“I look back on my twenties. It’s supposed to be the prime of your life, the most vital, the most beautiful. But you’re making your critical decisions and sometimes your most critical mistakes.” -Ann Brashares.
Life as a young person is an exciting experience, especially when you fall within 20-30 years. Yes, those years are usually the most thrilling and adventurous years of every person.
There are so many things to do in your twenties, and the list never seems to get exhausted. Everything from fun experiences in high school to getting a diploma and working on a project you are passionate about is one of the things that make being in your twenties cool!
Why You Should Be Intentional In Your 20s
Your twenties are also your most unstable years because of the many changes you will be experiencing. You’d probably get your first job or your house during those years.
However, with all the excitement, fun, and adventures, it is easy to forget that your twenties are your most delicate years. Whatever decision you make in your twenties would most likely affect the direction of the remaining part of your life.
It would be unwise to waste most of your twenties on frivolous activities that do not have long-term benefits for your future. Of course, no one is trying to stop you from having all the fun you want, but it is wiser to prepare for your future early.
20 Things To Do In Your 20s
You might be wondering, “Where do I start? How do I know what I should be doing with my time as a person in their twenties?”
This article will answer all your questions, quench your doubts and leave you with a more transparent lens on things to do with your twenties.
1. Be Willing To Explore
The last time I checked, Earth is a large and beautiful planet with much to see, touch, and experience. In your twenties, one thing to do is choose to live and enjoy this planet to the max.
The world is so huge, and they are a lot that you have not seen, heard, or even knew existed.
So apart from the fact that exploring this vast planet would be super fun, it will also improve your exposure and widen the horizon of everything you know before.
A great way to start is by choosing to open your mind to trying out new things. Yes, traveling is an excellent option on the list—a step beyond your comfort zone and desire to see life from a curious perspective.
Try out new food, meet new people, and visit the coolest and oddest places. Then, decide to relish and enjoy every moment like a child who is awestruck by the Wonders of this planet. Life is short, and you don’t want yours to be a dull experience.
Here’s a piece of advice: as long as it strikes your curiosity or tickles your fancy, you should try it! So there you have it.
Allowing yourself to explore the wonders of our beautiful planet is one of the fun things to do in your 20s that will leave you with fulfillment and satisfaction.
2. Take Risks And Push Your Limits
Like exploring, taking risks falls among the many nerve-wracking things to do in your 20s. Yes, I said it. But, risks are a part of the many things that makes existence fun.
The thrill of unpredictability and uncertainty should encourage you to find out the outcome of that risk, not a reason to find out. A little secret? You will never find out what you are truly capable of doing until you take risks.
A great way to discover your personality strengths and weaknesses is to take a risk that pushes your limits and what you know to be the norm.
It won’t only help you see life from an entirely new perspective but also equip you to handle a situation better.
Are you terrified of taking enormous leaps for fear of how the turnout might be? Shut out that voice of considering the outcome and focus on the thrill and experience of attempting that risk.
If you succeed, it counts as a win for you. If you fail, don’t give in and try again. Moreover, taking that risk will leave you with one less item on your “things to do in your 20s bucket list.”
The most important thing is for you to enjoy the experience of taking that risk. Sometimes, you can’t tell till you try.
3. Get Educated
There are many things to do in your 20s to be successful, but here is one you do not want to leave out; getting educated. Getting an education is not bound to the confines of a school system.
Education is simply acquiring sufficient knowledge and skillsets that will be useful in your career path and growth as a productive member of society. You can achieve this by spending quality time reading books.
You can also explore other options like teaching yourself through online resources like YouTube or online and offline courses.
Getting a good education in your area of specialization will form the foundation for other things you might learn in the future. It will also make it easier for you to gain the respect and recommendation of people regarding your occupation and career.
4. Become More Responsible
A responsible person is a fellow who can be trusted to handle critical tasks and assignments or vital leadership positions.
Being afraid of taking responsibility is normal but avoiding the possibility of such in the nearest future is like refusing to accept the reality of aging.
Sooner or later, you will be saddled with responsibilities as you get older. Yes, one day, you will have a family or be a leader of some sort. Learning to think and behave responsibly will be helpful if you dedicate time to building.
Becoming a responsible person is an excellent example of things to do in your 20s. For instance, you can begin by taking responsibility for your habits and their influence on your life.
Adopting a pet can also be a great way of building the character of responsibility. Noticing that something is wrong at work that is within your power to correct and refusing to do so is not being responsible.
One of the signs of being a responsible person is your ability to make attempts to correct problems within your capacity to fix them without being told or instructed.
Choosing to be accountable will help you prepare to be a better leader and pacesetter in your life and society.
5. Build-Basic Life Skills
Basic life skills? Of course, you need those. Building basic life skills are part of the things to do in your 20s. Most young people forget that they won’t live with their parents forever.
Most do not possess essential life skills that will be needed when they eventually leave mommy and daddy behind. It will be easier for you to live a prosperous life when you have basic life skills.
Research shows that people who lack basic life skills make foolish decisions, waste money, increase debt, and make more mistakes than they should.
