song one more time when no one is around to hear you singing or even eating the last piece of chocolate — do it. Indulge in these guilty pleasures because, after all, they are what make you the person you are, and it is important to realize at a young age that it's the little things that make this life special.
5. Being too comfortable with your life.
Honestly, if something scares you, you should try it. You're too young to be content with your life; you should be excited because you don't have as much to lose as you will someday, so why not give it a shot?
6. Surrounding yourself with people who diminish your self-worth.
At this age, friendships require upkeep, but it's definitely worth it. With that being said, it is easier to see who your true friends are, the constants in your life who belong in your life no matter the distance. Although it may be hard letting go of certain friendships, if there are people in your life who belong in the past, let them stay there. Invest in people who invest in you.
"There's a big difference between settling and being truly happy. Life is short, never settle for less than you deserve."
