24 Things I Learned at 24
Age 21 was exciting. I was a senior year in college living it up. I can go to Vegas, buy drinks, and called myself a "young adult".
Age 22 was so confusing. It was in the middle of the pandemic, and I felt more lost than I ever was. Friends moved away, I went home, and I didn't know my career path. What did I want to do with my life?
Age 23 was self-discovering. I took more chances and took on more opportunities. I still don't know what my career is, but for now, I at least tried something.
Now turning 24, I learned a lot about myself, and I am still learning. Below I share with you some things I learned over the years as both a lost corporate full-time employee and a creator trying to navigate this really confusing life "path".
1) No one has it figured out and that's okay.
It's easy to go onto social media and feel like you are behind in life. However, most of the time, no one has it figured it out. And trust me, NO ONE. It may seem like your friends have it together, but in reality, we are all just trying to figure out our own life.
From my own experience, some of my close friends think that I have everything figured out because I look "successful" in my career and social media shows my life being so fun. In reality, I don't know completely what I want to do with my life. I'm just doing the best I can and learning as I go. I post the fun times, but most of the time I'm just at my desk. Note: having job doesn't mean I have it figured out. It's just a certain point in my life currently.
We often think that we need to have it "figured out" right after college. I thought so too. Until I realized that I wasn't the only one feeling this way.
2) You will feel lost.
I was COMPLETELY lost after graduating in 2020. After college, no one tells you what to do. You don't have someone to point you the "right" direction. No more mid-terms to prepare you for the final so that you can "complete" the course. There is no "course" to complete in life.
You will ask yourself many questions:
"What do I want to do with my life?"
"Is this what I want?"
"Is there something more?"
For a long time, and currently still, I was lost and frustrated. I got anxiety from making decisions because I thought it might be the wrong decision.
But, overtime, I became more at peace with the feeling of being lost. I learned being lost can also be a beautiful thing. Instead of no direction, that just means there are endless opportunities for you to explore. It is challenging, but it also can be exciting from different perspective. I push those who are feeling the same to take a breath and breathe. You are where you need to be.
3) Don't let fear hold you back.
Fear is something I continue to face. When I talk about fear, I am referring to taking on opportunities or challenges that don't feel secure, feels scary, or just out of your comfort zone. Examples could be like:
Starting a YouTube channel or new hobby
Trying out a new career path
Going to gym for the first time
Starting a business
Doing a comedy skit
and many more
It can be scary, and I still struggle with it. However, once you are over the fear, it will feel so empowering and exciting at the same time. Often times, we have fear because we are afraid of failure. We don't want to upset our parents or friends. But honestly, fear might be holding you back from some of your best potential.
4) No one really cares what you do.
Bouncing off of the previous point, fear should not hold you back because no one really cares what you do. Of course, that doesn't mean be mean or hurt others, but to challenge yourself to do things you want to try instead of worrying about what other people think. As people, we constantly worried about what other people think. Personally, I told myself things like:
"What if I post this and they think it's stupid?"
"Am I even qualified to talk about these things"
"I don't want people to see me fail"
However, people are SO busy with their own lives and worried about their own life that it doesn't matter. So, if you want to start something but you are worried about what other people think, remember that you only need to worry about one person's opinion, and that is yourself.
5) Be kind to yourself.
If you are reading this, tell yourself, "I'm proud of you". Because you should be of how far you come. No matter where you are in life, there are going to be highs and the lows. I tend to beat myself over and over again because I don't feel as "successful" as other people. But, I am learning that success is measured on my own terms. If you have an unproductive day or feel left behind, you are doing the best you can. And if 10% is all you can give today, that is still the best you can. Don't forget to:
Celebrate the small wins: getting some sleep, going on a walk, finishing one thing on the to-do list
Forgive yourself for the lows: it's okay to have a day of doing nothing, it's okay to fail and make mistakes, and it's okay to allow yourself to feel these things.
Note to myself: Be kind to yourself, take care of yourself. And most of all, love yourself.
6) Take opportunities, take bigger risks while you are young, don't let yourself say "What if?"
This is another point that I continue to remind myself as I get older. This point is from older peers and people I look up to and sharing it with you and myself. Today is the youngest you will ever be.
If there is something you want to do, do it. Try it out, see if it works. Because you have time to start again if you want to. If you are not a big risk taker, take calculated risk. Ask yourself "what do I have to lose?" if the worst case scenario happened, will you be okay with it? Most of them time, you will. And if not, pick yourself back up, and try again. You got this.
7) Imposter Syndrome is normal.
Oh imposter syndrome, how it creeps on you randomly and continues throughout life. You can probably find a better definition if you look it up, but my definition of imposter syndrome is feeling that you are not "good enough" or "I don't deserve this" or "this shouldn't be me".
