Life Hacks for Your Twenties

I’m in my twenties. I have questions like

What is my focus?

What should I hold on to?

What should I let go of ? and so on… 

I find the answers supplied by mainstream media unsatisfactory. They tend towards narcissism, egocentrism and similar vices. Exact things I don’t want to have anything to do with. 

Do you have a similar question? 

You are just in luck. Below are the answers I got from noteworthy individuals. I hope you find them directional and helpful. They are supplied by persons who have lived their twenties,have made pretty good choices and mistakes too but have been able to rise above them.

Do pay attention to their salient advice. Here goes:

Tolu Oludapo (Media Consultant and Founder of Lifegiva):

“Be more process-conscious than goal-conscious. What sums up the outcome of your life is the process. Many young people live in the future too blinded by what they want to be or to do. You need to recognize that the people you’re modelling after had their process. They had their journey. A lot of them didn’t “blow” in their twenties. The Warren Buffets, the Bill Gates are who they are today as a result of series of work, events and activities.

Make all the mistakes you can make now. Your twenties is not the time to be secure but a time to take the risk. Mistakes are less costly in your twenties because you have lesser responsibilities. I do not mean “throw your life away” but by all means try out things.

Your Twenties is a time to prioritize growth over “blowing”. Seek improvement in skills you are interested in above being and becoming.”

Adaora Mbelu (Dreamterpreter and Brand Developer):

“Stop the comparison.

Build the skills necessary for fulfilling your purpose. Do not say you cannot learn certain skills. Do not say you’re not a numbers person or a techy person. Not everyone will be handed over the money.

Understand that you have the capacity. Sometimes, the reason you’ve not done some things is because you’re waiting for someone to do it for you.”

Bunmi Afinowi (Law Lecturer, University of Lagos):

“I refer to the twenties as an unencumbered decade of one’s life. Your twenties is when you probably gain independence from your parents. You may be in higher institution or have started working and tasting adult life.

It’s a period where you can lay a solid foundation for your life and make concrete life’s decisions. Even if you don’t follow through, these decisions can be worked upon to a point where other things can come in.

This is the time to become grounded in God’s word. A time to concretize the kind of person you want to become except for those who get saved later on in life. In your twenties, you can already tell how you want to serve God, your capacity and what you are called to do. It’s a very good time to for self-expression.

You might be able to save a lot of money. Basically, I think it’s a good time to set forth at dawn. So if you gained admission into the university in your twenties, if you are serious, you will finish school in your twenties. If you gain admission as a teenager, you will be done in your twenties. You can start working in your twenties or start up your own business.

The brain is still young. It’s a vantage decade and for me, if I had a choice, I’ll relive my twenties. I will do a lot differently, be less timid and more daring. I would serve God more. I would assert myself more. If I had a chance, I wouldn’t let myself be pushed around, that’s what I mean about being more daring and assertive. Looking back in hindsight, I would have made more impact if I had been a more daring youth.

With regards to goals, life in its entirety is an experiential process. Our daily experiences add up to our goals. There was a time I thought once I got my PhD, I would have arrived but now, I realised I haven’t quite scratched the surface! What I thought was my goal at that time has shifted now. It’s a continuous process.

Someone once said at an Oscar awards that one should not be in competition with anyone else except oneself. So I’m looking at what I would be in five years, that’s my competition. I should have a picture of that. That’s what should spur me on. By the time I’m hitting four out of those five years, I should be looking at what I will be in ten years’ time. That’s why I say it’s a continuous process. 

It’s like what Paul said in Philippians 3:13 – 14: “I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

People in their twenties who are unaware of this continuous process are prone to depression and there’s a high rate of that these days. Social media, especially, paints a picture that everyone has arrived. Nobody is sad. We’ve all made it. It’s false! The only reality is your personal reality.

In the final analysis, being able to catch oneself on time is important. Set small tasks for yourself. Even if it is one little thing you gained, it’s fine. I have an app on my phone called “Elevate”. It sets small tasks for you. Simple tasks like drinking one cup of water every morning. 

When we are able to achieve the inconsequential, we get encouraged. It’s not always about big tasks. The problem is we set lofty goals for ourselves and then we get overwhelmed. We get depressed and unfulfilled. Set simple goals.”

And that marks the end of my interviews.

Woah! These tips are like gold nuggets! If I were you, I will revisit this article from time to time. That being said, I pray for wisdom for everyone in their twenties reading this article. Your life is timed according to God’s plan. You make the right choices per time.

Even if you are not in your twenties, I believe that this article is still useful for you. Even if you didn’t make the right choices at that time, you still can right now. As long as you are alive, you can always retrace your steps.

You should check out these 
Adulting 101 – My Quarter-Life Crisis

“I Quit My Job to Follow my Passion”, Okere Chisom; CEO, BEACE