10 Non-Negotiable Things You Need To Do In Your Twenties To Not End Up Regretting Your Thirties

Most people characterize their twenties with bad beer, great memories, small paychecks, and lots of mistakes. But this special period of your life is also the ideal time for self-discovery and exploration. Figuring out who you are and what you want out of life is one of the most important things you can do to set yourself up for success later on. By following these 10 non-negotiable items, you’ll be more than ready to conquer your thirties and start living a life that excites you.

1. Determine Your Values

Spend some time figuring out what matters most to you. Your values are the ingredients that make up your life. They’re the things that make you the happiest and make you feel most like yourself. They’re things like family, creativity, travel, and spontaneity. When you learn your values, you can start to build a life around them. They’re the guideposts that ensure you’re on the right track.

2. Get In Alignment

Once you determine your values, make sure you’re actually living them in your daily life. Do you value music? Make sure you play every day. Value adventure? Plan a vacation. Freedom? Quit your ball and chain job. Examine your life and see where you are out of alignment. And then be brave enough to fix it. Otherwise, you’ll end up living a watered-down version of someone else’s life.

3. Figure Out Your Finances

You don’t have to pay off all your debt or have a certain amount of money in the bank. You do have to know what your financial situation is, and what your monetary goals are. How much do you need to make in order to live the life you’re dreaming of? What’s one step you can take to help make that happen?

4. Find Your People

Who would you call if you got arrested? Got kicked out of your house? Were broken up with over a text message? These are your people. Once you find them, do not let them go. Show up for them whenever and however you can. You can’t do it alone.

5. Learn to Accept Your Body

Life is too short to hate what you look like. Promise yourself that you will at least try to make peace with your appearance. Stop associating your self-worth with the number on the scale. Stop avoiding mirrors and actually get in the picture. No matter what it looks like, your body is your greatest gift. Stop making it your biggest enemy.

6. What Are Your Life Goals? What are your hopes and dreams? What’s something you want to accomplish before you die? This is the time to dream big. Figure out what makes your heart come alive. Dream big and don’t hold back. You can’t get what you want if you don’t have the courage to ask for it.

7. Learn To Say No

One of the biggest lessons you’ll ever learn is that you can’t please everyone. It’s a tough pill to swallow, especially if you’re a people pleaser. But learning to say no and protecting your time and energy is a huge asset that you’ll use again and again throughout your life. Boundaries are everything, and learning to say no is crucial to your wellbeing.

8. Develop A Self-Care Routine

Exercise, meditate, cook, read, journal, paint. Find the things that make you feel comforted and at peace. Learn how to make yourself feel better. Learn how to energize yourself. Learn what makes you feel exhausted. Study yourself with curiosity and care and develop tools you can use to make yourself as happy and successful as possible.

9. Hold Yourself Accountable

What are your standards for your behaviors and your actions? Write them down. Commit them to memory. Promise yourself that you will abide by them no matter what. Live with your own definition of integrity and grace.

10. Learn How To Forgive Yourself

The fact of the matter is, you will mess up…a lot. Find a way to make peace with your shortcomings. Remember that you’re doing the best you can. No matter what happens, don’t abandon yourself. Learn to become your own best friend.