(Miqel Parera via Unsplash)
In your 20s, you have a certain level of awareness of yourself and the world. It makes sense since you’re experiencing new things, and your thinking changes as you age.
Entering my 20s brought this sudden urge to work toward being more intentional in adjusting my life, including focusing on how I defined myself, interacted with people and prioritized. With social media publicly displaying everyone’s lives, I saw others my age doing the same.
I learned that this act of consciously doing things to improve is known as personal development. You’re participating in personal development whenever you try to improve your talents, potential, employability, and finances.
Although I’m constantly bettering myself and love personal development, I have reservations about the subject, similar to New Year’s resolutions. I noticed the self-improvement industry will continuously find ways to tell you there’s something to fix, and it will always remain profitable because we desire to improve as humans. This is harmful when you constantly believe there is always something to fix about yourself.
For instance, on TikTok, creators make videos speaking on what they’ve learned before turning a new age, which is geared toward early to mid-20-year-olds. I’m always quick to watch these videos and try to relate or take mental notes to know how to handle situations when I’m in them, which isn’t helpful when realizing we’re all living in different realities.
I’ve developed a method to silence the noise and be strategic with my personal development in my 20s.
First, I focus on religion, finances, career and relationships, among other things. It’s hard balancing them, but I’ve created systems that help me keep up with them all, like designating time in the morning for prayer, meditation and journaling.
Another thing is I’m mindful of the content I consume. There are many voices in the space, and it can be overwhelming. I only listen to and take advice from 1-2 experts I trust on various topics and don’t hold too close to everything else. I also practice this with friendships and older people who offer advice.
Lastly, I stay on my timeline. I enjoy being in my 20s, making mistakes while figuring life out, and enjoying the beauty of just being.
We’ll always be learning and growing. Giving ourselves grace and being ok with making small changes that’ll lead to growth over time is essential.
Edited by Nykeya Woods