4 Pieces of Advice Every 20 Year Old Needs to Hear

If there’s anything I’ve learned in the past decade of my life, it’s that there’s no set path to success or happiness. It takes most of us a lot of time and effort to find what fulfills us, and when we’re starting out in our 20’s it’s all the more confusing to hear conflicting messages from friends, family, media, etc.!

While I’m not perfect and definitely don’t know everything, I know that our individual experiences are extremely valuable. They define us and teach us a lot about ourselves. I’m just now figuring out my 30’s, but looking back on my 20’s there are a lot of things I’ve learned and wish someone would have told me.

Of all the things I’ve learned for myself through trial and error, these 4 pieces of advice are the key ones I can give you. If anything I hope it will give you something to think about and help you face this stage in life and be the best version of the rad human you are!

1. Experiment

Our 20’s should be for major experimenting to find out who we are - or, just as importantly, who we’re not. Society usually expects us to make some big decisions as soon as we’re finished grinding through high school. But the reality is that most of us have no idea what we want! We spend years taking instruction from teachers, parents, and everyone around us. But what happens if we never get out there and really ask ourselves the serious questions about what we want from life?

Well, we’re far more inclined to follow the safe route. We’ll immediately jump into college, look for a stable job, and do whatever everyone around us is doing. This is certainly not a bad thing on its own, but it's also important to realize that this isn’t the only option out there and that the “norm” is far from a one-size fits all solution to life. There’s also very little that’s safe, secure, and predictable in life, jobs included.

My advice? Figure out who you are before going to university. Give yourself a break from school and society telling you what to do. Take a year off and go somewhere new, pick up some new hobbies or courses, open your mind, and gain more perspective on yourself and your life.

Not only will this make you a more well-rounded, experienced individual, but it will also make you far more equipped and confident in what you decide to commit to later on. Employers will likely think the same.

Oftentimes the best way to know who we are is to be exposed to different experiences and know who we’re not!

2. Own Your Individuality

Learning to be your own authentic, quirky, individual self is so important! Confidence in the things that make you different can be hard for anyone to accept, especially if you’ve grown up feeling like an outcast. Many of us might find that we just don’t “fit” into society in the same way as those around us and I think this is a really important gift.

Why? Because maybe your naturally “different” way of looking at things will help you see solutions and solve problems in ways no one else can. Maybe you’ll be invaluable to people you love because of your quirks and unique way of seeing experiencing the world.

If you start putting yourself into the “expected” box early on you might never become the most real and powerful version of you. If you have the potential to be a happier, more fulfilled version of yourself by living in accordance with your authentic self, why not do this?

Having the courage to be your unique self and trying to fit into a society or system that doesn’t suit you are both going to be very uncomfortable. But at some point, you’ll have to decide which of the two is the most worth being uncomfortable for.

Many people prefer to go with the crowd, others to do their own thing. Neither of these choices are wrong, just find what really works best for you and be confident in it!

3. Travel

This personally has been a huge one for me and something I’m still really passionate about. Furthermore, travel is far more affordable than living in one place full time depending on how you do it and can really open your eyes to what all is out there.

Musical residencies, volunteering, housesitting, etc. are great ways to travel and have accommodation covered, and in some instances meals as well. Some countries might have a much lower cost of living than your home country and could make it much easier to stay.

My recommendation is to find a place that scares you a little bit (that is safe, of course) and commit for a year. Find a job, work on a second language, and immerse yourself into a completely different way of living for a while!

4. Start an Online Business

Personally I don’t believe there really is any such thing as job security. The world can be a pretty crazy place and, as I’m sure we’ve all experienced this year, nothing is certain. There’s a major long-term benefit in being able to create your own job security and opportunities and that has been one of the single greatest things I’ve done for myself.

It can take anywhere from 2-10 years of learning and acquiring the skills necessary to build your own empire.

There are millions of ways to make money online and should be one of your first things to look into. It’s also a great avenue if you have something you’re really passionate about, have a unique skill, etc. to support the lifestyle you choose for yourself.

Building a successful online business was something I figured out after a lot of mistakes and even just finding what I was passionate about, what I was good at, and how I could add value to other people. Some of the biggest successes I’ve had has come from my Advanced Selfie University, #Blessed Instagram University, and my most recent Public Figure Bootcamp where I help students streamline their online success.

Conclusion:

Some of these things will possibly cause some conflict with family and friends in your life and they may judge you harshly for your decisions. But it’s your life to live, not anyone else’s and you only have one shot at it!

Make yourself happy and don’t wait for anyone to give you permission to strike out the path that makes your life worth living every day.

As mentioned above, I offer this advice only to give some perspective to alternative ways of living and approaching this wild time of life called your 20’s. What I’ve done is certainly not for everyone and if after you reading this you think, “Noooo way, none of this is for me” then all the more power to you for knowing that.

But if this strikes a chord with you and makes you start questioning how you could be living more in tune with your authentic self, then also more power to you! You’re just one step closer and I’m thrilled for you!

There is no clear cut path for any of us. You have to make your own and know that regardless of how you do it you’ll make mistakes, learn, grow, and keep moving forward with what you want from life.

I have all of the faith in the world in you!

All the best,
Sorelle