While it’s possible to improve yourself and change your life at any time, some habits are better started today than tomorrow.
And what time is better than your twenties? I call this age the “Golden Age” because it’s the time where you have fewer responsibilities, you can try a lot of things that many people can’t try, and you have fewer things to lose if you fail.
The habits mentioned in this article will change your life. Some of them will improve your skills, some of them will help you get a better life, and others are just for fun and taking challenges.
So let’s dive in.
1- Allow Yourself To Fail
Failure is not the opposite of success, it’s a part of success. When we understand this, we will not be afraid of failing. Have you ever asked yourself this question, “Why most people don’t succeed in life?”. It’s simply because they don’t allow themselves to fail. They’re afraid of failure.
You want to start a business, work out in the gym, write a book, or give a lecture, but you’re afraid of failure.
Failure is not a shame. It’s a lesson to be learned of what doesn’t work. You didn’t fail, but you learned a valuable lesson. A lesson that most people are not willing to learn.
2- Take Good Care of Your Health
Research shows that chasing money is the number one cause of depression among Millenials. The dream of being a millionaire or starting a business.
We lose our health to make money, then we spend all our money hoping to get our health back. But we can’t.
Not taking good care of your health is one of the things you will regret later in life. Going to the gym or going for a quick run every day has a good impact on your health.
Research shows that being active reduces stress and improves your capabilities of handling stressful situations. So move your body, eat well, and take care of your health.
3- Learn More Skills Than You Currently Need
Learning to code, edit videos, or learning a new language is never a waste of time. Having a life-long learning mindset will change your life and make you competent in any field you get into.
Whether you’re looking for a job, building a business, or even starting a YouTube channel, these skills will make you ahead of your competitors.
4- Develop Healthy Sleeping Habits
One of the bad ideas that I’ve been trying to stop doing during the last months is using my phone before bed. I tried putting an off time at night where I put my phone on the desk 3 hours before sleep and never touch it until the next day.
This habit was challenging for me because sometimes I have some work urgent work that needs to be done today or if I want to read books or watch a lecture or something useful on my phone.
I have to admit that doing this affects my sleep quality during the night. I can’t fall asleep quickly and then wake up tired and lazy.
It’s no secret that developing good sleeping habits will make you more productive during the day. It requires some discipline, but it’s worth it.
5- Ditch Your Toxic Friends
There’s nothing worse in this life than having toxic friends who make fun of you all the time. They make you feel bad, they don’t believe in anything you do, and they make you more stressed.
Ditch them!
Having no friends is better than having toxic friends.
But here’s the good news: Good friends are everywhere.
You don’t see them now because you’re focusing on those toxic people around you. Once you stop focusing on them and look far, you will see a lot of supporting friends who share similar interests with you, love to hang out with you as much as you do, and they will support you when you need them.
Don’t be afraid of losing those toxic friends. Losing them is a win for you!
6- Travel As Much As You Can
I’m the last person who should give this advice. I only went out of my city once in my life, and never traveled abroad in my life. But I’m willing to change that. I still have time.
Traveling around the world or simply going to other places inside your country will give you a better view of the world. How people live, how they think, and what they eat. You will realize that the world has a lot more in it than just going to work every day. And that there are a lot of people who live less than you but are happier.
Traveling can be cheap. You don’t have to travel in First Class or go to a luxurious hotel. You can travel on a budget. And the internet has a lot of resources on how to do that.
7- Have Multiple Mentors
A mentor is usually a more experienced person that guides you so that you can develop professionally.
If you’re building a business, a mentor can be a successful business owner. If you’re learning a new language, a mentor is someone who speaks 7+ languages fluently.
The same thing goes with every other field.
You can get a mentor by simply showing your value and your willingness to succeed. And more importantly, by showing how much you value what that mentor is doing. I also recommend you ask people who’re not too ahead of you. I mean, don’t ask Elon Musk to be your mentor, he probably doesn’t have time to even read your email.
Most people are willing to help, even with a small piece of advice or a 10-minute call. Just make sure you don’t ask too much at once. And don’t make them feel you’re going to waste a lot of their time.
