Healthy Habits in Your 20s: Building a Happy, Successful Future

Adulthood is a funny thing, you spend your entire life listening to instructions, and learning the same four core subjects. Then you graduate and get thrown into the world with no sense of direction.

All of the sudden social studies and science aren’t useful, and that one personal finance elective you didnt pay attention to becomes a regret. Maybe I am projecting a bit, jk.

So the big question presents itself. What should you do to make healthy habits in your 20’s? How can you build a foundation that will create success for your future, and give you something to smile about? Keep reading and let’s get to work.

I wish I knew as much as I do now, but thankfully you can! Investing can sound very terrifying. Most people think about the stock market and run away. To make matters worse the sound of investing isn’t sexy, it turns young adults in other directions with their money.

I promise you this is the absolute WRONG thing to do. A common misconception is that you have to give up things you enjoy, like the bar, or traveling with friends and family, in order to be financially responsible. 100 percent not true. In fact, becoming financially literate only ensures you will be able to make even more vacations, possibly even bigger ones.

I can hear you readers in the background asking, “Where should I put my money?” Surprisingly, there are so many great investing options to start making money.

• Index funds
• Retirement plans (i.e. 401K)
• High yielding savings account
• Real Estate
• Stocks
• Bonds

As you can see there are plenty of places to go to grow your money, with each income vehicle having a great learning curve. Do not let this dissuade you readers, there is much to learn about any subject in life. You don’t have to be an expert to start your journey, take your first step today. In fact, I will help you take your first steps now. Ramit Sethi, host of Netflix’s “How To Get Rich” explains everything you’ll need to know to start investing on his blog, all you have to do is click here.

Life can be pretty scary as a young adult, trying to make their way in this world alone. Good thing it doesn’t have to be! The next one of my healthy habits in your 20’s is to seek mentors.

Brian Page, one of my favorite mentors, happened to also write one of my favorite books, “Don’t Start A Side Hustle, Do This Instead”. In the book he explains how getting an mentor significantly reduces the chances of you failing. This is because you don’t have to go through the trial and error experience. One of the greatest things about mentorship is that you get to adopt their experience and gain knowledge at the same time.

If that wasn’t enough there are much more benefits to having a mentor, like overcoming fear. I am sure you heard the phrase “cold feet” but with a mentor you can leave that for the penguins. Having someone that understands what you are trying to accomplish and providing you with the necessary information and tools to get you there  significantly reduces the chances of you walking away before you start. In some cases like me my fear even turned to eagerness and as I saw results I was left with an insatiable hunger.

Reading?! Oh no! I can already hear the crying and agony, but friends if you want to be successful, you have to change. I promise it is actually really fun.

A lot of people look for reasons NOT to try something, instead of finding ways to do it. When looking for mentors people may say, “I don’t know anyone who could advise me”, or “I don’t live in a big city with a lot of opportunities.” To that I say, who are you trying to convince? A majority of my mentors come from the binding of a couple hundred pages, and sometimes even less.

This is what makes reading such a powerful tool. To add more fuel to the fire, there are so many other benefits to reading such as:

• Reducing stress levels
• Training your body to retain information
• Improved concentration
• Improve vocabulary
• Sources of inspiration

All of these great improvments to claim with reading, and the only thing it cost is time. Aren’t these healthy habits in your 20’s great? There are so many resources to start your new habit right now from the comfort of your home with apps like Kindle, Headway, Audible, and more. If you are like me and prefer the traditional hardcover/paperback, your nearest Barnes and Nobles will help you shop with memberships that let you earn points and lower the price of your books.

I don’t know about you all, but I have had people come in and out of my life like a revolving door. Some people left to soon, and others, well, they should have left sooner. Unfortunately, not everyone you meet stays in your life forever. Honestly, as depressing as that sounds, it’s actually a good thing.

It is important to regulate who is around you. Keeping a friend, or even a family member near who is unsupportive of you, or reckless with their decision making, can not only hurt you, but impact the choices you make. By taking control of who you invite in your life, you are directly increasing your chance at being successful, and avoiding slumps, or potential danger.

One of the best ways to create fruitful relationships is to get out of your house as often as you can. Try and develop relationships at work, strike a conversation with someone as you get your morning coffee, or go to networking events. At these events you will meet plenty of like-minded people looking to create their own success story. In today’s society you do not even have to leave the house for this! Sites like Facebook Groups and live webinars exist all over the internet. Go out there and find a new friend to pursue dreams with and click here to learn more benefits by changing your environment.

Gone are the days when your parents tell you no to McDonalds as you drive past the arches on your way home. You are an adult, you want it, you get it right? WRONG! The freedom to eat whatever you like is glorious, but it is also a slippery slide that knows no end. A couple years later and you might find yourself wishing mom had told you no again.

With a bigger figure, anyone can fall into a depression, or become anxious. Unfortunately, eating those same foods release dopamine in your brain providing temporary happiness. Overeating swiftly becomes a vicious cycle that starts to not only affect your body, but your mind and productivity.

Eating quality food doesn’t have to be a daunting task, it’s actually very enjoyable and developed into quite a hobby of mine. It is so rewarding to eat heathily, you might not want to hit a drive-through ever again. Okayy… maybe not EVER again. Some of the best benefits include:

• Increased energy
• Richer hair, skin, and nails
• Better mental health and mood
• Reduction of weight/Improved Physique
• Stronger Immune System
• Longer Lifespan

Honestly the list could go on. By simply watching what your eating your focus and performance will improve, ensuring your success. The next time you visit the local grocery story make sure to put down the cookie and pick up the Honeycrisp apples. If anyone tells you to buy Red Delicious apples DON’T listen to them. 

Alright esteem-train, these healthy habits in your 20’s will guarantee that you are living your best life, early. The truth is you don’t have to wait until retirement to have lots of money, or travel the world. That is just what society wants us to think to keep you stuck in a 9 to 5. But we are dreamers we want more from life, so let us get more.