You only get young once, it’s the one phase of life which never comes again, and this makes it even more important for you not to waste it. Remember, nothing is ever waste of life, whatever you do in it, will come back to you in one way or the other. Life has a habit of testing you, so no matter how ready you feel you truly are, you will be thrown into situations which are unknown to you, and how you react in those situations defines which kind of person you are. Here are the 20 amazing things for I have observed and found from my 20s –

1. Have Purpose- 

   If there’s one thing where you have to focus more than anything, that’s your mind and intellect. You have to understand your purpose of living and let it define you.

2. Find your Passion-
   

   Finding your passion and path doesn’t mean that there will be no challenges or circumstances, you will be thrown in different situations but you will overcome that with the help of your passion.

3. Have Compassion-
   

   Have compassion. For people who are getting older. As you are getting young, your parent must be getting older. Try to understand their actions more than words. Love them, cherish them, care for them. Because, Sometimes, you are everything they have.

4. Stay in Love-
   

   Fall in love, fall in love often, love your friend, your neighbour, your job, your workplace. But know everything you should before you say I love you. You should be ready for love, like everything else. Although if you find someone worth risking everything for, someone who is pure enough to keep you as a priority for the rest of their life, don’t let them go. Some people can never be replaced. Remember that.

5. Change your definition, often-
   

   Forget the word “easy” from your dictionary, and add the word “worthwhile” instead. Make a habit to be capable enough of things.

6. Smart working-
   

   Focus on smart working, putting 10 hours to work won’t led you to live a life full of riches. Do smart work, and if you are doing it right, you won’t have to work more than One hour and forty minutes of your day.

7. Be Kind and gentle-
   

   Be kind and gentle and above than that, be the one who you wanted to be when you were a kid.

8. Be Mindful-
   

   For sometimes, do think from the heart, but don’t forget to take your mind with you.

9. Look for the little things–

   Having dreams about your life in your twenties is a good thing but dying for them isn’t. Draw a line and make time for good things. Savour little moments. It could be a walk in the park, giving food to the needy, or giving respect to someone. (Read- What truly matters? )

10. The humble, the better-

    The more heights you will reach, the humbler it will make you. Ego has no place in the life of those who have achieved something. So, get ahead with your ego problem.

11. Take rest, but don’t give up–

    If things are not happening in a way you want, take rest. Sometimes our soul gets tired & sometimes it’s our body. Take rest and recover. Plan more. Plan better. Failing should be an option but giving up isn’t. Don’t give up. (Read- How do you feel?)

12. It’s Okay-

    There are going to be a few failures, few heartbreaks and few pitfalls, but in the end, it’s all going to be okay. Don’t panic if things go wrong, but sit down and find out on what exactly you can do next. When it rains, look for the rainbows, when its dark, look for the stars.

13. Magic–

    Look for magic. Look for things that don’t make sense but somehow connect with you. Look for people who believe in impossible and yes believe in impossible. Have dreams of reaching stars and hold on to them. Remember, life is boring if you spend it thinking small.

14. Fast Forward –

    Look at people in your career lines who are five years, ten years ahead of you and ask yourself- is this what I want to be? If the answer is no, explore yourself to more opportunities. Remember,  you can’t be what you can’t see. (Read- Magic of Explore)

15. Plan to Give–

    When you are young, you are fresh, you can do things you will not be able to do in your later ages. So, plan on how you will help those who cannot do anything for you in return. Plan and take simple steps to execute the same.

16. Count days, not years–

    Time is so fickle. You will always have 86400 seconds in your day, but you won’t even recognise when it slips. So, get hold of it, live by a schedule. Have some discipline.

17. Enjoy yourself–

    To be very frank, you are not going to like everyone you will meet and then you will have to spend so much of your time alone. So, learn to enjoy your company. Don’t feel bored, grab a book, hobby or anything and do something productive.

18. Wherever your mind goes–

    Wherever your mind goes, energy flows. Whatever idea you put inside your brain, it will grow. So, put positive thoughts, do not let negativity, hate and revenge hold a room inside your mind.

19. Travel-

    Travel in your twenties whenever you can. Get familiar with places. Meet new people, discover new areas. It will help you become more creative and acknowledge on how to respect every person apart from their caste, colour, gender and religion.

20. Find your own truth-
    

    You need to find yourself on your own. No matter what you have seen in the movie or read a book, or heard from a friend, test it. Test in your situations and create your own rules. Learn about all other rules first so that you can break them when it’s necessary.

I have learned all these lessons from the experiences and pitfalls I have faced in my life, I have even summarised some of the simple recipes of smart living in my book-Because You Need This!