I’m officially in my late 20s. Time flies fast — I remember my 21st birthday as if it was yesterday. Our 20s are an experimental stage of self-discovery. This means there are plenty of things that must be left behind:
Hangovers
By now, you should know your alcohol limit and how your body works. If you don’t, figure it out right now. Calling in sick for work or wasting an entire day due to a hangover is just plain irresponsible. Your age should no longer be an excuse.
Cheap Alcohol
If you can’t afford top shelf bottles and are satisfied with bottom shelf, then maybe this is really a metaphor to how you view your entire life. You will always settle for the low end because it’s easier and cheaper.
Name Brands
There is a disparity when it comes to the mindset of full-grown adults versus young adults. In most cases, a fully-fledged adult seeks adventure, stability or anything else that will benefit his or her future. Meanwhile, a young person might seek materialistic items that replace the importance and value of life.
If you can’t financially commit to adult choices, why are you spending hundreds on luxury items? Living at home with your parents while driving a Mercedes and having a closet full of designer clothes does not reflect how smart you are.
Move Out
You are almost 30 years old and you are still living at home? Shame on you! If you become financially unstable, then by all means — milk it all you can until you get your life in order. Of course this should be on a temporary basis. But after that, you need to hit the road. Being an adult means taking care of yourself.
Diets
People tell me all the time that they are attempting new diets. It is not a diet you need — it’s a lifestyle. A diet will help you lose weight temporarily. As soon as you stop dieting, all the weight you lost will come back, and then some. Start eating healthy, exercise more and every so often, splurge on the foods you like. Don’t deprive yourself, but do it consciously, knowing what you are eating.
Your Dead-End Job
Your typical nine-to-five job — the one you’ve had since graduating from college or for some, high school, isn't doing anything for you. You dread going to it every morning and it barely pays you enough to cover your bills. You count the minutes until your shift is over and it won't take you further in life than a supervisory position, which will pay you only one more dollar per hour. Why are you doing this to yourself? Discover your passions — what you would love to do. This job will lead to a real career.
Night Clubs
It’s not a problem to go to clubs for a friend’s birthday, a special event or an irregular night out, but every weekend? Aren’t you old enough to have friends with homes — or yachts? Stop partying with 21-year-olds; it takes them a few hours to recover from what will take you a few days. Don’t forget that.
Walk Of Shame
We’ve all had those moments when we find ourselves at a booty call’s home or at the house of a stranger from the prior night. Hungover, you crawl naked throughout his room to find your outfit from the night before. This isn’t a classy look — get these experiences out of your system before it becomes embarrassing.
Unprotected Sex
In the heat of the moment, sometimes we forget to wrap it up. Now that you are older, you’ve probably brushed elbows with people who have either caught something or gotten knocked up. You don’t want to find yourself crying in a clinic about scary test results. Be smart and be safe.
Relationships
If you are in a relationship and you fight with your partner constantly, ask yourself why are you with this person? Are there more cons than pros to your relationship? Think about your future — if you don’t see your partner in it, then stop wasting your valuable time.
If you are single, raise your standards. Too many people lower their standards in their late 20s because they become desperate. Ladies and gentlemen, we should grow more selective as we age, not settle for less. Remember, we are at an age where anyone we date could end up being a future spouse. So be deliberate about whom you date.
The choices you make now will affect the rest of your life, so make good ones. Still, it’s better to be 28 and stupid than 48 and stupid.
