8 Things to Do at 20 That Will Make Your Life Easier at 40
Waste your time in your 20s and you will reap all the consequences in your 40s. When you’re young, you barely think about your future. You hope the wind will change in your favor and something magical will happen when you get older. When something goes wrong, you blame your parents, friends or partner for all your failures and miserable life.
The truth is, your life is absolutely your responsibility. What you do today can significantly affect your future. If you really want to feel contented when you hit your 40s, here are some of the most important things you can do in your 20s that will hopefully make your life easier and happier in your 40s.
1 Find your true life purpose
Many people live their lives without purpose. They get married, have kids, earn money, pay the bills, pay off debts, and feel stuck in a rut because they believe it’s normal. “All people do it so I have to do it too.” This is a thought many of us have. If you live your life to the fullest but without purpose now, it doesn’t mean you will have a bright lifestyle in your 40s.
Typically, when women hit their 40s, most of them feel lost. They don’t know what they want or need. They continue doing things they think they must do. To avoid feeling stuck in your 40s, take time to find your true life purpose in your 20s. At 45, you should be aware of who you are and what makes you happy.
2 Find your dream job
Finding your dream job will definitely make your life better in your 40s. It’s easier to experiment with professions and try new things when you’re younger. Sure, it’s possible to do the same in 40s and up, but unfortunately most employers typically look for young professionals, making it hard for mature people to find a dream job.
3 Quit bad habits
As obvious as it sounds, it’s best to start getting rid of all the bad habits you have in your 20s. It takes a great deal of willpower and patience to break a bad habit in your 20s, and even more effort to do it in your 40s. Often we act by force of habit. We get as drunk as possible because we thing we are young and we have to do it. “I’ll die anyway so I wanna try it all.”
This is what I hear frequently from young ladies. Of course, we will die one day, but let it be in our 90s, not 30s. Drinking, smoking, not getting enough of sleep, eating junk food, working too much, overthinking, etc. are all bad habits that could potentially shorten our lifespan.
Read also – 7 Wise Ways to Break the Complaining Habit
4 Develop healthy habits
Get rid of your bad habits and develop healthy ones instead. It’s not only about exercise and healthy diet. It’s about your lifestyle too. Apart from eating more fruit and vegetables, drinking 8 glasses of water, getting 7-8 hours of sleep and working out 3 times a week, healthy habits include staying in a healthy relationship, traveling, meditating, volunteering, and living in harmony with yourself. What healthy habits do you already have?
5 Practice positive thinking
You’ve heard it many times. Even though it’s never too late to develop positive thinking, it’s best to start early. Skip this point if you are optimist by nature. If not, then try to reframe your negative thinking and nourish your positive attitude. The older we get, the more optimistic we should be.
My grandma was pessimistic in her 20s, 30s, 40s and felt lost and depressed in her 50s, and now when she is in her late 60s she regrets she didn’t develop positive thinking when she was young. She suffers from depression and the fear of death. No matter how hard I try to encourage and support her, unfortunately, she doesn’t listen. She says if she had been more optimistic in her 20s, her life would have been a lot different.
6 Master the art of budgeting
Perhaps, you start making your money in your 20s. You strive to live a better life. Your splurge. You barely make the ends meet. You run into debts and then work harder to pay them off. You think you have no money to save and hope you will make more cash in your 30s or 40s. If that’s the case, you have a problem. If you want to have a prosperous future you should master the art of budgeting today. I’m not telling you to buy a car or a house in your 20s, but saving for it is a smart idea.
7 Give birth to a child
Of course, it’s a personal choice. It’s not an obligation. But you don’t know what will happen to you in your 40s. Actually, no one knows. I wish I could give birth to a child when I was at least 25 so that I could hear the word “mommy” today. My neighbor, who’s 46, is seriously sick.
Most people that she loved and trusted left her, but not her daughter. She’s so thankful for having an adult daughter who is always here to support and help her. If you’re in a long-term relationship and you are sure of your partner, why not have a little bundle of joy then?
Read also – 12 Things Every 20-Something Girl Wants in Life
8 Stop feeling sorry for yourself
If you feel sorry for yourself in your 20s, I can’t imagine what will be with you in your 40s. Self-pity is a dangerous thing. It prevents you from reaching your goals, becoming stronger, achieving success and living your dream life. It wastes time and energy. It causes depression. When something goes wrong, do your best to change the situation instead of moaning and feeling sorry for yourself. This way, you will be much stronger and experienced in your 40s.
It’s vital to live in the present, albeit doing something useful for your better future is a great idea too. Stop making excuses for why you can’t exercise, eat healthy or achieve one goal or another. You have the power to make your life happy at any age. There’s a lot you can do. Stop pursuing happiness. Just do things that bring you joy and you will automatically feel happy.
