“People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something that one finds. It is something that one creates. “ – Thomas Szasz – Hungarian Psychiatrist and Academic
I have recently been reading quite a few blogs and articles about living life in your twenties and also having a few conversations with my aunt about this topicit. One thing that has rung through all of this was that your twenties are the time to find or as I would rather call it ‘create’ yourself. The time to try out different things, experiment and see the world. The time to grow as a person by feeding your brain with things that will help you achieve your dreams. The time to start life-long habits that will not only stick with you, but help you along the way. The time to ‘do it all!’ I guess. So I have just come up with a few things that I, as a young African woman in her twenties, would love to work on in the next few years. Here goes!
1. Quiet Time
I remember attending a conference a few years ago where we were encouraged to spend quiet time in the morning with our thoughts. I also remember finding it really hard to just sit there in a silent space that was peaceful and calm. That was when I realized that I hardly ever do not make time for myself to just think things through. That was an eyeopening experience for me. Starting your day off with just a few minutes by yourself, be it even in prayer if you are religious, really does make a difference. You get to go through your day with a purpose in mind, knowing what you want to achieve that day. I will not lie, I find this very challenging as I am not a morning person… at all! But hopefully, this is a habit that I will be able to build slowly but surely.
2. Healthy Habits
As I continued to speak to my aunt, she was stressing how hard it is to start eating ‘clean’ later on in life. I am not the dieting kind, I’m too lazy for that. But I can however live with substituting certain foods for healthier options. For instance honey in my tea instead of sugar, putting more veggies on my plate, swapping regular yogurt for greek yogurt. Just small things like that.
3. Build-a-Wardrobe
I have also come to realize that I tend to buy a lot of new clothes and shoes that I do not need and that I hardly end up wearing as often. So during Christmas I decided to go through a wardrobe clean and get rid of clothes I hadn’t worn in a year and clothes that do not fit me anymore. I also decided that from now on I would buy clothes that are made well and that I can see myself wearing for years to come. (Note I said made well, not necessarily designer).
Youth. Source – http://tearmatt.files.wordpress.com/
4. Travel
I have always loved travelling. When the word travel comes to mind most of us think of leaving the country. However, as a student that is a luxury that I cannot afford at the moment. Which is why I have decided to travel as much as I can regionally and visit all the tourist attractions that are at my disposal. I do however want to be able to travel around the world one day which brings me to my next point.
5. Spending Habits
Looking back at 2013, I realized just how much money I spent on literally stupid things that I really do not need. The figure that I came up with of money that I could have saved up really was a slap on the face! So as Warren Buffet put it “Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.” There isn’t a better time to start saving than now, when I have a few financial responsibilities. This will allow me to do all the travelling that I want and spoil myself here and there.
6. God
Finally, I want to build a better relationship with God. That speaks for itself!
So to all my other ladies in their twenties, what do you plan on working on during this period of your life? To any older ladies, any advice for the twenties gang? Please share in the comments section.