What if I tell you this period of your life will set the tone for the rest of your life? Of course you know. You have heard it so many times you are ready to destroy the next tape that plays that line.
I want to simplify things for you with ten hacks that will shift your life and prepare you for the next decade. This is why I researched and compiled this list, it is for every young person in their 20's.
Let's get to it.
HACK ONE: TRY MANY THINGS
Don't be scared to try many things. The keyword here is experiment. Don't be bothered about specialization or niching down. You are not looking to settle now, you are looking to gain experience.
HACK TWO: KEEP LEARNING
We drink water everyday. We need air daily to survive. We need knowledge to grow our brain's capacity. Keep learning. Watch an informative video, subscribe for newsletters. I recommend John Obidi's Wisdom Letters and Seth Godin' daily blog. Find means to learn no matter how little everyday if you can or every week. Be conscious about placing yourself in a position to learn.
HACK THREE: TRAVEL
Travel. Leave your part of the nation. Yes, start with your country. Go to a new local government. Attend seminars in new locations. Learn about cultures. Try new foods. Go out of of your house at least to a new street. Take another route home. Start simple.
HACK FOUR: LEARN ANOTHER LANGUAGE
Another language will help you think in new ways. Learn another language. Duolingo helps a lot with this, watch videos with subtitles. YouTube has a lot of resources to help beginners who want to learn a new language. Learn the language used in another state, another country. It's exciting.
HACK FIVE: BUILD YOUR ONLINE PORTFOLIO (WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA)
Get visible. Build a presence online. It can act as a reference in the year when you decide to settle for a position. Go online. Stay off the arguments, fights and negativity.
Focus on building connections and relationships. Use platforms that help you curate a portfolio if you are aiming for a career in art. Get into spaces where you are encouraged and motivated.
HACK SIX: DOCUMENT YOUR EXPERIENCES
Do yourself a favour, keep a journal. Keep a record of your milestones, mundane days. Keep a record of your failure.
Keep a record of your process. Your experiences may not make sense today but tomorrow you will find there are hidden nuggets in everyday.
HACK SEVEN: MAKE LOTS OF FRIENDS
Alone is not good for your mental health. Alone is not great for building human connections. Leave your house, network. Make friends. Make a lot of friends.
You are still young and one of your peers might just be all you need to scale an idea that will change your life. Have pity on yourself and make lots of friends. You do not have to become the loudest person in the room. Just be interested in the life of others, smile, be human, be kind.
HACK EIGHT: GET SPIRITUALLY ACTIVE AND INVESTED
Invest in your spirit. Your spirit nourishes your physical body so first care for it. Get spiritually active and invested. I am not talking of activities in religious places.
Find time for meditation, prayer, communication with your God and quiet reflection. Find time for fellowship and family.
HACK NINE: INVEST IN YOUR HEALTH
The body will always signal when it is having a hard time but I guess you are still young and, now there are no major health scares. The coming years will change this story. You have to invest in proper care for your body. Get tested to know your health history. Begin to eat right, exercise more, rest often. You only have one life bro. You only have one body sis. Care for it.
HACK TEN: INVEST IN MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR PARENTS AND MENTOR
Parents are no longer in vogue these days. It is understandable. We are in our 20's we can see all the things our elders did wrong. We can see their faults. It happens. This is not the time to pull away from your parents (except they are proven to be toxic overtime with a disregard for your well-being)
As you navigate life their help and experience will be valuable. Nurture your relationship with parents and mentors. This key will cancel a lot of struggle and trial.
The next decade will come in fast and unrelenting for the unprepared. Your 20's are God's gift. Use them well.
Want the hacks in PDF format? Get it here.
What hack will you want us to discuss more broadly?