If you don’t want your life to suck, understand this.
‘Your 20s are your foundational years’.
You’re young enough to make mistakes but old enough to learn from them.
It’s these years where you’re tested by life.
Are you going to be the kind of person who wastes their youth and energy?
Or are you going to be the kind of person who uses their 20s to thrive?
Everyone talks about what you should do in your 20s (including me).
In this article — I’m giving you the opposite side.
Here are 11 habits you need to avoid to guarantee your life will be successful.
1. Drugs
These are a big no.
Everyone knows the devastating effect of drug use (including alcohol).
Yet, many in their 20s still take them to ‘feel’ alive.
It’s a one-way ticket to hell.
You're ruining your bank account, your life and the well-being of others around you including your family.
People take drugs for 2 reasons:
- To feel pleasure
- To escape pain
What they don’t understand is pain is never permanent and pleasure is temporary.
You don’t need drugs to escape.
I’m not talking about only hard drugs either.
- Sugar
- Comfort
- Laziness
I bet you didn't think these were drugs, did you?
Any substance/state of being which keeps you hooked and zaps your energy is bad for you, and if it becomes a habit, it’s devastating.
Do you know what drugs you should be considering?
A fit body and financial freedom.
2. Overspending/Bad Debt
Now is the time to build your financial future.
Not waste it.
Many of you who enter your 20s will enrol on University and get student loans to help your cost of living.
This is the first time you will see $1000s enter your bank account.
On top of this, you now have access to credit cards with high-interest rates with lenders hunting you like sharks.
You are a perfect candidate to be a debt slave.
Oh but that’s not all!
Everyone else around you wants a new car on finance too.
For 48 monthly payments, you say to yourself:
“I can afford that!”
But it doesn’t end there.
You want to ‘look’ rich so of course you need the latest Gucci designer clothes.
And you need to go out every day to maintain the image.
To what end?
You're drowning in a sea of debt and there’s no lifeguard to drag you out.
This is the reality for most of those in their 20s and it stays with them until their later years.
Drill this into your brain:
“I want to be rich, not look rich”
Whilst others are wasting their money trying to be something they aren’t.
You need to be disciplining yourself and working on ways to become free.
Do not give in to the temptation of overspending.
3. Neglecting Health
You’re young so you think you can get away with destroying your body.
You may not notice the damaging effects now.
But when you turn 30,40,50?
You are in trouble.
Because it’s not the effect of the bad habits themselves, it’s the mindset you build.
Carelessness and disregard for your own body will lead to the same habits in other areas of your life (wealth, relationships).
Remember, no one respects the out of shape person.
4. Watching The News
If you had to describe poison in visual form — it’s mainstream news.
Do you wonder why so many people are depressed and unhappy?
It’s because their minds are filled with negative information, fear and propaganda from sources like Fox and CNBC.
You're not missing out on anything.
You don’t need to stay informed on information that pollutes your mind.
That's like eating fast food to become healthy.
It makes no sense.
And whilst you are here, understand that you do not need to get involved in politics either. News and Politics are both heads of the same snake.
Spend your time in the company of books, people and podcasts to better yourself.
5. Procrastination
Now is the time to work.
Not to be lazy.
If you’re lazy now when you have your youth and energy, when are you going to be productive?
In your 40s?
At that point, you have responsibilities and children to take care of.
Do you have a business idea you're putting off? Do it now.
Want to invest your money? Do it now.
Want to get in shape? Do it now.
Want to learn a skill on the side to increase your income? Do it now.
Everything gets harder as you age. Take advantage now.
Oh and let me tell you this.
Your friends, family, associates, colleagues and everyone else will say:
“You have time”.
But you don’t. The only reason people tell you this is because they regret wasting their own time.
Don’t listen to their insecurities and blaze your path today.
6. Relying on Others
You grow up through your childhood and teens with your parents and others taking care of you.
They pay your bills, do your laundry, and fix your problems.
But you are not a child anymore.
You’ve entered adulthood. Take responsibility as a blessing.
I still see people in their 30s relying on their parents to spoon-feed them.
Even making their bed is a hassle.
Don’t be a man child — you are a grown adult.
So act like one.
