Reaching your 20s – this is one point in our lives we have all looked forward to, but here we are, still wondering what life has in store for us and if we’ll ever find our purpose in this world. But the question is, how do we really get through this so-called adulthood phase of life?

You may feel or think that you’re finally an independent adult who has gone through a lot in life. But believe me, you still have a lot ahead of you and there are more things to learn in this world of craziness and endless worrisome. I’m also still in my early 20s, and whenever I contemplate on what my life would be like in the next 10+ years, I can’t help but ask myself, “What do I really want to do in life?” Coming to the United States taught me a lot of things when it comes to managing your budget for expenses (ugh, bills bills bills~~), balancing work and social life, at the same time having enough rest to take on the robust daily demands of life.

Here are 7 things I’ve learned when I entered my 20s:

1. IT’S OKAY TO HAVE FEW, BUT REAL FRIENDS – Some of your old friends may not be able to connect with you again after high school or college graduation, while others may. THIS IS OKAY. You will always have those set of best friends who are just one phone call away and will always come to your need even if you haven’t spoken to each other for a long time. These people will surely keep you company for the rest of your life, treasure them while they’re around. They are the future godparents of your future children if ever. But if you have a number of friends that got your back all the time, then good for you!! #bestiesforevah
2. PRIORITIZE YOUR NEEDS BEFORE YOUR WANTS – As soon as you get your paycheck from your job, one of the first things that might come to mind is to save up for either an Apple product or just any trendy item to keep you abreast of fads. Yes, I know it’s tempting but you gotta control yourself when it comes to spending. Remember, it’s your hard-earned money. Learn to distinguish what your basic needs are and when to reward yourself with the things you want so bad. But as we all know, cellphones have turned into a need nowadays since everything can be done remotely with it (e.g. conference calls, meetings, online purchases, etc.), and with just one click on your app, you can already see your health stats.
3. START SAVING UP FOR YOUR FUTURE – As mentioned in number 2, you gotta know what you only need right now, and not spend hella money on unnecessary stuff just because you want to feel good or you want to make yourself look good around your friends. But if there are lots of bills to pay, you may want to get a side job such as food delivery or anything that could give you extra earnings, as long as you don’t burn yourself out- your health is the most important of all. Pay off the credit card bills right away to avoid incurring interest charges, put your extra funds to a savings account immediately or invest it in IRA, also known as “Individual Retirement Account, and just budget everything wisely. Most of us pay every bill due first, then save whatever’s left. We all have our own list of recurring expenses, but take a step back and review this list again. Which of these expenses is important to me right now? Which of these can be avoided? Is this really essential to my lifestyle? If not, then scratch that expense off your list. Another tip is to take advantage of Groupon discounts, or just search whatever discount you can get online or benefits from your employer, and apply that to your purchase, that way you can save more money. One last tip, before spending your money on something, think carefully if this is just another problem of yours waiting to happen or if it’s a really, reallyyyy good long-term investment and has unmatched benefits.
4. YOUR HAPPINESS IS YOUR KEY TO SUCCESS – “Money can’t buy happiness but it can buy you an iPhone”, which most people say is a factor for one’s happiness. This is not true. What is the secret to someone’s happiness? During your 20s, you may feel frustrated that you’re not getting anywhere where you want to be. Relax. Life’s not a race. Happiness is not too hard to define. It’s a state of mind. You can be happy even if you’re not the most popular person on your social circle, you’re not the most good-looking guy to ever exist, or you don’t own the latest gadget, etc. None of that matters, so you mustn’t please everyone with material things, and your success shouldn’t be defined by your lifestyle. A person can own the latest iPhone and still be broke (secretly, lol), while another can own a not-so-fancy smartphone but has savings in his or her bank account, and these people’s phones have the same functions of a mobile device. I’m not saying you shouldn’t buy an iPhone, but if you can opt for something functional and durable yet affordable, then why not choose the latter? And again, the point I’m trying to prove here is about being happy with a simple lifestyle. Another tip, try out fun activities that could help you find your purpose- Start painting, audition for something you can’t stop thinking about, write stories and publish them online, be a food blogger, capture and edit videos then share it on your online profile, enroll in cooking classes or learn how to bake, learn how to play an instrument, etc. It’s not yet too late to find a passion for something. Once you’ve found your passion, go and turn that to a career where you can put your heart and soul into. Growing up as a teen, you thought you already know the path you want to take on in the future, little did you know that your environment and peers influence your upbringing as well, and these goals you talk about before will most likely change. Just remember, there are lots of things you can do out there; things that can give meaning to your life. And if you’re not happy about something and you feel like it’s dragging and is not giving you any purpose at all, get back on track and pursue your happiness once more.
