I found this online somewhere. Maybe someone posted it on Facebook? I'm not really sure. Anyway, I read it and I think it's totally applicable to me and my life. So really this post is for me to come back and read occasionally since I only have 2.25 years left in my 20's, but for all of my fellow 20-somethings that read the blog, enjoy as well. :)
15 Ways 20-Somethings Ruin Their Twenties
1. Letting themselves get out of shape. If you’ve ever watched
The Biggest Loser and
questioned the contestants desire, based on their struggles — you’ve
never been out of shape. You’ll find that the rumors are true, and your
metabolism moves slower than a snail at the DMV as you get older. If you
continue
washing down brownies with Mountain Dew and discounting the value of
working out, you will pay. I assure you that once you’ve officially
gotten out of shape, it’s
so much harder to get fit. The mere sight of a treadmill will make you want to run anywhere but on it.
2. Spending substantial amounts of money on farfetched concepts. Buying several lottery tickets, playing the
slot machines
and joining pyramid schemes are all poor decisions, with slim chances
of making profit. (Heads Up: 99% of well-dressed individuals who
approach you with a business proposal/job opportunity just want you to
help them build an unprofitable pyramid.)
3. Staying involved in destructive relationships. In middle school
and high school, everyone dated everyone — but your 20s should see
stricter standards and principles enforced. There’s no sense in being
with someone whom you can’t picture yourself
happily with in
the foreseeable future. Don’t get me wrong, fixing damaged relationships
is great; but trying to glue back a thousand broken pieces while
getting cut in the process is unhealthy.
4. Cohabitating with a lover whom you’re not married to. Often
couples convince themselves that moving in together is a splendid idea,
when that’s not always the case. Sure, some live happily together, but
it’s not for everyone. Be certain that you’re not rushing into things.
It’s not as simple as sharing a shower, owning his and hers robes, and
having sex frequently. Many characteristics are revealed, and obnoxious
habits are exposed. Living with a significant other too early can be
detrimental to the entire relationship.
5. Accepting and embracing drama. When you graduate high school, the
cattiness and immaturity proceed to follow some. We have to refuse to be
a part of any high school level shenanigans. Hearsay, gossip,
he-said-she-said — all those bastards got a diploma and followed some
miserable souls well into their 20s. It’s a matter of rejecting the
slightest hint of drama, and wisely refusing to speak, act, or feel
anything based off of it.
6. Settling for a subpar job that makes you miserable. Hard work and
dedication, no matter who the employer, are admirable traits. If you
find yourself performing unhappily at a place, be certain that you’re
just doing so as a means to get by until you can pursue your personal
goals. Every opportunity to take a shot at your dream career should be
greeted passionately by you. Too often people forget that the 20s are an
ideal decade for trial and error. Test things out, then fail or
succeed.
7. Putting excessive amounts of value in attention received on social
networks. Gauging your popularity and significance by the amount of
likes your Facebook statuses got. Feeling physically unappealing because
your Instagram photo — which you spent an absurd amount of time
selecting an effect for — didn’t get a satisfying amount of compliments
and responses.
8. Being a pushover. Little things like accepting the wrong drink at
Starbucks, or pretending not to notice someone cutting you in line
aren’t crucial. The issue is the snowball effect that follows. People
see that you’ll give an inch, so they’ll greedily take a mile. In
today’s world, it’s hard to be nice without
somebody trying to
take advantage of your kindness. Establish firm limitations that people
know better than to cross. It might take temporary sternness, but in the
long run it’ll pay off.
9. Taking pride in being widely considered a b-tch or a d-ck. Why
being loathed (for good reason) has become a fad is beyond me, but it’s
definitely a thing. It’s fantastic to be who you are, but to consciously
treat people sh-tty and then brag about having “haters” is just dumb.
Nobody is invincible — so continuously pouring gasoline, lighting
matches and burning bridges will come back to haunt anyone eventually.
10. Being self-destructive. Continuing personally damaging conduct,
with no intentions of stopping can have a lasting effect on your 20s.
Getting arrested, pissing off friends, being irresponsible with finances
— these are just a few of the seemingly infinite ways to ruin one’s
self.
11. Passing on spontaneous adventures and the opportunity to
experience new things. If friends are taking an impromptu trip to a
nearby city, pack a small bag and roll with. These little things are
what make the decade. Beyond the inside jokes and perspective on classic
stories that you’ll miss out on, you’ll lack good times. If serious
responsibility isn’t withholding your presence, then nothing else should
be. Attend gatherings, give unfamiliarity a chance and build a résumé
of awesome memories.
12. Remaining bitter. If you’re still angry with the ex from over
five years ago, or badmouthing the company that didn’t hire you — do
yourself and those around you a favor by stopping. The anger is
unhealthy to hold on to, plus it makes you a misery to be around. Bitter
passes are typically handed out to the freshly dumped, or recently
rejected — but in time you must forgive or forget. Whichever you choose;
be firm on it.
13. Making yourself difficult to love. By being shutdown and
over-complicated, you create a seemingly impenetrable shirt, doused in
cupid repellant. We all struggle in our own unique, disastrous ways —
the key is to fix them. Making yourself available, approachable and
open/honest will work wonders for your love life.
14. Being a pessimistic, opinionated hater. Yeah, that’s something we
all want to be around in our spare time. Every movie out isn’t
terrible, every song isn’t garbage. This personality type is in for a
reality check when eventually
nobody wants anything to do with ‘em.
15. Spending large chunks of time dreaming about a utopic, perfect
world in which everything is just peachy. Having high hopes and
aspirations for the future is a great thing, it’s just important to draw
the line of frequency somewhere. Picturing a fantasy land in which you
own nice things, are surrounded by beautiful people and have Uncle
Scrooge sized piles of money isn’t going to bring those things to
fruition. The dreaming is the easy part, it’s the living that requires
some heavy lifting and effort.