If there are things to start doing in your 20s, make sure building essential life skills are part of yours. Here are a few basic skills that you can consider learning.
- Communication and interpersonal skills.
- Problem-solving and decision-making.
- Critical thinking and creative thinking.
- Self-awareness and empathy.
- Finance management.
- Cleaning and organization.
- Assertiveness and equanimity, or self-control.
To help you survive anywhere, you need basic life skills. The earlier you learn and master them—the better.
6. Read Books
As a young person, you should know that not every habit, hobby, or activity will help your future positively. Hence, engaging yourself in activities that improve the state of your mind should be a norm, especially if you want to be successful.
One of such things to do in your 20s is to read books. In books, you have access to more information than you can imagine, which means that you can improve the quality of your life. The more you know, the more access to life-changing opportunities you can gain.
In our days, it gets even better. Our age provides the possibility of options. For example, you can choose to read books on your phone/laptop or decide to pick a hard copy of the book.
There are also the options of audiobooks. The essence of consuming books is to improve the quality of your life via the knowledge you gain from those books.
Hence an excellent example of productive things to do in your 20s is to read books. You can start by joining a book club that encourages reading or visiting the library often.
If you need suggestions on books that you can splurge on, you will find these compilations very helpful—The best finance books of all time and Personal Development books.
7. Hang Out And Network
One of the fantastic perks of being young is having enough time to meet different people with all their preferences, excesses, and beautiful personalities.
Unfortunately, most young people do not know that meeting the right people and spending time with them significantly influences our lives and even our future.
A famous proverb says,” if you walk with five wise people, you will become the sixth one.” Hence you might want to pay more attention to the people within your circle of friends.
Become more intentional about improving the quality of people that are your friends. Build quality relationships with people in your field of expertise and outside.
Learn to attend events, seminars, or meetings that will allow you to meet with the best kind of people. Don’t limit yourself to just your college and high school friends alone.
8. Discover Your Passion
Being human leaves us with a lot of interest hidden deep within our personalities. Just like mining gold, discovering your passions will require you to explore and dig into the cadres of your person.
Trust me; self-discovery is a process that takes time, and it is possible to discover what you are passionate about even at age 40. However, your 20s are better to look into yourself and begin to dig your passions out.
In my opinion, knowing more about yourself and your passions is one of the many good things to do in your 20s. Why? Discovering your passion can become a gateway to finding purpose or even a career path.
You stand to gain more by exploring the treasures within you rather than going on a wild goose chase to find love.
9. Learn To Spend Wisely, Invest And Build Financial Independence
Apart from getting to do cool and exciting stuff, your 20s are also those years where you need to begin to pay attention to your finances. So yes, one of the best things to do in your 20s is building your financial life.
Sooner or later, you will not have anyone to pay the bills or give you money to sponsor your lifestyle. So, the earlier you begin to work towards being financially independent, the better.
You have better chances of becoming wealthy in your 30s if you spend more time and attention building your finances in your 20s. You can begin by learning how to save.
Yes, saving is a wealth development skill as old as time; however, its effectiveness is as new as the morning sun. So make a conscious decision to save a certain percentage of whatever cash comes your way.
In the article —20 ways to save on a tight budget, it gives insight on how to save especially on a low-income. You can read it here. Another great way to build your finances is to improve your ability to recognize and take advantage of opportunities, invest, and spend wisely.
You might be shocked to find out how little you know about money and finances in general when you begin. But don’t be scared and discouraged. You have your entire life to get things right!
10. Cultivate Healthy Habits And Routines
“In a nutshell, your health, wealth, happiness, fitness, and success depend on your habits.” -Joanna Jast.
I had to put that quote up there to make it easier for you to recognize how powerful habits can be.
If practices can be very influential in the direction of a person’s life, then being careless about your habits can prove to be very hazardous for your future.
One of the things to do in your 20s to be rich, successful, and influential is to take control of your habits and channel your strengths towards making the best of your life.
It is commonly said that it takes 21 days for a new habit to be fully formed in an individual’s life. Thus, it implies that it doesn’t take much to declutter a toxic habit or create a new one.
All you need is willpower, consistency, and all the knowledge you can get about practices. You can start by laying hold of apps that can help you build good habits and get rid of harmful ones.
If you need assistance in building a new habit, I have taken the time to put this resource together that will help your habit-building journey.
Get The 21 Days To A New Habit resource here.
Whichever way you decide to start, you will get positive results! Once you begin to take charge of your habits, you will be amazed at how easy it is to get things done.
11. Explore Your Personality And Get To Know Yourself Better
You are in a better place to face life’s challenges when you have a better perspective of who you are.
Among the many things to do in your 20s, I consider knowing yourself very important. Because it will influence how much progress you will make over time.
I advise that you begin to make efforts to know yourself better. From today, choose to pay attention to the little details about yourself.
Things like your dislikes, passions, and irritations are essential facts that can help you find out more about yourself. Start engaging in self-evaluation activities, meditate often, and research more about your personality type.