One personal example is when I got my role as a Program Manager. I felt major imposter syndrome because I felt like I didn't belong and under-qualified. I had friends who are major influencers and also mention how they don't think they deserve it. I am here to tell you that, imposter syndrome is NORMAL. It takes time to get over the feeling, but also understand your worth. You are meant to be where you are. Imposter syndrome is also a sign to value yourself more, because others can see how much potential you have.
8) Comparison is a b*tch. You are on your own journey.
Comparison is probably the #1 mental battle that I have with myself every single day. With social media part of our lives, it is so easy to compare your life to how others are doing. Around my age, you see people landing big jobs, getting new cars, buying a house, traveling the world, and even getting married. It is human nature to compare ourselves, but it is important to practice not letting it affect you, and I understand this is an easier said than done.
My only constant reminder is that I am on my own path and you are on your own path. We are each just supporting each other in life to grow in the best way possible. You define your own success and continue to grow. The only person you need to compare yourself to, is the person you were yesterday. The people you admire can serve as as inspiration for you because you can do it too. Remember comparison is also normal, but know that you are writing your own story. No one else but you.
9) Friends grow distant, not apart.
As a college graduate, you no longer see your friends on a daily basis. Some go home, some go to grad school, some move to a different state, others stay, and others get busy. From my own personal experience, I made so many lifelong friends in SoCal thanks to going to the University of California, Irvine. However, when I moved back home to NorCal. I was 8 hours away from everyone, and I felt like a stranger in my own city.
However, whenever I visit and catch up with some old friends, it feels like nothing has changed. We may not talk as frequent, but our friendship is still the same. You also may see some other friendships grow and some friendships fade. It is nice to know, but also somewhat sad. However, you also have opportunities to make new friendships which is exciting.
10) Loneliness is frequent.
As a remote worker, most of my interaction is with my coworkers and company over Teams or Zoom. From my previous point, I don't have many friends back in my city, and the ones that are still around are often busy. I went from seeing people almost every single day, to rarely anyone at all. Just my parents, and the front desk receptionist at the gym.
I am embracing living on my own and learning more about myself. However, I won't deny that it gets lonely pretty often. This is the reason why I became a bigger advocate for planning more travel trips to reconnect. Some things that help:
Plan more trips (get past the "talking stage")
Plan to meet up at events (music, festivals)
Try new hobbies and meet new friends
11) Work isn't everything. Take that vacation.
Career is important and your job is important. This is true, but also make sure to understand that work is not your whole life. Make time for yourself to do what you want to do. Take a vacation, take a day at home for yourself.
Be a great worker, but also a great worker for your own personal life. Whether you work for a company or working on your own business, there is also a limit to how productive you can be. I have to constantly remind myself to focus on my relationships with family, friends, and myself. Without nurturing those relationships, the work doesn't mean anything.
12) Set your boundaries.
This can go into many areas of life: your job, personal time, and life. I tend to focus boundaries with between my work life and my personal life. Work time is work time, but personal time is personal time. Make sure to set those boundaries for yourself. This also goes to taking care of yourself. You can be "on the grind" 24/7, but if you don't set boundaries, you will get burnout.
Yes, part of this blog is to take risks and take on new opportunities, but also know yourself and what you can do. Taking on new opportunities is different from taking on too much. Personal example: I did graduation photoshoots this year, but I made sure to do no more than 1 shoot per day because I knew it would be too much to take on, even when I had more time. I felt happier and less burntout.
13) PTO and cancelled meetings is a corporate love language.
This is a short one, but it's just a fact that getting a cancelled meeting is amazing. It's like cancelled class, but for adults. PTO is also amazing. Make sure to take your PTOs if you have limited. It's yours and prioritize your mental health.
14) Love a lot. Relationships, Friends, Family.
The media often portrays a lot of negative media and as people we tend to focus on the negatives. This is a message and sign to love a lot. Spend time with friends. Spend time with family. Laugh, smile, enjoy the moment. Buy someone a drink. Get some a dinner. The more love you give, sometimes the world works in weird ways where it will come back to you some day. Also, loving is a lot more fun that worrying all the time.
14) Learn about Money. Understand Financial Literacy & How to Budget
Please learn the basics of financial literacy. Finance is boring, but money is important. Is money everything? No. But it is how society works and values. It was frustrating when I was learning about money and realizing how little I knew in high school and college. I didn't start learning until after college, and I continue to learn. I believe that it is so important to be financial literate because it empowers you to make better choices and understand your risks. I will probably have a different blog/video for it, but some main things to learn:
Differences between a 401k vs Roth IRA
How to invest as a beginner and early, no matter how small
Compounding and how time it is powerful
How to budget your income and expenses
Navigating & filing taxes & insurance
There is a lot more. Overall, as an adult it is important to be in control of you money and understand how it works. This can help set you up for more freedom down the road.
