20 Habits To Develop In Your 20s That Will Make You The Best Version Of Yourself

Congratulations! You have officially entered adulthood. You are not a teen anymore. But it’s not like everything is lost. Trust me, if you embrace some good habits from the beginning, your 20s will be the best phase of your life.

Of course, not that after your 20s, you’ll be sad. But, by the time you enter your 30s, you’ll be way more stable than most people out there.

Hence, in this post, I’ll list the 20 habits to develop in your 20s that will make you the best version of yourself. 

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Establish Morning Routine

What is the first thing you do after waking up? Please don’t tell me you scroll through those TikTok memes and leave bed after an hour of scrolling. No matter what, avoid social media, especially before and after sleep.

Establish a morning routine. Try to get up early. Start by visualizing your goal for the day. How do you want to spend the day? Do you see yourself winning the day or struggling? Spend some time in silence, after which make your bed.

If you’re addicted to scrolling through social media right after waking up, you should drop it as quick as possible. It’s for your own good.
Trust me, once you shift from mindless scrolling to visualizing your day, you’ll literally feel a shift from negative vibration to positive vibration.

Have Long-Term Goals

Choose one: Short-term goal or long-term goals. Which one would you choose right now? Yes, short-term goals feel tempting. You can argue that if I focus more on the short-term goal, the long-term plan will automatically show itself. 

Yes, that’s true to some extent, but only sometimes. Yes, you must have a short-term goal, but those short-term goals must align with your long-term goals. 

If you dream of running a million-dollar software business 10 years from today, then learning about computers and programming is your short-term goal. Learning business also comes under a short-term plan.

You see? Starting a million-dollar software business 10 years from now is your long-term goal, and moving towards it comprises countless short ones. 

Hence, you should have a long-term goal and stay fixated on it.

Never Stop Learning

Stay away from people who encourage you to stop learning. Any immensely successful person will recommend you keep learning no matter how ahead you are in your game.

Learning extends beyond your favorite subjects; it should also encompass knowledge that proves valuable in the future.

The more you learn, the better you’ll get in your day-to-day life decisions. I hope you get it.

Don’t Resist Change

Resisting change is like opposing nature’s inherent law. Yes, nobody likes change because it disturbs the already-established rules. But the irony is that you must change to grow.

Your life will change rapidly in your 20s. You will get many opportunities that’ll change your entire life. But, if you resist change, you won’t grow. Surprising irony.

I’ll get philosophical here; change is the only constant event in our lives. Everything in this Universe changes at every Universe. Your life will change as soon as you accept this.

Learn Time Management

All these years of experience have taught me one thing: You can master everything in your life, yet you might fail in time management.

Time management is one of the most critical aspects of your life. Something that most of us don’t take seriously enough. You only have 24 hours in a day, but the number of daily tasks may be different. Also, it’s almost impossible to stay awake for 24 hours. I guess you have got the overall idea.

If there’s one habit I can request you to master in your 20s, it’s time management. You can read the so-called bestseller books on how to manage time, but you must have first-hand experience to learn the real thing.

Practice Mindfulness

You are living your awesome 20s to the fullest, but here is where the real problem lies. There’s always a whirlwind inside your head. You may feel irritated, angry, and anxious.

But you know what? You can calm yourself down by practicing Mindfulness, and practicing Mindfulness gives you a different view of everyday events. You feel as if you’re looking at life from a different dimension.

Whether it’s only a few minutes of meditation every day, if you can be mindful even for only a few minutes daily, it’ll open you to a different possibility.

You’ll naturally feel an inner calm. As if all those bugging thoughts just vanished in thin air. In reality, the thoughts are present, but your practice has pushed them to the background. The beauty of mindfulness practice is that you can do it anytime and anywhere you like.

Stay Physically Fit

Have you ever tried sending yourself a love letter? I’m sure that’s the epitome of cringe. Okay, here’s a substitute: Stay physically fit. Staying physically fit is like giving yourself a love letter every day.

It is your body, and how well you keep it is entirely dependent on how physically active you are. If you embrace the habit of regular physical exercise, your mental health will also improve.

And you know why it’s even more crucial to exercise these days? Because the quality of food we eat has gone down significantly. Our food has way more unhealthy fat and sugar than it used to be before.

So, gift yourself this good habit every day. Strive to be physically fit.

Build A Strong Work Ethic

I cannot explain in words how important it is to start building a work ethic in your 20s. In fact, the earlier you start, the better you’ll perform in your professional life. 

To explain it more thoroughly, building a strong work ethic is like laying the foundation for a world-class skyscraper. You cannot build a skyscraper with a shaky foundation. 

Building a strong work ethic is not just about ticking off tasks; it’s primarily about embracing a mindset. A strong mindset of diligence and dedication. Whether you will work at a job or handle your business, a strong work ethic will set you apart from everyone else. 

Read books from CEOs of big companies and learn what made them different. How did they manage thousands of employees and execute tough decisions? My favorite one is: “Ride of a Lifetime” written by Robert Iger, the CEO of Disney. 

Learn To Communicate

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Please don’t choose the middle way and say, “Oh, but I’m an ambivert.” Because no matter what you are, you have to learn to communicate with people. That too with people you have never met. 

The 20s are the time when you get a chance to socialize with people. You visit various places and make new friends. Get the communication game strong, as it will immensely help you in the future. 

Honestly, learning to communicate is akin to having the master key that can access the doors to personal and professional success. Whether it’s expressing your ideas clearly or getting involved in a serious conversation, everything will ultimately depend upon how you communicate. 

