From One Millennial to the Next, Here's 25 Pieces of Life Advice

It was my half birthday last week. Yeah, it came up quick. Seems like 6 months ago it was my actual birthday. Wow, time flies when your life is a wreck.  If you forgot, it's okay. In lieu of gifts I’ll take reads, comments, and shares on this post!

Against all odds, I’ve made it. 25 and a half of a year. A quarter of a century.

I'm not sure if you've heard people say that your life changes after you hit 25, but mine definitely has, and I am here to enlighten you. In the best and worst ways, I have felt an overall shift in my life since turning 25. They say age is just a number, but when it comes to your mid-twenties, I beg to differ.

I've gathered up 25 1/2 tidbits of life (as I like to call them) to share with you. This is not necessarily 25 lines of advice; it is 25 1/2 lines of realizations, bits of information, and encouraging words. Cheers to the next half of the year and to figuring out the rest!

1. Your skin changes...

Everything about it is very different. Wrinkles are WAY more prominent, sensitive skin takes on real meaning, and lumps and bumps are "just a part of getting older", as my doctor says…*insert massive eye roll*. On the upside, it has been easier for me to tan recently!

2. Your metabolism changes.

A burger and fries will not slip right through your digestive system anymore. You will probably feel bloated, big, and will certainly see every calorie sitting on your body somewhere.

3. Your student loans stay the same.

I've been out of school for three years now and have made a payment on my loans every month. I haven't even seen a dent in paying them off yet. What’s with that?!

4. Use organic cleaning products.

Laundry detergent, dishwasher soap, bathroom, counter, and tile cleaners. They are usually on sale and are way better for the environment and that sensitive skin we discussed earlier. Home remedies are popping up now more than ever. Look into a DIY before going out and buying name-brand materials. Plus, it is a good habit to see what chemicals you are keeping in your home.

5. Don’t cheat your sleep…

Spend money on a quality mattress. Take companies up on their 100 day trial periods. That way you really know if your mattress is meeting your every need. Bonus points if you can nab one with a lifetime warranty. You will literally never have to buy another bed again.

6. ...and don’t cheat your feet.

Insoles! Insoles! Insoles! If a shoe hurts to wear, do not wear it. It is not worth it. Blisters suck and there could be long term consequences for wearing shoes that don't fit properly.

7. It is okay to act childlike, but not childish.

You know that saying, "too old to know better, too young to care"? Use that mantra sparingly. You can still get away with some stuff, but know when it is appropriate to act like the adult that you are.

8. You should be on your way to owning something.

A car, a home, or even land. The earlier you start this process, the greater the reward will be in the end. Set future-you up for success.

9. Social media becomes less important.

Coming from a blogger, these words are as sinful as hailing Satan in a church, but it's true. Social media takes up a lot of freaking time and endless scrolling can get the best of us. I post when I want to, not when I have to, and I must say, that is such a freeing feeling.

10. Take any class you damn well please.

School is kind of a drag because you’re told what to take, but like dude, you're an adult now. Unless you're working toward a degree, take the classes you want to take. I've completed a drawing, a French language, and some dance classes outside of graduating college. Some graded, some recreational.

11. Treat yo self, and your friends.

We are all in this together. You earn your own money now. You do with it what you want. It is so important to treat yourself, whether it’s ice cream here and a manicure there. Buy a round of drinks for your girl gang and don’t expect them to do it back (that’s also good karma on your end). You are in charge of your own spending life. Spend sensibly and tend to your friendships.

12. 65 is a long way away, but it’s never too early to start planning.

$10 a week could be about $19,000 when you hit that ripe age of 65. Invest in yourself by dedicating money to a 401K or a Roth IRA. Don't let any of those words freak you out either. Talk to your HR rep and see what your paycheck deduction options are. Some companies even match up to a certain percentage, so take advantage of that!

13. Get yourself a checked

Set up regular appointments for the dentist, eye doctor, and primary care physician. Have blood work done on the regular and get a baseline going for your overall health. This is the time that if there is something that is noticed, you can catch it early enough for it to not affect you long term.

