The Things I’ve Learned in my 20s

I’m thirty. On February 7th, y’all, I turned thirty. I’m so happy that God saw fit for me to experience a milestone. To be honest, I was never scared of turning 30. I was sooooooooo excited to turn 30 since I’ve experienced so much in my 20s. Those things included my journey with Christ, struggling to adjust as an adult, being broke, student loans and struggling to pay them, struggles with mental health, being a teacher in years 1 – 3 (IYKYK. I’m currently on year 5)… A LOT. Here are some things that I’ve learned:

Actively work towards financial literacy. No, this is not my promotion to get into stock or a get-rich-quick scheme. Learn about money, paychecks & and the different taxes that come out of it, paying bills, paying taxes, insurance, etc. Once you begin to learn about them, practice what you’ve learned.

As you grow and adjust to yourself, watching your parents grow older is also an adjustment.

Be comfortable with being alone. Become your own best company to keep sometimes.

Better days are ahead. They will come when you least expect it to be.

Compare yourself to no one but your past self. It’s a toxic situation when you begin to compare yourself to other people.

Enjoy your family while they’re here. Friends too.

Health Insurance is important. Getchu some.

Learn to listen to God’s voice. Sometimes it’s hard to explain how to figure that out, but trust me. You’ll know when it’s God vs. you. This comes when your prayer life is consistent, praise & worship God consistently, etc.

Learn your body AND understand how it works. You won’t be able to explain to your doctor, dentist, gynecologist, etc. what’s wrong with you if you don’t know your body.

MAKE. A. BUDGET. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Besides learning to take care of your finances, making a budget could help you understand where all of your money is going.

Make realistic goals and big goals too.

Mental Health is a thing. Trama is a thing. It’s okay not to be okay. You don’t have to bottle everything in.

Never curse the day when it’s just beginning. It will be crap for the rest of the day. Your words have power. Yes, saying “Fuck this day” is a form of cursing the day.

Not having your big kid job immediately after your college graduation is okay. Not everyone is able to get a good-paying job as soon as they graduate college, and that’s okay! Just keep working and you’ll get there.

People make time for what they want to do. It’s cool if people choose not to invest time in your plans. Be excited, and/or at least enjoy, the people who did because they love you.

Proverbs 4:23-27

Sometimes hanging on to things can do more harm than good.

Take the pressure off of yourself. It’s okay to go with the flow.

Take your time. Give yourself some grace.

Things will be changing. Learn to be okay with that.

Yes, God does listen to you. Keep praying.

Your 20s are not your years of struggle because people of all ages have some form of struggle. Your 20s are your learning years. You’re learning about adulthood for the first time. You’re not always going to have everything figured out and that’s okay.

As a slow learner, I’ve spent my 20s learning about myself. What do I like/dislike? Am I okay? What do I want to do with my life and not what my parents want? What do I want in a man? Do I want a husband? Children? As of now, I believe that I know what I want!

I can’t wait to see what 30 has for me. I’m ready to live for me and not based on what other people want for me. Unapologetically me.

For my 30+ year-olds, what have you learned so far about yourself? What advice would you give to someone who is entering their 30s for the first time? I’d love to know!

~Live Laugh Love~