You’re in your 20s and the world is yours for the taking. Adventures and life-changing experiences abound, all you’ve gotta do is go after them and try not to get arrested. The first decade of adult life can be a confusing one, and there’s a strong likelihood most of society is going to think you’re a bit of an idiot. That’s okay though, growing in your 20s is all about looking like an idiot at times. It’s learning from those facepalm moments that will make you an untameable stallion at 29 and ready to dominate your 30s.
1.Quit blathering about those goals and write them down. Rambling to your buddies over beers about how you wanna be the next Ralph Lauren, with a signature line of cat hair sweaters is only good if you take steps to make it happen. Write your goals down, big and small and put that life list somewhere you’ll see it and constantly be reminded to get off your ass. Also, don’t start a line of cat hair sweaters, that’s really weird, man.
2. Don’t be afraid to be a failure… at least for awhile. You’re in your 20s and you don’t know squat, which means you’re going to fail. A LOT. Nothing wrong with that, because you should be learning from those failures. The real losers in life are those who are too afraid of failing to even try. Do you think that guy who took a cannonball to the gut gave up after one try? Well, probably, cannonballs hurt.
3. Find your drink of choice . Yes, you’re going to drink a lot of cheap and horrible crap in your 20s, but you’re probably poor, so it’s understandable. Hopefully, at some point in one of those drunken stupors you’ll develop a taste for something that isn’t consumed via funnel. Whether it’s a microwbrew, Old Fashioned or Bacardi and Coke, every man needs a solid go-to beverage.
4. Don’t settle on the first girl who dates you for more than a week. You’re never going to have a bigger dating pool than when you’re in your 20s. Take advantage of it and meet different people. Date the good girls, date the weird girls, date that girl who starts telling you about her stay in the psych ward after her third shot in 20 minutes.
5. Get a hobby, a legal hobby. Find something that you love to do or learn about and pursue it. Preferably one that doesn’t get you on any government watch lists. If you can find out how to get paid for your hobby, even better. Side note: some hobbies may help you with the opposite sex, others, not so much.
6. Be consistent. Your 20s is all about discovery and trying new things, which also means you’re going to try a lot of stuff you hate. What you shouldn’t do is be consistent about quitting. Always keep trying, adapting and working towards something. Even if it’s eating 150 hot dogs.
7. Move out of your parents’ house you weirdo. Whether you do it at 20 or at 29, if your 30th birthday rolls around and you’re still living under your parents’ roof, congrats, you’re the official man-child of the neighborhood. Even that dude who lives in the van is embarrassed for you.
8. Get off that stain riddled futon of yours and exercise. “Ooh, check out that red-faced guy who’s winded from bending over to tie his shoe, he can take me to bonetown,” said no girl ever. Going to the gym and running sucks, and anybody who tells you otherwise is a liar. What doesn’t suck is not feeling like John Belushi at the end of a decade long wings and beer bender. Get off your ass every now and then and break a sweat.
9. Don’t waste your time on a job you hate. You’re going to have crappy jobs, probably more than one. This is just a fact of life for young people who have minimal job skills. Don’t sit in that job that blows just because the money is okay or the vending machine gives you two bags of chips every now and then. Try different stuff and you might find a job you even like.
10. Quit scrolling your Facebook feed and comparing yourself to others. No man ever did anything great from sitting on social media sites and worrying about how much better his peers were doing. In fact, get offline every once and a while and focus on tip #1.