You’re young, yes.
But there’s no downside to taking on adult responsibilities — it’s a part of life you must get familiar with.
If there’s one piece of life advice that’s helped me the most, it’s this:
“No one is coming to save you”.
Thinking a superhero is coming to save you like the ending of a Disney movie is a lie.
Embrace it all.
Fix your problems.
Be capable.
7. Partying
Socialising is a crucial life skill you need to develop, and you need to have fun to stay balanced — otherwise, life would be boring.
Partying allows you to do both.
But if you party every day, that’s when it becomes destructive.
As you enter your 20s and beyond, you're going to see opportunities to party especially if you're in a social environment.
The bright lights, the blaring music, happy smiles surrounding you!
It’s going to be fun for a bit.
Then it’s soulless.
A pit of despair.
Humans want social interaction and that's why partying is such a common addiction, but if it's the interaction you want, there are other ways to do it.
- Gym
- Martial Arts
- Networking Events
The difference in your development is astronomical.
When you go to the club to party, you will see alcohol and drugs (remember the first point in this article?)
You also have to deal with other drunks and low energy people who will cause trouble.
Negative People + Alcohol/Drugs = Get out of there.
I’m not telling you to be a boring person who sits at home all day.
I’m warning you that partying is a lifestyle that becomes addictive.
Don’t get sucked in.
8. Neglecting Education
“Don’t let schooling interfere with your education “— Mark Twain
By the time you reach your 20’s you’ve gone through years of schooling.
If you’re attending University you have more years to go through.
It feels like a prison sentence instead of education.
That’s not your fault.
That’s the fault of the modern ‘education’ system.
1. Read.
2. Listen to the teacher.
3. Memorize.
4. Put on the exam paper.
5. Repeat.
This isn’t education.
Real education (the one you should be doing) is finding a topic that interests you and diving deep into it — sharing what you learn with a friend/colleague.
You’re not learning to memorize, your learning to realize and teach others.
And in 2022, it’s not like we have a lack of resources.
YouTube is free.
Courses are free.
Libraries are free.
Here’s the key:
Learn actionable information which will improve your quality of life.
9. Making Comparisons
In your 20s, you’re starting to build your value.
There’s no need to compare yourself to others in their 30s and 40s.
They have 10+ years of experience compared to you.
Comparing your Day 1 to their Day 10000 leads you to misery for no reason.
Both Instagram and Twitter make you believe it's normal to see 16-year-olds making $100k per month or an 18-year-old who sold Crypto for $30m.
Congratulations to them, but stop comparing yourself to them.
Should you be inspired? Yes.
But never demotivated or jealous, don’t be that person.
The only person you should compare yourself is to you the previous year.
Are you getting wealthier, healthier, smarter, wiser?
Good.
Keep at it.
10. Enjoying Bad Friendships
If you’re reading this article, I know you’re the kind of person with a good head on your shoulders.
You’re looking to improve yourself in life and I respect that.
You need to ask yourself if the others around you are willing to do the same.
If you shared this article with them would they ignore it?
Or would they take the advice and use it to impact their lives?
I’m not telling you to get rid of your friends, but observe their behaviour when you mention your self-improvement journey.
Are they dragging you back down like crabs in a bucket?
Secretly hoping you don’t improve yourself because they don’t want to do the same? If so, get rid of them.
Keep the friends who are willing to go on this beautiful journey with you.
11. Staying Comfortable
This habit plagues most.
If you stay in your comfort zone, you aren’t willing to grow.
Challenge yourself.
Every point I have mentioned above to avoid is based on avoiding the comfort zone.
- Fixing your finances
- Avoiding negative influences
- Educating yourself
- Staying productive
- Improving your health.
This is not comfortable for most people and in 2022, you’re not ‘normal’ if you’re doing all this.
That’s how easy it is to get ahead.
Yet if you destroy yourself financially, physically and mentally — you will be encouraged.
Here are some other ways you can challenge yourself:
- If you get a job and you find better opportunities elsewhere.
- If you get the opportunity to meet high-value people and network with them
- If you can move to another country and experience the culture
It’s better to do something than lie on your deathbed regretting you didn’t.
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