The early to mid 20’s seems like that awkward stage where you transcend from a young adult (who THINKS they have problems and responsibilities) to pretty much an adult (who HAVE problems and responsibilities). This often results in thousands of confused ‘old youth’ struggling with the sudden need to step up and pretend like we all know what we’re doing in this world. On top of that, we’re always urged to live in the moment, you know, have fun, YOLO etc. – that’s all well and good but many of us forget to think about the long term. Although living in the moment is important, it’s equally just as important to think about the long term. To help us all out I’ve listed a few areas that we should keep in mind at all times:
I know it’s hard as fuck but you really need to be saving as much as you can spare. Rough times definitely do come and there will be times where you are absolutely strapped for money. So even if it’s $5-$10 on the weeks that you can’t afford to spare anything, it all adds up and you’ll thank yourself when the times come that you’ll need the money. You could even create separate accounts for different purposes; long time savings, holiday savings, health/rainy day savings, festival/events savings. That way you’re ready for almost anything that comes your way.
These are the bodies we have to live in for our whole lives, so take care of yourself, you want those baby’s to last looking as good as possible – for as long as possible. Apply sunscreen every morning, there are moisturisers and foundations that have this in their mix already. Cleanse and moisturise your face morning and night. Basic stuff, brush your teeth and go to your check ups! As for your insides, cheeky Maccas or cake is fine but keep up your fruit and veg intake to even out the playing field.
Happiness is so vital, it keeps us sane and grounded. Without it, we easily fall off the tracks and some of us struggle to jump back on in comparison to others. Hang out with friends, go to festivals, do what you love and enjoy (as long as it’s not hurting anyone else). If drinking and going out every weekend is your thing, then that’s chill but take a break from that sometimes as you might be doing more damage than you think – long term wise. Have a hobby and/or interest, it takes your mind off things and gives you time to unwind. That could be as simple as lying down and listen to an album or sitting outdoors with a cuppa every Sunday morning. Other things could be reading, art, music, cleaning.
Life can be super distracting but remember to maintain your goals, this gives you direction. Something we all need; without it we gain feelings of dissonance and loose who we are. The beauty of this all is that our goals don’t have to be set in stone, so don’t stress about not choosing the right path. Every choice and action has a domino effect in your life, so if you get to a dead end, pick another direction. It’s important not to loose focus and remember that we’re all in this together
By Mika Campbell
Mika is a creative guru for Work-Shop Brisbane and runs her own blog – www.bleachtapes.com