14. Volunteer or get involved.

Find an organization and join their email list. Become a regular volunteer, donor, or offer up your professional skills to advance their mission. You'll feel so great after giving back and you'll develop great working relationships for future opportunities. You never know where life will take you.

15. Update your freakin’ resume and LinkedIn profile.

You never know when opportunity will come knocking, so have all of your documents primed, just in case.

16.  Accept conflict.

Personally, this is a hard one for me to do. I'm a WOO-er (Winning Others Over) and want everyone to like me. So naturally, I become extremely passive in my thoughts. The one thing you should do is speak up, regardless if it will call for a disagreement.

17. Every item in your house has a place. PUT IT THERE.

I sound like my mother! You will save yourself a lot of grief if you put things back where they’re supposed to go as soon as you are done using them. This goes for laundry, dishes, shoes, socks, and those annoying loose bobby pins you find all over the house. It’s frustrating when a week goes by and nothing is put back in its appropriate place. Do your best to simply put things away ASAP.

18. If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.

I’ll probably get in trouble for posting this, but I’m being slightly sarcastic. Essentially, work smarter, not harder, and don’t reinvent the wheel. Bill Gates had the right mantra when he said, “I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it”. See how Bill Gates lives? Find the easiest way to do the project or task at hand and you might also become a billionaire one day!

19. These are your PRIME years.

Okay, hear me out. Essentially, you will never be able to look as good as you could right now. This is the time when you still have your youth intact. Work out, eat right, and Jade Roll the hell out of your face. You will never be better equipped to handle strain and stress than right now. Learn how to manage it all and your thirties and beyond will be a breeze.

20. Hang out with younger and older people.

You can offer advice to those still growing and you can still accept advice from elders. You are not the most adult-ish person in the room. You don’t have to have it all figured out. In fact, you don’t have to have anything figured out, just know what direction you want to go and have a support system of all ages.

21. Weed out the negativity.

If something or someone makes you feel like less of a person, or like you can never measure up, then cut it or them out of your life. Accept that pessimism is not fitting for your life at this moment and move forward. You'd be surprised at how much of a weight it lifts off your shoulders.

22. Your marital status does not define you.

Against what society deems as “normal”, age doesn’t signal maturity for marriage. Your relationship with another person signals your maturity for marriage. You will see A LOT of your friends, old and new, getting engaged. Be happy or be sad; let your body feel what it wants to feel. You’re not falling behind or inferior to others because you are or not engaged. Some people never get married and stay in lifelong loving relationships!

23. Give yourself a travel goal.

Whether this is a bucket list of places you want to go to, planning out your year of travel, or just doing specific excursions you’ve had your eyes on, set your goal, write it down, and take the proper steps to meet that goal. If you don’t meet your goal, don’t sweat it. Try again or try a different goal. My travel bucket list has changed about 6 times since as I’m growing, I want to experience other lands.

24. You’re not too old for T-shirts with sayings on them.

Whoever said button-downs are the new adult was seriously mistaken. Wear professional wear when it is deemed necessary and wear your funprinted weekend tees when it’s time. Don’t not buy something because you’re “too old for it”.

25. Don’t become a homebody too quickly.

I know we all love staying in and bingeing the heck out of our favorite TV shows or movie series; however, there is a big bright world out there and you are too young to be missing out on it! Don’t wait for the day you don’t have to work anymore to do the things you want. Life isn’t guaranteed. Take opportunities to go to a concert in the middle of the week, take your mom out for brunch, or catch a matinee movie. By going out more, you’ll appreciate that time you have when you are at home. 

25 and a half. I know what you’re thinking. How can you have half of a tidbit here? Well, it’s my blog, I’m 25 and an adult, ready and willing to make her own decisions. Including this little half tidbit. Are you ready for it?

25 ½. Embrace your uniqueness.

Adulting is hard, and anyone who says otherwise is in complete denial. Balancing careers, relationships, and social life is not a crash course we can take. We all just have to figure it out along the way!

Do you have any tidbits you would like to share? Let’s chat in the comments below!