25 Things I've Learned By 25

In no particular order:

1. You are your biggest advocate.

Surround yourself with supportive people, but at the end of the day, it’s up to you. No one can force you to get your butt off the couch and start working towards your goals.

2. Just write it down.

You may think you can remember it, but you won’t.

3. Keep a planner or agenda.

I’m a pen and paper girl, so I love having a physical planner to help me keep track of all my important dates and events.

4. Remember what is truly important.

Life can get crazy and busy, and there may be stacks of to-do lists on your plate. Don’t forget to take a step back to remember what’s really important. Take care of yourself, take care of your relationships, the rest can usually wait.

5. Keep your space clean - mentally and physically.

Make it a habit to tidy your space every day. Declutter and refresh your mind by journaling, meditating, and/or praying.

6. Practice the 5 minute rule.

If a task can be completed in 5 minutes or less, do it right away. There’s no real reason to put it off, and truth is, you probably aren’t in that big of a rush that it can’t be done.

7. Along with that, follow the one touch rule.

Avoid touching things more than once after you’re done using them. Clean up your clutter as you go, and you won’t have to worry about cleaning a whole house of clutter later.

8. Make your bed in the morning.

Such an easy way to have a productive morning and check something off your list.

9. Drink plenty of water!

It’s the true adult drink.

10. Keep a budget.

Even if you don’t struggle with your finances, it’s always good to know where you spend your money.

11. Never take anything for granted.

I think 2020 taught us this one pretty well. 2019 me would have never thought we would be where we are today.

12. Move your body.

Exercise has amazing mental and physical benefits. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy; just 10 minutes of stretching or walking will have such a positive impact on your well-being.

13. Focus on the “why”.

Why are you doing the things you’re doing in your life? Does it bring you joy or are you doing it because you think it’s the right or cool thing to do?

14. Get outside.

As someone who works from home on a normal basis (not just during Covid), I could go days without leaving my apartment. Make an effort to get some fresh air and sun every day, whether that’s eating lunch outside or taking your dog for a quick walk around the block.

15. Be kind.

You don’t know what other people are struggling with.

16. Choose your words carefully.

You don’t always need to say everything you want to say. And have the courage to say the things that need to be said that you don’t necessarily want to say.

17. People aren’t really that focused on you.

Not in a mean way, but no one nit-picks at your words/actions/appearance like you do. So stop being embarrassed about that one thing you did in the 7th grade. I promise you, no one remembers.

18. Not everyone who is “nice” to you deserves your time and attention.

I’m a people-pleaser so I like to make people happy. But not everyone is going to have your best interest in mind. Trust your gut and don’t let people use you.

19. Start saving early.

I wish I had started saving earlier than I did. It may not feel like the fun thing to do at the time, but down the road when you need to pay for an unexpected expense or buy a house or car, you’ll be thankful you have that money available.

20. Stop worrying about the future and just enjoy the now.

It’s so easy for us to constantly worry about what’s next in our lives - where do we see ourselves in the next 5 years - without realizing that we’re right in the middle of what we used to look forward to. Like I just freaking bought a house, something I’ve been dreaming about since I was a kid, and all I can think about is: “What’s next?” Are you kidding me?

21. To have friends, you need to be a friend.

Relationships go both ways. Don’t just expect the other person to always reach out and make plans. Don’t wait around for friends to come to you; you gotta put in the effort too.

22. Focus more on enjoying yourself rather than trying to be perfect or proper.

It’s easy for me to get caught up in appearances and trying to make sure I’m doing and saying the “right” thing, that I can’t ever relax. Sometimes I completely miss out on having fun because I’m so stressed about how others might perceive me. Go back to #17 and read that again.

23. Don’t be afraid to get rid of the toxicity in your life.

Whether it’s bad friends, bad habits, bad work environments, you don’t need that.

24. You are never too old to keep learning.

This could mean going back to school for that degree you always wanted, or just picking up a book on a topic you’re interested in. Never stop learning.

25. There’s no such thing as multi-tasking.

Something always suffers when you try to multi-task. Focus on one thing, get it done properly, and then move on to the next.

**Cake recipe by Meghan Rienks