15) Don't get attached to social media.
Social media is toxic. It is a common opinion and I believe it too. However, I also believe it is a great business tool and a social tool. It is exactly what it is meant to do, help you connect with others and connect with your friends digitally. It can also be a powerful tool for information and spreading awareness. Unfortunately, because of social media, comparison comes up often. People seem a lot more "successful" on social media. Nice cars, nice houses, cool trips, and amazing experiences. Remind yourself and don't forget that social media HIGHLIGHTS the main parts of people's lives. It is a great tool, and I use it on a daily as well. But, don't get attached to social media. It's not everything.
16) Planning & executing plans can save you a lot of money and time.
Remember the time you were planning a trip, but didn't buy the plane ticket until way later? For me, multiple times. It was a mental yes, but nothing ever happened until all the prices went up. I love traveling and new experiences. Even a simple plane trip down to SoCal to go to a music event gives me joy. Despite being a program manager, I procrastinate on planning and executing. Reminder to book plan tickets early, book that hotel, and plan out your itinerary with your group to save time the day-of. More on this in the future.
17) Home appliances & kitchen items will excite you.
I am loving my desk setup and the new pan and knife I got. Oh, I forgot to mention about my Nespresso Machine and my glassware. Super aesthetic and it gives me joy. Anyone else?
18) Follow your curiosity.
This is actually pretty trending lately. People are telling others to not follow your passion, but actually follow what you are curious about. Sometimes we don't know what we are actually passionate about.
Your curiosity can open doors to you that you never knew existed. Maybe you were interested in a certain job field, or if you were curious about starting a business. I personally didn't realize it until later on in life, but my curiosity has brought me to amazing areas in life. I was curious about dance my sophomore year in high school, tried out the dance team, made it, and my dance journey still continues. I was curious about photography, so I picked up a camera and just started shooting. Six years later I have my own style and do photography on the side.
It is also okay to try something and not like it. That is totally normal.
20) Mistakes and Failures are part of growth.
I am afraid of failing. I am also afraid of making mistakes. Both in my career and in my life. But, mistakes and failures are also part of learning more about yourself. I know it is super cliche to say, but it's honestly very true. What is more important is the ability to learn from mistakes, and the ability to get back up if you fail. I had a lot of success, but a lot of failures as well.
Examples for photography, I mad many mistakes on light issues, booking issues, coordinating shoots. It is all a learning process for sure.
21) Document more.
Take pictures. Take videos. Journal. It will feel so simple, but it is easy to forget to document the memories. Of course, be present in the moment, but even a simple picture will go a long way. I remember before the pandemic, I will always be taking photos. However, during the pandemic, I stop documenting and a huge section of my phone I have no memories of. I love documenting because I see how happy my parents look when they watch old videos of when we were young.
Life is moving fast. Remember to breathe, stay in the moment. After that, take a photo or a quick video. It will be a great memory for the future.
22) Action beats motivation. Consistency is key.
Some days I have motivation to do anything. I just lay there and feel uninspired. I won't be motivated to work and then procrastinate. I get anxiety from not finishing my work and then end of procrastinating more because of it.
The solution? Action. Action beats motivation every time. The momentum will push you forward. A common example is going to the gym. When I first start, I felt great. I would go five times a week. However, some where along the way I will get too lazy to go and tell myself "next time". One day becomes one week. One week can become one month. Waiting for motivation give you no control. Action is something you can control and spark new inspiration and motivation. What is it that Nike says? "Just do it"
23) You are capable of so much more than you think.
For the last two points, I am going to try to hype you up as much as I can! I often times forget that we are constantly growing in life and that we are continuing to develop new versions of ourselves. Sometimes I think, is this it? If that thought ever came across you mind, the answer is no. You are capable of so much more and it is so exciting. I don't really know what is in store for me in the future, but I know that I will continue to push forward in trying new things and self-discovery.
24) Keep going.
For my last point, keep going. If things are doing well, keep going. If things are not doing so well, still keep going. As I am writing this blog, I just turned 24. It is my birthday, and I am so excited for this upcoming year and the year after that. This year has been full of new experiences and challenges. I am not as lost as I was when I was 22, but now I have to work harder and continue to push forward. This is your life. You got this. Be proud of yourself and keep it up.
Thank you
If you made it to the end of this blog, thank you so much for taking the time to read. It was quite long, but I hope you can take something away from it. Whether you are inspired or relieved that someone is going through the same thing, thank you for reading. I am always open to making new connections, feel free to reach out to me on social:
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