Mistakes To Avoid Making In Your 20s For Max Life Satisfaction

Is there anything you can do about it? For the most part, nope. But often we can look to the past to help get a sense check on how things will pan out in the future, and if there’s one period of your life when you’re gonna need some help tackling the future, it’s your twenties. 

Why? Well, it sets the tone for the rest of your adult life – and reversing the damage can often be near-impossible.

We turned to the wisest of our crew (as in, the folks who’ve survived living through their twenties and lived to tell the tale) for advice on navigating this arduous period and here’s where we landed.

Yes, relationships are great, but they can be soul-sucking if not handled properly. You’ve probably witnessed a mate in one where they start putting their own ambition on the back-burner for the sake of their partner. You’ve also probably said that you’ll never let yourself fall into that trap, but trust us, anyone’s capable of it. 

Make sure you keep your eye on the prize – pursue goals that you want, regardless of whether that negatively / positively impacts bae. This involves looking at your existence broadly so you can recognise if you’re neglecting your damn-fine self. 

Money’s a great motivator, ain’t no doubt about it. But it shouldn’t be THE motivator. So many of us young folks get seduced by the promise of big bucks and subsequently get stuck in jobs that we hate. If cash is something that really gets ya going, then think about this: if you spend several years climbing the corporate ladder only to burn out and enter into a career that you’re passionate about, then you’re going to lose out on moola. 

If you just go guns’a’blazing into a role that you’re deadset keen on, then usually you’ll see the financial light at the end of the tunnel sooner than you would if you put it off for a while. Makes sense to do what you love, even from a cash-driven perspective, right? 

Speaking of money, try and avoid entertaining the thought of getting a credit card / signing your life away to the powers that be. While some of us might be responsible enough to dance with the financial devil, most of us aren’t. Sorry, but that’s the reality of it. 

Besides, stressing about cash (or a lack thereof) should be a burden carried by your boring 30-year-old self, not you RN.

You know those people who, y’know, conceived you? Yeah, well they probably deserve the odd phone call every now and then. They did give you life after all, let alone copped the bills of grooming you into the phenomenal human you are. 

Our parents are often the first people to be neglected when we’re under the pump, because we think they’re always going to be around. Unfortunately, however, they won’t be. Stomaching the guilt of “I should’ve seen them more”, regardless of whether that’s true or not, is something that’ll take you a while to forgive yourself for. 

Look, as much as there shouldn’t be, there’s generally something with a resemblance to what we understand to be a social hierarchy in high school. That’s one of the best things about graduating – you get to say sayonara to that crap for good. Or, at least, most do. 

Some folks (usually those who sat at the top of the ladder) might be upset that their ‘power’ (like, lol, really?) has disappeared like a box of Favourites at your mate Kev‘s 21st. So they’ll try and establish one again by making suggestions of who’s ~cool~ and who’s not. Don’t, even for a second, think that they’re being legit. Their hopes ‘n dreams of living like Blair Waldorf will get beat out of them sooner or later. 

If you actually know someone who fits the mould of the last point, then it’s probably time you ditched ’em. In fact, it’s probably time to give anyone who makes you feel negatively about yourself the flick. It’ll only get worse, and if you’re not careful, you could start believing what they have to say. 

Don’t let these turd-like humans dictate your greatness, y’all. 

What does “having it all figured out” even mean? Like, it’s terribly ambiguous – are you trying to figure out how to scramble an egg, or have an answer for the meaning of life? Anyway, the general sentiment of that statement is widely recognised as something that relates to your overall life direction. Guess what? People on their last legs are still trying to “figure it out”. 

Sure, having a bit of a guiding outline of where you’d like to head during your finite years on earth is great, but having something set in stone shouldn’t be a priority that you lose sleep over. We can almost guarantee that you’ll be an extremely exhausted person if you do. Besides, locking yourself into a certain path can mean you can’t see opportunities when they coming knocking, and that’ll do more harm to your future than good. 

So yeah, you’re going to deal with a lot of crap as you navigate your twenties. Some aspects of it, however, are entirely avoidable. 

Another big decision you’re going to have to make will be choosing a uni that’s right for you. If you ain’t about your current degree, or looking to start one mid-year, then consider applying at Bond University. The advantages of smaller class sizes (meaning more focus on your wellbeing), accelerated degrees (which will see you out in workforce quick smart) and an ace student experience make it a candidate worth considering. 

You can apply for their May intake HERE, because it’s what you do now that impacts your future.