Cheers to our early twenties

This is a blog entry that should've went live last year a couple of days after my birthday in December, but life happened and so I'm sharing these with you now. I think there's no exact 'right time' to share birthday reflections, since these are life milestones. 

One of the things I do every year is to write about my birthdays, whether it be through here on the blog or through little notes safely tucked inside my journals and planners. I don't do anything particularly grand on this day, but it's just my way of looking back and reflecting on the things I've learned and experienced. 

By now, this entry has gone through some edits, because I honestly just remembered that I needed to share this when I registered for a virtual pottery workshop this afternoon. In the registration form, I've had to state my age. I stared at the blank field for quite some time before typing in '25'. 

I guess it hasn't quite sunk in yet that I'm already in my mid twenties. Even the topics I discuss with my friends have now revolved mostly around investments, housing, and career paths. These are certainly big things to talk about and I'm still figuring these out! But I take it as a sign that we are truly growing up, and I'm grateful we actually care to have open conversations on these kinds of things. 

They say 25 is the age when people start to think seriously about the future, of how decisions from this point on will trigger a ripple effect towards the later adult years. Thinking about this statement honestly gives me a bit of pressure, but I'd take it as a good kind. Sometimes, we need a push to get things rolling forward, and though even if we're unsure where we're going, it just matters that we're moving.

That's how I envision myself to be at this point in life. Many times I've felt frustrated with fearing the unknown, with trying to think too far ahead into the future. But I've come to terms with the fact that even though I don't exactly have everything figured out right down to the tee, I know I'm still trying my best to get bits and pieces of learnings that will be valuable for my growth. 

But even before I arrived into this kind of thinking, I've also had to go through my early twenties. I'd say those years were a time for refinement. Yes, I think if I've had to sum up all those years in one word, it would be refinement. Looking back at and describing myself, I was so naïve about the world and was filled with uncontained energy which I didn't know where or how to direct. I know I can't be alone when seeing our younger selves in this way-- I personally didn't know what to expect entering into my twenties. But for sure I had much to learn, and I've had to refine most of my mindsets and actions. For me to become a respectable young woman, I knew I had to outgrow certain mannerisms, too.

And so allow me to share with you 24 learnings from over these refining years. 24, because I still have the rest of this year to experience being 25. You may have seen them around here on the blog as I'm pretty sure I've written about them at some point (I also admit I lifted most of them from around here hehe), but here is my list to sum it all up. I consider these as notes to myself also:

1. Live with a spirit of faith and courage, and not of fear
2. 30 is not the new 20 - it's a good idea to invest in ourselves and our skills earlier on
3. Know our inner strengths and leverage them
4. Our weaknesses will always be opportunities to do better
5. Asking for help is a form of helping ourselves
6. The best time is always time spent offline
7. Let's take good care of our health earlier on - eat right, sleep early, and exercise regularly
8. The kind of energy we surround ourselves with matters; choose friends wisely, and they don't have to be a lot
9. Much can be accomplished with a clear mind; never underestimate the power of writing things down all the time
10. Save money and invest, we can allow our savings to grow while working hard
11. Live within our means, there's no one we have to impress
12. We can focus our energy on what we can control, and what other people think about us is definitely not part of that
13. We will never be too old for hobbies; our consistency towards them can potentially reflect and overflow to other aspects of life
14. Live day by day, let's do the best we can today and tomorrow will take care of itself 
15. Idle times are necessary to rest and recharge in order for us to continue doing the good work
16. Cultivating self-awareness will take time, yet it is so essential
17. It's never too late to start, and it just matters that we start somewhere
18. We are doing our best and we are doing well, more than we give ourselves credit for
19. Routines can be something to enjoy and can be flexible according to what works best for us
20. We can be generous and genuine with our words, especially if it is for building others up
21. Best to check our intentions and let things flow naturally instead of forcing ourselves onto something not meant for us
22. We will continue to learn and unlearn as we go through life
23. Our parents will always be our greatest cheerleaders, love them well
24. Let's enjoy where we are planted right now 

I know these are not new to us, and these are all learnings we probably already know, but sometimes it helps to remind ourselves. How I wish I could carry around a sticky note with all of these reminders intact! Because I often find myself succumbing to old habits too.. indeed, no one is perfect.

I also know we all have different experiences, but I'd like to still say, cheers to our early twenties. In whatever form they have taken or manifested into, they are part of what has formed us into who we are today. All the lessons, mistakes, unpleasant experiences, victories-- looking back at all these help us look forward to the future.

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In other thrilling news-- I finally got a domain! It's been a while as Hello Anna Jo, and so I figured it's time to claim the name for my own. It's a small change, but I felt so incredibly giddy about it. 

Thank you to you, dear reader, who has been here with me since I started writing on here (or if you've come across this humble space just recently, I welcome you!); for seeing me grow, for our conversations, and for the time you spend reading my words. Being part of your day, even in such a small way, brings me joy. 

Wishing you a great week ahead. 

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