If no one has told you, your 20s are NOT a time to waste. As a twenty-something myself, I have witnessed and participated in the act of wasting time in these prime years.
Where young adults get it wrong is assuming that time is on their side and the world moves at their demand.
This is the time that we enjoy the parties, our unpredictable love lives, and the freedom of being able to FINALLY do what we want. That is inevitable of being a young adult.
But often, we live life carefree and tell ourselves we’ll get it together when we turn 30. This type of thinking is totally incorrect.
In order to get our lives set up for future success, we must make the necessary sacrifices early on to truly reap the benefits later.
No one just wakes up with a career, the perfect family, and a Range Rover. It is worked diligently for. Here’s how you can start making the right sacrifices in your 20s to have what you want in the years to come.
Know your distractions and establish limitations
Many of us spend the majority of our time scrolling through social media, on FaceTime with our summer bae, or binge-watching a new series on Netflix. The only time we decide to get productive is when it is required of us, and yet we still wait until 11 to start on a paper due at 11:59.
If you truly want to have a great life waiting for you on the other side of 30, you should stop allowing yourself to get distracted by miscellaneous tasks.
If your friends’ weekly invite to lunch throws you off of your productivity, you may need to start telling them no thanks to Chipotle on Wednesdays. This doesn’t mean you’ll never see them again or your social life has found its way into the trash, this just means you’re making a meaningful and necessary sacrifice.
Let your friends know you still love them, but you’d have to find another day to meet up for lunch or even change the time to dinner.
Knowing what your mission requires of you and how much time is available
It takes more time than you think to get to a comfy position in any aspect of your life. You have to consistently learn as much as you can, gain the experience necessary, enhance your skill set and even fail a few times before you’ve got it down pact.
With all of that to look forward to, there’s no time to sit around waiting for handouts. (News flash, they’ll never come.)
Before you think there’s not much on the line you have to give up, your dream of becoming the next Beyonce may require more than what you’re assuming. Whatever your goal is, you must change the bare essentials of your life according to its intensity.
How you choose to use your time, energy, money, and knowledge determine exactly what your future will look like.
For example, with your time, begin to spend at least 70% of it on things that will make your life better now and for your future. Make sure you get enough sleep at night so you can be energized in the morning and are able to focus throughout the day. Instead of spending your money every time your check comes in, start saving and investing it into your future. Choose to always seek knowledge whether it comes in a form of taking an e-course or registering for the fall semester at a community college.
Place value on your future by changing the basics in your life to productive non-negotiables.
You will reap every seed you sow
Listen, no one is saying that you can’t enjoy your life or you should spend every second on the grind — you’d be considered a robot at that point.
But there are life-long benefits that come with sacrificing your “wants” in your prime. I know you’re thinking that your crappy job at McDonald’s isn’t going to help you build a career in fashion, but it’ll sure help you pay for your website expenses for your fashion blog. So before you feel like you’re missing out on yet another frat party, just think about the fabulous soirees you’ll be attending in just a few short years.
Remember, sacrifices are only for a short period of time. Sacrifices are temporary, the rewards are yours to enjoy forever.
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