Practice self-care and even seek help from a professional or someone who can guide you on a journey of discovery. It becomes easier to shake the world when you find out who you are.
12. Conquer Your Fears
Sometimes, we refuse to take specific steps that will help us in the long run because we are afraid. Let me point out that your fears will limit you more than people will.
One of the intelligent things to do in your 20s is to make a list of your worries and begin to take them down, one after the other.
You will be shocked at how fun and satisfying it is to bring down those walls in your mind and how relishing freedom is. Life is short, and choosing to let your fears hold you down will leave you with more regrets than you want in your 30s.
So, gather all the courage you have left and declare war on your fears. Refuse to be held down by them!
13. Pursue Your Dreams
In a world that has made having dreams feel unrealistic, I want to tell you that chasing your dreams remains a good decision. Unfortunately, there will be no one to console you if you choose not to go after your dreams.
Your dreams are a pointer to the deepest desires of your heart. And true satisfaction comes from the relish of seeing the pictures in our head playing out right in front of us.
Your 20s are a perfect time to begin the journey to turning those dreams into a reality. However, since doing so will not be an easy task, it is vital to know how to maintain focus and optimism.
My journey to getting the life of my dreams is a story filled with challenges. Still, I’ve learned that pursuing your dreams in your 20s is a huge deal, and the earlier you begin, the earlier you live your dream life!
14. Avoid Comparisons
A quick way to kill your joy as a person is to start comparing yourself. If there is one of the many things to do in your 20s that you should pay attention to, it’s this one.
Comparing the speed of your progress with others is unhealthy and will not help you build the life you desire. Comparisons are unrealistic because we can’t all walk at the same pace, and comparisons will only keep you frustrated.
Make an intentional decision to avoid comparisons at all costs, irrespective of their source. If you have to keep your circle small, then do just that.
Whatever source it is, cut it off! In your 20s, you need all the positive energy you can get, and comparison will not give you that.
15. Enjoy Family Time
Spending time with your family is one of the cool things to do in your 20s. You might not see the value in it, but it pays. The hard fact is; that you will not always be with your family.
So, you might want to spend more time strengthening your bond with them than severing it. Apart from how fun and annoying family can sometimes be, they are the only set of people who will stick up with you when things get sour.
Become intentional about your family members. Make time for family dinners and parties and spend more time with your parents. Once in a while, a gift can be an excellent way of showing your siblings or parent how much you love them.
16. Spend Reasonable Time Alone
As a young person, removing yourself from all the noise, the hustle and bustle is a necessary skill that you should have. Spending time alone will make it easier to clean off the distractions and keep your focus on what matters.
After a hard long day or before the day begins, cultivate the habit of spending time alone without mobile devices. You can combine it with exercise or even a walk.
Whenever you have the opportunity to spend time alone, engage in self-reflection and evaluation.
17. Find Balance
A common mistake young people make is to focus and input all their energy into building one area of their life while completely ignoring others.
If you want to live a more satisfying and accomplished life, one of the things to do in your 20s is to find your balance.
Learning how to live from a balanced perspective will enable you to juggle and handle your responsibilities, career, and personal goals without neglecting others and preventing burnout.
Soon enough, you will have a job, own a family, and do other duties. Learning balance in your 20s will make it easier to manage everything.
18. Cut Out Toxicity In Your Life
Toxicity in any form is dangerous for growth. It slows you down and creates unnecessary problems. Spend your 20s blocking every form of negativity.
Understanding how much toxicity affects you will place you in a better position to handle them. Your mental health is essential for your growth, and you must do what you can to protect it.
Once you observe that you feel sad, depressed, or discouraged because of a social media app or a group of friends, that’s a sign that you need to cut them off.
You don’t need to hear, see, or get involved in everything as a growing person. If it is not positive or healthy for your growth, get rid of it!
19. Tick Off Crazy Bucket List Ideas
As much as you should use the 20s for productive activities, you should also use them for the adventurous and fun stuff. We have all something that we have always wanted to do or try out.
One of the awesome things to do in your 20s is to try them out. Everything from wanting to eat a foreign dish or visiting a museum should be done, especially if they fall under your bucket list!
So as long as they don’t leave you dead or seriously injured, you should do them.
20. Prepare For Your Career Path
Here is one more out of the things to do in your 20s that you shouldn’t miss out on —preparing for your chosen career path.
Choosing to prepare early for your desired career will better handle jobs and open you to better opportunities.
You also get to develop first-hand experience and learn the basics of your career. Getting an education is a good and common way to start.
Volunteering, attending educative seminars, and participating in projects that will improve your resume and experience are viable ways to begin.
Conclusion
Your 20s are critical seasons that will form the significant path of your life as a person. Therefore, it would help if you began to take them seriously and do all you can to ensure that you make the best out of them.
Nevertheless, you have all the time to get your life figured it. It is a process. Don’t rush it. Be patient and enjoy watching yourself grow to a better version of yourself in the years to come.
Save this for later!
INSTAGRAM || FACEBOOK || TWITTER || PINTEREST || YOUTUBE Â || LINKEDIN