As I draw closer to turning TWENTY FIVE, (you know, that one that means you’ve been here for a whole quarter of a century?!?) I begin to reflect on how I’ve spent my twenties so far and what I’ve learned about becoming what most people would class “an adult”.
Your early twenties, for me, are a bewildering time when you’re stuck somewhere in the middle of being a full-sized adult and a child. It’s like these 10 years of limbo before you have to fully commit to becoming a fully responsible grown-up.
There are so many things that can change for someone in their early adulthood but I just thought I’d focus on some of the more common ones that I have noticed.

I’ll Be There For You…..Until We Grow Up

I have seen this happen to not just me, but many other people too. When people enter their twenties, they lose a lot of friends and many people you used to talk

to, don’t seem to be around anymore. There are lots of reasons for this; people have less time, they’re busy with work and relationships or sometimes they have outgrown you and simply don’t feel that close to you anymore, which isn’t such a bad thing either.
In our twenties it can feel like our number of friends has quartered in the space of about five minutes, but through this, you begin to appreciate the ones that never left, so much more.
Dream Job – Still a Dream

When I was younger I loved all of those movies of young girls growing up and learning how to make it in the big bad world. They would always struggle in college but somehow make it through and land their dream job within a matter of months.
This couldn’t be farther from truth for graduates in their twenties these days and unfortunately the dream jobs are staying for now, just that, a dream. No movie ever told you that in order to get that dream job of yours , you will first be put through an endurance test of many other jobs .Some you will love , some will test your patience and your customer service skills and others will bring you the closest you ever will come to wanting to commit murder!
All of these jobs, however you might feel about them, teach us really valuable lessons and without these experiences, we wouldn’t last one day in the big executive job we dream about having someday. The main thing to remember is that there is lots of time left, you can get to where you want to be some day , if you put your mind to it. There is no rush, just enjoy the journey.

Independence

Our twenties is the time, for most, when we realize that our parents can’t do everything for us and we actually do have to start taking responsibility for our own lives. We have to move out, make our own dinners and be responsible for making sure we look presentable every day before we go outside.
This can be daunting for some and a breeze for others. Either way, it takes a lot to break that tie , go out on your own and hope for the best. For me, I took the opportunity of having my own place to turn into somewhat of a domestic goddess (maybe not so much a goddess and more of a guru!) I love making sure the laundry is kept on top of, the house it tidy and my clothes are neatly put away. You can imagine my parent’s dismay after living with my trail of destruction for 20 years and now seeing me like this!

Still Crazy after All These Years

A gray area I have issues with in your twenties, is finding the balance between ,keeping a little of your childlike playfulness and wanting adults to take you seriously. Let’s face it , we still are young and we still like to have fun, but we also now have all of these added responsibilities – It’s hard to find the balance.
There’s nothing like being reminded after a hard day’s work or stressful interviews, that a good old belly laugh is sometimes the best cure. There’s always a bit of room for fun even when you’re having the worst day and that , I think is one of the most valuable things I have learned in the last few years. Just because we have to become a bit more sophisticated, doesn’t mean we must lose our identities from when we were younger.
So there you have it, these are things that I have learned so far in my twenties . You might not relate to all of them but it might cause you to reflect on how life has changed for you over the past few years and how it helped you to grow as a person because as the old saying says, “A change is as good as a rest.”