I turned 30 on 28^th April 2016!! 30! Everyone tells me 30s is the new 20s, so I am excited about it! To me honestly, age is just a number and I am always going to a kid at heart. I start counting down for my birthday from the beginning of the year and the entire month of April is full of celebrations for me!

20s definitely is an important decade in our life where we change and grow as a person and have many life experiences for the first time. Below I am listing some life lessons from my 20s. I hope they help you!!

Always keep your future in mind:

Whether you just graduated or are starting a new job, walking down the aisle or making a move, always have a long-term plan in mind. Always plan how your today will help build a better secure tomorrow.

Set a budget and start saving early:

Speaking from personal experience, graduating and getting a job with a steady income are very empowering! You will be very tempted to spend lots of money of things that seemed a little far-fetched when you were a university student. In the work environment, dressing up, makeup, having branded bags etc. are all important, but do not get carried away! Make different accounts to set aside a part your pay check for future needs, create a travel fund, a what-if fund (to use if you get laid off or need to quit your job for any reason) and also put aside some money for those unforeseen expenses that may come your way. Enjoy the rest of it, but do it mindfully. If you company participates in 401K definitely join them, since most companies match your contribution, why say no to free money!

If you want to study further, do it sooner than later:

It is easy to get carried away and keep on working because getting a paycheck every 2 weeks becomes a habit! We enjoy the security, the new-found freedom and the money, but often forget to plan for the future. It is much harder to go back to school in your late 20s or even 30s because you are more settled into your role at work and at home (husband, wife, father, mother).

Do not get bogged down by your job:

Do not be afraid to change jobs or look for new opportunities within your company if your current role one is not satisfying. Career graph needs to be steep in the first couple of years and it’s better to change sooner than later if you do not feel challenged or if your expectations are not being met. But first give yourself enough time to properly understand your present set of responsibilities so you do not miss out and make a wrong decision. The first couple of months are full of training and seldom a reflection of the actual work.

Set some rules and boundaries:

Have fun but do not be reckless. Always weigh the pros and cons before making a big decision and keep in mind that every action has an impact on you and on the people you love. So be responsible.

Have faith in yourself:

You are going to be ok! Even if you make mistakes in your 20s, you will learn from them and have your own set of advice for the younger lot. Basically have lots of fun in your 20s because going ahead you have to become responsible since you will have a lot of people depending on you in the future.

Workout and plan towards a healthy future:

Many say we look our best in our 20s, so now is the time for you to invest in your looks and general well-being. Metabolism is at its highest so losing weight is much easier now than later in life. Trust me on this! LOL!!

For some workout motivation, check out my blog post using the link: https://raindropstosunshine.wordpress.com/2016/05/08/workout-motivation

Last but not the least, Travel:

I cannot emphasis this enough. We did a lot of traveling within the US and around the Caribbean but regret not going to Europe and seeing more of other countries in general!! I have been to Europe and South East Asia on family vacations when I was in school, but I definitely want to go back and experience all that has changed as well as explore things based on my current interests. Having changed many jobs and being restricted by H1B Visa, we weren’t able to go out of the country as much we would have liked to. But it’s never too late to travel, to experience new things so it’s definitely on my list of things to do in my 30s!

I would love to hear what lessons did you learn from your 20s? And, if you are in your 20s, I hope these were helpful to atleast some of you 🙂 20s is a wonderful decade, enjoy it to the fullest!! Cheers!