As you enter into a new world of adulthood, that means there are changes to make in your 20s. Adulting is when things start to become serious.
You have to learn how to take care of yourself in this world and that can be a pretty steep learning curve.
If you just passed Go, I mean age 20, then you are now on the rollercoaster of learning to adult in several different aspects of life. Several of us, including myself, were still in college when we turned 20, and so it didn’t really hit till graduation at age 22 or 23.
Others were forced into adulting perhaps before they even turned 20. No matter what spot you fall into on that spectrum, this is a perfect list to help you set up your life for success in your 20s.
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Each area we will discuss will allow you to make positive changes when you are young. If you are intentional and focused, then you can use these to leverage your success in these areas in your 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and more.
It’s much easier to establish positive changes in our lives in our 20s. We have more energy and more time to establish habits, and that’s why I am so passionate about helping 20-somethings excel in each of these areas.
Using your 20s as the time to set up positive habits and build positive relationships will lead to a strong foundation for the rest of your life. Don’t wait till you’re 30 to make a grand change to your life because you can’t just flip a switch.
Work hard in your 20s and you’ll find enjoyment comes to you a lot easier.
There are six dimensions you should focus on when you enter adulthood. The six changes to make in your 20’s are spiritual, physical, emotional, relational, mental, and financial.
Each of these areas can be molded and shaped to reflect the life you want to live and help you make a positive impact in the world.
With each of these areas, we are going to focus on the past, present, and future. What have you experienced in the past? What is your present reality? Where would you like to be in 5, 20, or 50 years?
Let’s get started…
Spiritual Changes To Make In Your 20’s
As a Christian, I believe in transformation all the way down to the spiritual sense. Transformation begins and ends in Christ.
God calls us to Himself and it is only through Him that meaningful and lasting change can occur. We can crave fulfillment in the following five areas of our lives and seek material and worldly things to satisfy that craving; however, until we find lasting satisfaction in Christ alone, will we be ultimately satisfied.
He is the satisfaction our hearts crave. If you don’t know Him yet, then open up a Bible and read what He can do for you. Here is a free resource to check out as well.
Let’s look at your past spiritual journey: How were you raised? What were you taught to believe?
In your 20s is when you really come to grasp what you believe about faith and religion. It’s when you make your faith your own if you were raised being taught one way, or it’s when you identify with something else.
Your 20s are such a defining decade and it is a time to reflect on your religious beliefs to see if there are changes to make in your 20s.
Then I encourage you to ask: What do I believe right now? What daily habits do I want to start establishing now?
Related Post: Re-Learn To Study The Bible As A Young Adult
In my 20s was when I truly began making my faith my own. I started going to my own church, one that I picked based on my desires and interests. It was when I set up daily scripture reading habits and prayer habits.
What action will you take today to make your religious life a priority and establish habits based on your faith?
You can determine this by looking ahead to the future. How involved do you want to be in a church in the future? Do you want a sense of community in the future? How deep do you want to be in your faith in the next 10 years?
Your spiritual journey can become your own in your 20s and grow into something really intimated if you begin setting up habits today.
Physical Changes To Make In Your 20’s
Your health, is it a priority right now? Fitness, eating healthy, and staying in shape are all things everyone thinks about at one time or another.
Whether you know your diet could use a makeover or you stink at working out, now is the time to make the changes you want in your life.
One easy step I took was replacing my carb-filled breakfast with a Fab Four smoothie. This gives me all the nutrients I need to start the day each morning and keeps me filled till lunch. It was a perfect habit to start in my 20s.
So first, look back at your past. What diets, workout plans, or goals have you tried before that didn’t work out? What has worked but you haven’t been intentional at sticking with?
Analyze those results and see what you can implement today. Then do some research. What books could you read and what resources could you begin to study to help you set up better habits around your health?
Related Post: 21 Quick Ways To Be Healthy In Your 20’s
The health changes to make in your 20s will only happen if you become intentional about them. Be intentional now and before you know it, it will be a habit.
Today you can change your meal plan, start a diet, join a gym, join a running club, sign up for a race, etc. to start getting those habits going.
Then, look ahead to the future. What goal will you set? Make sure it has a deadline. Want to drop 20 pounds in six months? Set that goal and then write what you will do each week to get to that goal. Then set daily goals.
Accomplish the small goals daily, and then you’ll be reaching those weekly and monthly goals before you know it.
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Emotional Changes To Make In Your 20’s
Our emotional health is something we as 20-somethings tend to ignore. Our emotional health can guide how we feel about the other five areas we are discussing in this post, so if it is not in a healthy place neither will any of the other areas.
First, look at how you’ve handled your emotions in the past. Brainstorm how you become easily angered, what makes you happy, how you handle sadness, what you do when you are embarrassed, etc.
I like to look at each emotion individually and analyze it within my personality. Become self-aware and realize how you are wired.
If every time someone comments on a certain quality trait about you, you get angered, then learn how you can handle that in the future.
To be happy, you may need time to go to a bookstore by yourself and recharge or you may like going to large parties. Find what you need to be fully yourself and then embrace it as often as you can.
Related Post: The Top 5 Personality Tests To Take After College
Then look ahead to the future. What do you want your emotional health to look like in the future? What habits of self-care can you set up now to avoid becoming depressed or angry in the future?