5. BUILD YOUR SOCIAL NETWORK – At this stage in life, you start to meet new people in various life events; those with different careers like talent coordinators/recruiters, your colleagues, reps from different companies, etc. You’ll want to establish a connection to widen your social network. One way to do this is to create a career profile. LinkedIn is one of the most widely used websites for this purpose, specifically for the business community. Setting up a personal account is free but you can always upgrade it to a Premium account, which would then have a monthly cost, depending on what type of account you want. It will walk you through the whole set up, upload your photo, tell something about yourself as a business person, upload your resume, then you’re good to go! Another way is to attend job fairs or free seminars of topics you’re interested in. You can always look something up online and just make yourself present on those type of events so you can introduce yourself to people (Don’ forget to bring your business cards! Templates on how to make one can be found online, I’ll try to post a DIY about this). The more people you meet, the more opportunities you’ll possibly get! Lastly, social media connection is so powerful and impactful nowadays. You can take advantage of these top three sites namely Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to showcase what you can contribute to the work field you want to get yourself into. It’s all about creating your career from scratch, with the help of your established connections.
6. .TAKE A TIME OFF WHEN YOU NEED IT – Start with local places, then go international only when you have the means to do it. National parks, heritage sites, and museums are some of the best places to explore if you want an adventurous yet educational trip. A beach getaway is also a great way to unwind from the hustle and bustle of city life. Theme parks and malls aren’t bad places to spend your day. It’s totally up to you on how you can balance work and life- but never enslave yourself with the stressful demands of work. Call and meet up your family, friends, or boyfriend/girlfriend. Life is short- and yes, YOLO may be your mantra. True enough, we’ll never know when we can get the chance to try and experience new things again or just live fun moments. So take time off when you need it. It doesn’t cost that much to enjoy a day off unless you thoroughly plan for it (then that’s the vacation we all dream of having!).
7.  TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH, TAKE CARE OF YOUR FUTURE – In this day and age, a lot of people are becoming fitness enthusiasts, and you can be one, too! In fact, you should be. Your body says a lot about your health status and this should not be taken for granted. Eating healthy food and reserving time for your regular workout are two of the basic ways to achieve a healthy body. I’m not a fitness expert but it’s common sense to keep track of your food intake and know when to avoid eating the unhealthy ones. You don’t have to get your body ripped but just stay in good shape- we only have one life to live. We were given this life to enjoy and by enjoying, we get to travel across countries or places, learn new cultures, and try out new delicacies, doing so may oftentimes get us physically or mentally drained (depending on the situation). Yes, again we always go back to living life only one time so a lot of you must be telling yourselves: “YOLO, why can’t I eat all the food I want?” “It’s my money so I get to say where I spend it on”, or “I can always go to the gym next week”. Any of these lines familiar to you? It’s called being stubborn. In spite of having good reasons to achieve a healthy diet or having a regular workout, we’re still determined that nothing bad is gonna happen to us and we become laid back. Well, we can’t tell time, can we? (but doctors can, and that’s a whole other story). In short, think about this one again. Take care of your health. To take care of your health is also to take care of your future, one tip we were advised to do is to get life insurance. People usually ignore the importance of getting one. But when you start to realize that you need security for your family when you’re gone, this is a good way to start. Debts and funeral expenses can be a burden to the family we leave behind. Life Insurance companies cover these type of debts and usually pay them off when we’re gone. Makes sense now? Go get one if you don’t have one yet while you’re still young and able.