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5 Things You Should Be Able to Do by the Time You’re 27

The soul skills you’ll need to survive your 20s.

Last Updated on April 23, 2019 by Sara - Albion College
This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you purchase through our links. Please read our full disclosure here.
27 year old woman
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Anyone who has been reading CF for a while knows that I’m not here to tell anyone how to live their life. I’m am very firmly on team “you do you, live your life,” as long as you’re not hurting yourself or others.

That said, there are always things I wish someone had told me sooner. I turned 27 this year and with this birthday, I’ve been reflecting on the last few years of my life. During these years I changed jobs, bought a house, struggled with my mental health, rediscovered my love for writing, and re-evaluated my dreams and goals. I also did a lot of soul-searching and soul-growing.

There are so many skills that I’ve had to hone in the last two years, just to keep myself from drowning. I wish I had developed these skills much earlier in life.

Of course, all of these skills are not have/have not skills, but things you’ll have to learn and re-learn throughout your whole life as the tapestry weaves itself. That said, by the time you’re 27, I hope you’ve learned to do all of the following things:

Say No

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Ask yourself today: “Who’s approval have I been searching for?” Be honest with yourself. ♥️ 👉 If you always look for approval from others, you will people please forever. However, once you understand that the only approval you need is your own, it will give you permission to accept who you are and be your most authentic self. You are absolutely worthy of being yourself. 😊 #loveyourself #acceptance ( 🎨 by @spiritualcreative )

A post shared by Self-Care Is For Everyone (@selfcareisforeveryone) on Jan 17, 2019 at 10:51am PST

Artist: @spiritualcreative

When you’re young and still finding yourself, it can be tempting to say yes to everyone and everything, whether it’s for the sake of self-exploration, not wanting to let anyone down, or proving your worthiness to yourself and others. You can’t sustain this everything-to-everyone momentum for long before you start to burn out and lose sight of what’s important to you.

At some point, you’ll realize that saying no to someone can mean saying yes to yourself instead. You won’t be able to make everyone in the world happy, but you can make yourself happy, and that happiness should be what you prioritize first. So learn to say no to the things that don’t make you happy, don’t bring you joy, or don’t bring you fulfillment. Life is too short to waste on that ish.

Practice Self-Care

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There are different types of self-care and ALL are important!! Ask yourself, ‘Have I been taking care of my emotional health? What about my mental health? Physical health?’ Heres an image with some ideas of what you can do for each category! What type of self-care do you need most right now? Comment below! 👇 ( 🎨 by @jessrachelsharp ) #selfcare #selflove #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #emotionalhealth #wellness

A post shared by Self-Care Is For Everyone (@selfcareisforeveryone) on Apr 18, 2019 at 10:30am PDT

Artist: @jessrachelsharp

When I say self-care here, I’m not talking about the indulgent self-care of face masks and bubble baths and glasses of wine, though it’s nice to indulge in those things if they make you feel good and like you’re taking care of yourself.

I’m talking about doing the things that help you be the best version of yourself — the things that help you feel like you. This could include working out regularly, making sure you’re drinking enough water, eating healthy foods that make you feel good, and nurturing your beautiful creative soul as well as your brilliant mind.

By the time you’ve reached your mid to late twenties, you should have found a rhythm that gives you balance. This routine should allow you to sustain your momentum without sacrificing the health of any aspect of yourself. You won’t always be able to maintain balance (I mean, if you always can, please, share your secrets with us mere mortals) but you’ll always have a solid routine to come home to when you feel off track.

Get Yourself Through It

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Here’s one thing all humans have in common…It’s not possible to have only good days. Some days we wake up and nothing seems to go right. 😞 It’s important to know what helps you get through the difficult days. What helps you when you have a bad day? Comment below 👇 let’s brainstorm as a community! #selfcare ( 🎨 by @matthewzaremba )

A post shared by Self-Care Is For Everyone (@selfcareisforeveryone) on Feb 23, 2019 at 6:19pm PST

Artist: @matthewzaremba

In the same vein as self-care…sometimes life is quiet and simple, and sometimes it comes at you hard and fast and cruel. You’ll be challenged, you’ll be hurt, you’ll be changed. These are the times where you’ll be going through it. And by the time you reach your mid to late 20s you’ll need some strategies to help you move through that place, rather than sinking down into it forever.

Feel your feelings — listen to your favorite sad music, eat ice cream and drink wine and watch your favorite romcoms, journal and make art and scream into a pillow. Surround yourself with loved ones who support you and bolster you. Know yourself well enough to know what will help you productively move through problems. And then learn — learn about yourself, recognize your strength and resiliency. And know you’ll have to move through it, again and again and again.

You’ve got this, don’t worry.

Follow a Budget

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Becoming good with money isn’t something that happens overnight. It happens through trial and error and when you make a conscious effort to prioritize your long term health over fleeting fun. It happens when you take responsibility over when you can control and it happens when you learn how to recover from the inevitable slip ups. More from the TFD book (link in bio) ✨

A post shared by The Financial Diet (@thefinancialdiet) on Apr 3, 2019 at 7:09am PDT

Ugh, yep. Budgets seem boring and unsexy and limiting. But spending more than you’re making is a great way to saddle yourself with prohibitive debt for the rest of your life.

Knowing what you bring in and what you need to spend to, y’know, have shelter and food and electricity, actually gives you a clear idea of how much of your money is for you – for you to spend on yourself. It’s freeing to know that money is yours to spend however you feel, whether that’s to save up for vacation, to revamp your wardrobe, or to invest in hobbies and things you love.

Just make sure you’re setting aside at least a little bit of it in a rainy-day savings account!

Apologize

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1) Pass this shit around, please & 2) Please share more ways to apologize below in the comments _ _ _ Assist (⛹🏻‍♀️): @sofiasnow _ _ _ #apologize #sorry #communication 🔑 #actaccordingly #forgiveness #intent vs. #impact #ahus

A post shared by AHUS (them) | Black + Home (@americahatesus) on Feb 12, 2019 at 7:45am PST

Nothing, for me, anyway, hurts worse than realizing that you’ve made a mistake or hurt someone through your words, your actions, or, even worse, your ignorance or carelessness. In these moments, the easiest and most compassionate thing you can do is apologize, sincerely.

Know that you are not every mistake you make or every person you’ve hurt, but also take the time to understand why what you did was hurtful and what you can learn from it. It can be difficult to admit you were wrong about something, or to realize that a worldview you’ve held close is wrong or flawed. Seek the knowledge of others and learn from your mistakes — it’s not enough to just apologize, especially if that leads you to making the same mistake over and over.

What do you think?

What are the things everyone should learn to do by the time they’re in their late 20s? Let me know in the comments below!

5 things you should be able to do before you turn 27

Tags : Budgeting, Friends, Money, relationships, Self confidence

2 Comments
Originally published on April 23, 2019
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Comments

  1. Nastya Rudska says

    May 29, 2019 at 6:08 pm

    If you move to a poor country with lots of corruption, you’ll get these skills 10 years earlier. Life is hard, embrace it

    Reply
  2. Emma says

    May 30, 2019 at 11:22 pm

    Your early 20’s are an extremely difficult and challenging time. There are so many ups and downs and changes that its hard to know exactly where to go or what to do. Being able to practice self care is a very important aspect of life, especially in your 20’s. Knowing your limits and how to recharge makes a difference in your quality of life. And that comes with learning how to say no and to respect your boundries.

    Reply

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