8- Reading Books
When you read a book, you’re absorbing the knowledge and experience the author has gained in 20 or 30 years of his life. That knowledge is then organized for you in one book.
If you think about it like this, your view of reading books will change. You will not read books just to reach your goal of reading 15 books this year. You will read books to learn and to gain experience with every book you read.
If you’re a beginner, I advise you to start easy. Start with a topic you enjoy reading about. And aim for small goals like reading 2 pages every day, then increase your goal over time. You can use a habit tracker app to help you track your progress.
9- Writing
Whether it’s blogging, journaling, or simply tweeting, writing will help you communicate ideas with those who share the same interests as you.
Everyone has stories to share, and writing can help you make new friends who enjoy reading what you write. You don’t have to be a best-selling author to write something interesting. People from all over the world and from different cultures share their thoughts on Medium and almost none of them is a best-selling author.
Don’t be afraid. Give it a shot, and it will make a difference in your life.
10- Teaching People
Research shows that teaching people is the best way to memorize the information you learn. Not only that, if you’re trying to sell your services to customers you need to establish a personal brand and show yourself as the expert in your field.
How to do that?
Give away free information. You can do that by sharing your knowledge on YouTube or simply by teaching a group of people in real life.
11- Try Out A Variety of Jobs
Trying a variety of jobs, especially in your 20s, is the best way to discover your skills early in life. Having variety in your work means that you’ll get to encounter different situations with different problems, forcing you to get creative to solve them.
This will help you get higher-quality jobs in the long term.
12- Live Somewhere Else
Have you ever tried living outside your country for a few months? Experiencing new cultures, new foods, and a new style of life will help you get out of the routine and maybe start a new fresh life if that’s what you’re looking for.
13- Learn More About Yourself
Learning more about yourself will help you set clear goals in life and it will make you independent of the opinions of others. As a result, you will be more confident and you will understand what motivates you to do what you do in life.
And remember, in order to be yourself you need to learn more about yourself.
14- Apologize For Your Mistakes
There’s nothing wrong with doing mistakes. But make sure to develop a habit of apologizing to the people who care about you. Apologizing can help you to act better in the future, maintain your self-respect, and restore your integrity in the eyes of others.
15- Help People In Need
Helping people in need is not only good for them but also will make you happier and healthier too. Anyone who works in charities will tell you about the joy they feel when they see the smile of people in need.
You don’t have to work in charities to help people. You can help a friend, a neighbor, or anyone who needs help. Even a positive word to a depressed person will make you feel happy.
Try it!
16- Spend More Time With Your Family
No one looks back from their deathbed and wishes they spent more time at the office, but they do wish they spent more time with family, friends, and hobbies.
Make sure to spend more time with your family because your time with them is limited. Chasing money should never be a goal for anyone. Spending 1 hour with your family will make you happier than working 1 additional hour for extra cash.
Yet, we choose the latest.
And that’s a big mistake.
17- Improve Your Morning Routine
Your morning routine can make or break your day. Starting your morning correctly will help you jump-start your day and make you more productive.
Last week, I wrote an article about the habits successful people use to jump-start their days. It’s worth reading.
18- Spend Less Time On Social Media
Studies show that people who spend more time on social media experience increased stress and anxiety. Social media is full of fake news, fake people, and fake lives.
What do you expect from reading sad tragedies or comparing your life to other people?
Stress, depression, and sadness.
Is this what you want?
Of course not.
There are a lot of things that can fill your time better than scrolling through your feed. I will let you discover them.
19- Don’t Listen To What People Think
One reason why you shouldn’t listen to what people think is that you should trust your intuition. It’s your own life. You have a dream and a goal you want to achieve. And it’s up to you to decide how to make it a reality.
It’s okay to listen to the advice of people who have more experience than you but don’t let them dictate what you should do. Make sure they give you advice, not orders.
20- Accept Being a Beginner At Something
Every expert was a beginner at some point. So whether you’re learning to code or starting a business, it’s completely okay to be a beginner and make mistakes.
The only way to avoid making mistakes is to never do anything. You don’t want to be that person.
Try new things. And then try, try, and try again. That’s the only way to learn.
That’s it for this article. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
