Things I Learned in My 20s | 23 PROVEN Life Lessons

Your 20s are there to make mistakes – and learn from them. Explore the life lessons these turbulent years provide with someone who’s been there.

Hitting your 30s might seem like a scary life event, but it’s not! I turned 30 last year and I’ve honestly never been happier. So if you’re looking for things I learned in my 20s, you’re in the right place!

From all the things to do in your 20s to be successful to what changes you can expect throughout the decade, I’ve got your back. I learned SO much over the last decade, and while everyone’s experiences are different, these are the essentials to know. 

I’ll be covering travel, your personal life, love, work, and health in this ULTIMATE tell-all for lessons to be learned in your 20s. Take it all in, make mistakes, and don’t take it all so seriously!

Relationships

• Love is love is love – honestly, you’re probably going to fall in love a few times in your life. It’s up to you to choose your forever love, but in the meantime, enjoy the love! Love ends badly sometimes, but embrace that. It’s all part of the experience. 
• Date as much as you can – dating is a bit of a minefield, and it can be super intimidating, especially when you’ve got potentials sending you unsolicited nudes and asking you weird questions before you’ve even seen their face. But it’s supposed to be fun! Get out there and meet new people, don’t be afraid to date around, and enjoy it. 
• Listen to your gut – this is the OG of advice in your 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond. Got a weird feeling about someone? Get out of there. Your gut might not always be right, but I learned that a bad feeling about someone is often the precursor to trouble. I didn’t listen to my gut feeling once and it ended in a year-long abusive relationship I wish I could erase from my history. Go with your gut!!
• Get independent – dating is great, but you should also learn to depend on yourself. Date around and have fun with it, but don’t forget that the number 1 person looking out for you is YOU! Be a sassy, messy individual in your 20s and always have your own back. It saves the day when things go wrong!

For some epic tips on fostering love in your 20s, follow this guide from therapists!

Family & friends

• Choose family in your friendships – those friends of yours? Let them be your family, too! Just choose wisely and take care of those friendships. They’re like houseplants; if you maintain it, it will stick around to make your space brighter. 
• Not all friendships were made to last – don’t be afraid to let people go. It takes a lot to make a decision like that, but ultimately, cutting out the weeds is the only way to get the best circle of friends possible. Cutting out toxic friendships can help you get back on track and prioritize yourself and your own wellbeing. 
• Your people are important! – learning how to take care of your people is super important. Cultivating those friendships is a huge boost for your mental health, and means those people are more likely to stick around for longer. Always put yourself first, but don’t forget that a support network is essential!

Mental & physical health

• Don’t take your health for granted – I’m so guilty of this. I massively took my health for granted, smoked throughout my 20s, and didn’t look after my posture or physical health all that much. Once I hit 30, I started to notice the repercussions. Don’t be like me!
• Get the partying out of your system – your 20s is a great time to have as much fun as you can. Once you get past that decade, partying isn’t quite as much fun. So have as MUCH fun as you can while your body is young! Try not to overdo it, but living your life to the fullest means you can settle down in your 30s knowing you’ve had a whale of a time. 
• Own up to your mistakes – you’re going to make so many mistakes in your 20s. I did!! Taking responsibility for them is difficult sometimes but it can have a huge effect on your mental wellbeing. Just remember that everyone is human, and mistakes are there as a learning experience!
• Practice mindfulness – I was never really a yoga bunny or meditation guru, I’ll admit that. But to be honest, I wish I was! I think a lot of the turmoil I experienced throughout my 20s is because I wasn’t “one with myself,” so to speak, and it would have helped hugely to have that personal awareness. 
• It’s okay to not be okay – this might be number 12 on the list, but it’s the most important one for things I learned in my 20s. Looking around you, you might think everyone is doing great, while you’re not. That’s not true! Everyone has their own stuff and it is totally normal to not feel 100% okay, especially in your 20s. Take care of your mental health and stay strong!

TOP TIP: I recommend diving into a children’s book for the ultimate mental wellness activity. Check out our post on the 11 most nostalgic children’s books for adults to enjoy!

Work life

• Failure is good for your growth – oh man, I have failed at so many things. But that’s not a bad thing!! It took me a while to realize it, but I’m so much better for those failures. Learn from your failures, take stock, and try, try again. It works out, I promise!
• Save save save – I am so bad at saving. Honestly, I should have saved WAY more in my 20s, but I was always so terrible at managing my finances (totally financially illiterate tbh). My advice? Don’t be like me! Save every penny you can in your 20s – but even if you don’t, it’s never too late to start.
• It’s never too late to change your career – this was a massive one for me. I changed my mind about 100 times. And that’s ok! I’m glad I got to experience different things and having that variety of experience has helped me enormously. Change your mind, change your career, change your outlook!
• It doesn’t matter how many times you start over – it really doesn’t matter if you’re starting from scratch a few times in your 20s. This is the best time to learn and you’re still finding your feet. Be kind to yourself!
• It’s not a big deal if you’re not where you want to be – when I hit 30, I had a melancholic moment about not quite being where I wanted to be. But I realized there is so much time for me to be where I want to be. 

Personal life

• Be prepared to become a totally different person – man, I’m shocked at how different I am today compared with 10 years ago. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely prefer myself now, but it’s absolutely WILD how much you change in your 20s.
• The grass is not always greener – comparing your journey with others is a total waste of time. Your journey is unique, and most importantly, it’s yours. Don’t chase other people’s goals, just be 100% you and embrace everything you have!
• Life is supposed to be messy – if your 20s are easy and simple, I’m not sure you’re in your 20s. Everything about life is meant to be messy, confusing, and chaotic. There are moments of calm, sure, but expect messiness sometimes. Embrace the mess!
• Be flexible – it’s SO important to be as flexible as possible. Things are going to change, and life often just doesn’t care about your plans. Try to stay on top of it, it’s okay! Be prepared for life to throw you curveballs and don’t worry too much!
• Learn to cook properly! – I’m serious, I don’t just mean fried eggs or pasta. I mean really learn some essential cooking skills. It’s so nice to be able to make whatever you want, and having those skills means you have more freedom with what you eat. It’s also cheaper to cook for yourself than eating out or getting takeout!
• Travel as much as you can – traveling is good for the soul. It helps you to grow as a person and forces you to get out of your comfort zone. Get out and travel the world!

FAQs about things I learned in my 20s

📙 What is the most useful thing you have learned in your 20s?

The most useful thing I learned in my 20s is that it’s actually good to fail a few times. Change your mind, fail, and try again. It’s good for the soul to start all over and you learn so much from it!

🗂️ What’s the TOP tip for things to do in your 20s to be successful?

The top tip for things to do in your 20s to be successful is to be flexible! Like I said, life doesn’t care about your plans, so sometimes life will throw you a curveball. It’s about how you deal with it that counts!

⏳ What happens in your 20s?

You change A LOT in your 20s. Be prepared to become a totally different person. And honestly? That’s a good thing! Just keep that in mind for your relationships, as your needs will change along with your personality.

Conclusion

So there you have it! All the things I learned in my 20s. 

I hope you found this useful! Just remember that your journey is probably completely different to mine, so just stay on top of your game as much as you can, be kind to yourself, and take care of yourself in this chaotic time!

The one thing to remember through all of this? It gets better, I promise! 

Any questions just hit me up in the comments! 

Happy growing!

Lizzie