Take the time to journal about your emotional health in the past, present, and future so that the changes to make in your 20s become a reality.
Relational Changes To Make In Your 20’s
You have so many relationships in your life, whether you realize it or not. You likely have family, friends, co-workers, boyfriend/girlfriend, extended family, Facebook friends, sports friends, church community, etc. With so many relationships there are relational changes to make in your 20s.
How have you been hurt by relationships in the past? What healing needs to take place due to those hard relationships?
Take the time to pray over your past relationships. Journal about what hurt you about them and if there has been grace and healing between them or not. Then look at where you are at with those relationships today.
What relationships do you enjoy today? How do you want to nurture those so that they remain in close relationships in the future?
By examining the important relationships in our lives, we can make decisions on how to be a better daughter, a better friend, a better spouse, etc., and turn those decisions into habits.
One great way to grow new friendships is to eliminate toxic ones.
Sometimes the best friendships haven’t formed yet because you are holding onto toxic friendships that others see. That person may be wary of becoming a close friend because of your other toxic friendship.
Part of this process is eliminating toxic people from your life and crafting new, healthy friendships, characterized by love, selflessness, and care. Find someone that you can help and then they’ll help you too.
In the future, do you want to have stronger relationships with your family members? Do you want to grow your relationships with your co-workers and form new ones? Which friends do you want to stay in touch with or grow into deeper relationships with?
Journaling about the relational changes to make in your 20s can be a wonderful way to make your 20s a meaningful and impactful time in your life.
Check out one of my favorite adulting books here!
Mental Changes To Make In Your 20’s
Sometimes relationships aren’t the only toxic things happening in your life. We can often have a lot of toxic thinking that holds us back from being successful in possibly every area of our life.
What toxic thoughts have you thought of in the past? These thoughts could be self-doubt, self-criticism, and lies you believe about who you are. Toxic thoughts keep you from being the best version of yourself.
So, like the other areas of life, examine your past toxic thoughts and decide how you want to change those in the present based on your future goals. If you want to have a healthy mental thought stream in the future, it won’t happen by just hoping for it.
You have to make conscious decisions today. Be intentional about what you look about and the changes to make in your 20s will come easier than you suspect.
Another aspect to think about when examining this area of your life is continuing education. If you recently graduated from college or even went to grad school, what learning do you want to take place in your future?
This doesn’t mean going to another school necessarily. This could mean reading the news every day, which I highly suggest. It could also mean getting a library card and reading a certain number of books each year.
How have you viewed education in the past? What do you currently do to keep your mind active? Where do you want your mental state to be in terms of learning in the future?
Based on your answers to those questions determine the mental changes to make in your 20s to make this a reality.
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Financial Changes To Make In Your 20’s
The last area of life you need to examine in your 20s, but certainly not the least. Your financial situation might be a very bright one with a positive outlook, or it might seem pretty dark and hopeless.
Either way, I promise there is hope. How have you been raised to think about money in the past? Your money mindset may be the reason you’re stuck in a money rut.
How have you failed to deal with money poorly in the past? Have you gone into unnecessary debt? Have you invested poorly? Where could you save more money?
Now set up a healthy budget and a conscious spending plan for your current money situation. Make an intentional plan to create the right money habits in your 20s.
Related Article: How To Create Your First Successful Budget After College
Your 20s are key to getting into the right money mindset and setting up the right budget so that you don’t have to worry about money in the future. If you do have lots of debt, make a conscious plan on how you will pay it off as soon as you can.
Look towards your future goals. What do you want to own in the future? What do you want to experience in the next 10 years? How much will you need to save for those goals?
Examine how you will pay off debt and handle money in a positive light today so that your future money goals will come true.
How do you feel about each of these areas of your life? This post contained a lot of self-reflection but that’s where change begins.
What are the most important life changes to make after 20? They are the spiritual, physical, emotional, relational, mental, and financial areas of your life.
As you enter into a new world of adulthood, that means there are changes to make in your 20s. Which ones have you made?
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Kelsey at GoodPointGrandma
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This is such an awesome post babe and I love that you incorporated all six factors! All make a difference and love the advice!
Kileen
cute & little
Thanks so much Kileen!
I love this! I just began my adventure through my 20’s and sometimes it seems pretty daunting. I won’t be out of school and working at my actual career until I’m 24 (2 more years… yikes) and it feels like my life is on pause. I realized I should take the time to reflect and improve on other aspects of my life like physical health and relationships because those things shouldn’t take the back burner and I will have more time than ever now, before starting and finishing nursing school.
Yes, Maddie, that is so wise! It is so important to set up the right habits now in your 20’s so that you can live a more successful and fulfilling life (:
I wish I knew about paying off debt when I was in my 20’s. I am sure that I would have made a lot more different financial decisions.
It’s never too early or too late to start! Thanks for the comment Kelly!
I am almost a completely different person now at 31 than I was at 21 – in a good way. It really is a big time for self-exploration and growth. I never cared about my health before but I started running and have never felt better. Your point about emotional stability is super important too.
Isn’t it crazy how much we change over the years?! It is such an impactful season of life that not enough people give it credit for…I appreciate your feedback!
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