Our 20s are an especially unique time to introspect, grow, reflect and evolve into our authentic selves. The freedom to express our voices, broaden horizons and live without limitations is a gift for which we must express immense gratitude. Such a time to explore our deepest potential and uncover our truths is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so let us together discover the top 10 ways to rock our 20s!
Surround yourself with friends and family who champion your inner fire.
No matter how busy we are working 16-hour days and attending after-hour cocktails, we must always prioritize investing in close friends and family, because they have been key members of our squad since day one, and we owe it to them to nurture our bond. As we grow up, we realize that what truly makes life worth living are the relationships we invest in with those who have nurtured us from the very beginning.
Build a global network with connections from all over the world.
We are truly living in an interconnected world, in which it is just so easy to reach out to people from all corners of the globe in a matter of seconds. As 20-somethings tearing it up in 2015, we must consciously invest in building a global network, because while connections are all powerful, worldwide connections are a game-changer. New to Twitter? Create a Twitter profile and follow interesting key influential leaders from Spain, England, Japan and watch your network double, triple, or even quadruple in size. In January of this year, my first Huffington Post blog post, "5 Secrets of a Go-Getter Girl," was shared by thousands of people from South Africa, Canada, Nigeria, India, Venezuela, Mexico, etc. and now my network today is supremely global.
Create playlists of songs that inspire you to rise and hustle, even during the tough times.
Let's be honest: Who is not motivated by a seriously amazing playlist? I have created a list of hit songs, which inspire me to get up and get moving towards fulfilling my dreams, and would highly recommend this to anyone who is on the lookout for a superb way to not only motivate themselves, but to also keep the daily grind exciting! Sometimes, all it takes are a couple of inspirational lyrics to get your head in the game.
Fall in love with yourself because you are beautiful, talented, driven, and deserve your own love.
There is no other person in the world with whom you will spend more time than with yourself. It is a beautiful feeling to love yourself for the beautiful, driven, and incredible person you are, because if we do not invest time to love ourselves first, it is quite impossible to expect others to love us for who we are. I have devoted time towards loving myself for who I am, and it has been a game-changer in how others perceive me as well. You can read about my experience in "How I Became Friends With Myself" and I hope that you choose to embark on a journey of love and friendship with one of the greatest people in the world, yourself.
Envision yourself living the life of your dreams, and list the goals to achieve this vision.
A vision and goal are very different, and it is important to really imagine yourself living the life of your dreams. What does this life look like? Who are the key players? Most importantly, how will you achieve this vision for yourself? Break down the vision into sizeable and manageable goals you can achieve daily, weekly and monthly. This is the only way to achieve this all consuming dream life you have set for yourself. I have actively broken down my vision into smaller goals, and have found it effective towards achieving my vision.
Focus on blending your passion and skills in pursuing the career of your dreams.
Let me be the first to tell all my 20-somethings that it is most definitely possible to follow your dreams, passions and to make an extraordinary amount of money doing so. The first step is to believe you can actually live a life founded on your passion, because I feel like I have spoken to several groups of people who do not really think they can live their lives built on passion. I want us to be different, because you know what? It is possible. The first step is to identify your passion, skills, and understand how both could potentially be monetized to build a thriving business. Let us vow to make our passion the center of our lives.
Invest time, energy and effort to truly reflect on your higher purpose.
Life is crazy intense now, right? There is hardly any time to stop, but if we have to live fulfilling lives centered on our passion, we must invest time to reflect on our higher purpose to ultimately discover our own reasoning to determine why it is that we do what we do. I have undertaken this effort, and have found it to be incredibly enlightening in discovering my true sense of inner self. Also, it is just refreshing to spend 10 minutes thinking about why we choose to wake up and hit the grind every morning, trust me.
Count your blessings, and practice daily gratitude because you are incredibly blessed.
All said and done, we are each so very blessed to be living the lives we do. It should be our duty and obligation to practice daily gratitude, and to be thankful for all that we have been given. Having said so, to whom much is given, much is expected, so while the first step is to practice gratitude, the second step is to understand how we can positively impact the world and create a legacy based on the gifts we have been given.
Practice a series of daily habits that will carry you through the rest of your life.
Growing up, I had always heard that the habits you practice in your youth are those that permanently stay with you for life. Our 20s are a time period for us to watch our habits, and build new ones with ease. All it takes is some reflection to understand which habits we would like to learn, and literally practice them each day. I know I want to incorporate exercise into my schedule on a regularly basis, and build that into a habit. I will keep you posted on my progress, and you should do the same. It will help us to stay accountable.
Smile!
This is simple. Just smile! Smile early, smile often and smile with authenticity.
What are some of your favorite tips and tricks to rock your 20s? Would love to hear your thoughts below!
Shinjini's advice to gain self-confidence will be featured in Teen Vogue in Fall 2015!