This is also one habit you have to acquire by firsthand experience. Of course, you can read books, but at the end of the day, you’ll have to dive into the real world. 

Harness Growth Mindset

How would you describe your mindset? Would you call yourself a person with a growth mindset? Or someone with a fixed mindset?

If it’s the former, great! But you don’t need to fret too much if you’re the latter. Harnessing a growth mindset in your 20s is essential. The 20s is your growth phase, and you’re bound to experience various ups and downs.

If you train yourself to have a growth mindset, facing adversities will become a piece of cake. A growth mindset also has a direct relation to adaptability and change.

If you don’t like change, you’ll also have difficulty adopting a growth mindset.

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Cultivate An Optimistic Outlook

Having an optimistic look is akin to seeing a glass half full. It is about facing life’s challenges with a fiery spirit.

If you have an optimistic outlook about everything, facing uncertainties while pursuing your dreams won’t shake your heart.

Having an optimistic outlook gifts you the ability to think and feel positively, even in the worst situations. The 20s will throw you into countless such problems where you’ll be tested.

It’s entirely upon you how you respond to obstacles and problems. On the brighter side, you’ll feel invincible when you learn to cultivate an optimistic outlook. You’ll have this invisible confidence in yourself at every moment of your life.

Embrace A Clutter-free Life

How do you feel when you clean your room after a long time? Doesn’t it feel like the room is alive again, thanking you for letting in some fresh air?
That’s how important leading a clutter-free life is. Rather than adding new things, you eliminate and make way for minimalism.

And if you think a clutter-free life only means cleaning physical spaces, then you’re wrong. It’s essentially about creating mental clarity and attaining a sense of calm.

Remove things that consume too much unnecessary space. Trust me. When you clean your surroundings, your mind will automatically feel better.

Your 20s are as vibrant as a rainbow, but remember to balance vibrancy and clutter. The line is thin, and if you’re not aware enough, you’ll end up inviting a mess.

Develop Networking Skills

You need a solid network of people if you want to be successful in life. Without that, you might have to face hurdles at most events.

And if you think that networking is just about exchanging business cards, you are absolutely wrong. It’s about creating a bond.

By creating a network, you master the art of conversation and learn to listen to people rather than talk.

As briefly mentioned before, you’ll meet many new people in your 20s. Go wild with your networking skills. Take professional classes if necessary, but develop networking skills as soon as possible. If you establish good relations with successful people, it will pay you dividends in the future.

Successful people are masters at networking. They have connections to people and places you cannot even think of.

Detox Whenever Necessary

Detox is not always about physical health. Detoxing is essential for your mental health as well. The detoxing I’m talking about here is not just digital detox but also breaking away from a routine.

Yes, you need to have a habit to break other habits. That’s the irony of having a pattern. It becomes repetitive after some time.

At the very beginning of this post, I mentioned why it’s essential not to scroll through social media right after waking up or before going to sleep.

Meditation is the highest form of detoxing. That’s why only a few people can seriously meditate. You are in your 20s now, and this is the best phase to start detoxing yourself, either by taking up meditation or by creating a strict habit.

Learn Financial Planning

Financial management is one of the most important skills you must have to lead a financially abundant life. Learning financial planning in your 20s is like getting your hands on a powerful tool to secure your life.

If you know budgeting from an early age, you won’t have any issue making and managing money in the future. I recommend you read “The Psychology of Money” for a better understanding of how money works. Take some time out of your busy life and read this book.

Trust me, this book will change your view on money and financial management.

Stop Whining

I may sound harsh, but it’s time to stop whining now if you do. No, it has nothing to do with your age; it’s about your future. Have you ever seen successful people complain? They don’t! Groaning or whining about everything does nothing; it only wastes your time.

So, what should you do? Move on! Let go of something that has been disturbing you. That’s pretty much it. Whining makes the situation worse. The universe doesn’t see the difference between yes and no. Hence, complaining about something repeatedly reminds the universe that you don’t need the thing.

Show Up Early & Leave Late

I read a story a few years ago about a young Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s about how he used to reach the field to practice before anybody else did and left after everyone. Ronaldo’s urge to be the best pushed him to such limits.

Learn to overdeliver. Overdelivering is a sense of gratitude towards something or someone and subtly expressing that you love doing what you do. You may not receive anything in return, but doing the extra is hugely rewarding.

Practice Letting Go

In the long run, letting go of an emotion or feeling will be your life savour. Letting go will benefit you, be it good emotions or a thought you want to eliminate.

How can you let go? Your flow of emotion is connected to your breath. You might have observed that your breathing pattern changes with thoughts and feelings.

Embrace letting go if you want to change your life and everyone around you.
The sooner you let go, the happier and more progressive you get.

Abandon Ego

Not gonna lie, but abandoning ego is one of the most challenging things you’ll do in life. Our mind is so damn attached to the ego that it won’t let it do anything.

“Ego is the Enemy“ by Ryan Holiday is a great book that has explained the negatives of the ego. It’s literally the enemy of your life. Ego has destroyed friendships, relationships, family and whatnot.

Hence, in your 20s, if you start training yourself to abandon your ego, life will open to a completely different opportunity and dimension.

Even the slightest touch of your real self can trigger permanent transformation. That’s precisely what the ego doesn’t want.

Read

READ! There are only two things that can really teach you. One is personal experience, and the other is by reading books.

Do you know why it’s essential to read books? Because when you read someone’s thoughts, you’re probably reading something the author gained over many years.

Reading also improves your vocabulary, which is essential for better communication and for establishing a better network with people.

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Well, that’s it from my side. If you diligently follow any habit from this list, I feel you’ll achieve great things in life.

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