26 tips for survival in your 20s.

26 tips for survival in your 20s.

1. Nurture relationships with (at least

four) close friends. You will need them

when the going gets rough.

2. Nurture relationshi7ps with old

professors. You will need them when

filling out job and school applications.

3. Break up with that person who is

wasting your time. Also, if your ex has

moved on, you should too.

4. Open a savings account and put 10% of

everything you make into it (even that

birthday money from Granny). Also,

establish a regular pattern of giving to

causes you believe in.

5. Eat a plant every day. At least,

something that grew from a plant: fruit,

vegetable, legume, etc.

6. Drink a glass of water in between each

alcoholic drink.

7. Stay active. Pick a sport or form of

exercise that you love/tolerate and

continue to do it throughout your 20’s.

You’re never too old to join a flag football

team, and never too young to join a

bowling league.

8. Perfect the art of kissing.

9. If it’s cold outside, wear reasonable

clothing. There’s a time and a place to be

cute, but let’s be real: pneumonia is never

cute.

10. Forgive people who hurt you in the

past. Ancient wounds will only eat you

alive. And those jerks have no right to

control your future.

11. Pay off your student loans by the time

you’re 30.

12. Get mono. If you survive it once,

you’re set for life.

13. Seek out a mentor – an older, wiser

person who has an objective view on your

life (preferably not your parents).

14. Get some good anti-virus and security

software on your computer.

15. Remember this: life is too short to

stay at parties that are lame.

16. Keep all your tax forms in one place,

so that you can pull out last year’s as

needed (yes, you can be audited in your

20’s).

17. Emergency contacts. When you travel

(as we 20-somethings do), bring a card

with emergency contact numbers to be

able to cancel your credit cards and

phone. Keep this in a different place than

your passport, credit cards, and cell

phone.

18. Back up your computer files.

Technology fails.

19. Be humble. Clearly we DO know

everything in our 20’s, but humility will

sail you far in the real world.

20. Live as simply as possible. Having

less stuff frees you up to be able to pack

up and go wherever you want whenever

you want. Reducing your expenses allows

you to do the crazier stuff that makes

your 20’s memorable (see #17).

21. Do not live too far in the past (in

memories or regrets), nor too far in the

future (in expectations or anxieties). Be

present. Cultivate mindfulness, while

you’re eating, working, spending time with

friends, or suffering through another

holiday dinner with family.

22. Learn to cook. This is cheaper, easier,

and sexier than going out for food all the

time ... or than relying on your mom to

make your meals.

23. Pray. Find a mechanism to connect

with your spiritual side and be

unapologetic about it ... it’s like free

therapy any time you want!

24. Professional growth. We’ve all got to

pay our dues at crappy jobs, but if yours

is truly stealing your soul, give yourself a

time limit there. Your 20’s are too

precious to spend cooped up in an office

you hate. Also, take mental health days

when you need them!

25. Consider what your dream job is

before you get that tattoo . Are they

compatible?

26. Don’t plan too far ahead. Do you have

a 10-year plan? That’ll change. If you put

all your trust in well-laid plans, you risk

falling to pieces if they do too.