24 Lessons To My Younger Self

I officially turned 24 on Thursday (my golden birthday) and it's been a BUSY week for me in my personal life. As you've probably noticed I took some time away from the blog since around Christmas and although I didn't mean for my absence to be this long and sporadic, I think it was a good move to take a break from the blog. I was getting overwhelmed, my heart wasn't in it for a little bit, but stepping away made me realize how passionate I truly am about my job! I've been coming up with some ideas for the future, some new projects, and how I can make TCB work better for both myself and you! On that note, today's post is one of the more personal ones. I'm sharing 24 lessons to my younger self that I've learned in my 24 years. Although the list is for me, it has lessons that I think are relevant to everyone at any age!

1. Spend more time with people you love.
2. Don't be afraid to get rid of toxic people in your life.
3. Take every opportunity to travel!
4. You can show your emotion, it doesn't make you weak.
5. Save your money!!
6. See more concerts, your favorite bands might not be together in a few years.
7. Try out your different interests now, who knows where those hobbies might lead.
8. Everyone has bad days, but you've survived them in the past and you can survive them in the future.
9.  Make exercise a habit, I promise you'll like it more than you think!
10. Don't stretch yourself too thin, no matter how much you think you're getting done on one end, you're burning yourself out on the other.
11. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT OTHERS THINK OF YOU! If you find happiness in it, go for it.
12. If someone's nails are perfect, most likely they're fake. (And you have no reason to be jealous)

13. You don't have to have all the answers or a plan for life. Some things will just fall in and out of place, and that's okay.
14. Most people care about themselves more than they care about you . So don't be afraid to be a little selfish sometimes too. (And refer back to #11!)
15. Start NOW. Whatever it is, starting earlier in life will be easier than starting later.
16. You get what you give in this world. If you work hard you'll hopefully be successful, if you love others hopefully you'll receive love in return. But don't be distressed if your efforts aren't being returned, life takes time!
17. Stop the comparison game. Everyone is going at a different pace and headed to a different place. It's not okay to compare your beginning to someone else's middle.
18. Don't act while angry. Pause when you feel heated and take a moment to think before you say or do anything. Come from a rational state of mind and you can avoid a lot of bad moments.
19. It's tough, but push out of your comfort zone! Even if it's just trying a new food. What's the worst thing that can happen, you hate it? Guess what, you don't have to do it/try it again!
20. Always show kindness, you never know what type of hardship someone is facing behind closed doors.
21. Start wearing moisturizer early. Your older self will thank you!
22. Embrace the things that make you unique. Some might call you weird, but knowing and accepting who you are will only make you and your life happier.
23. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want in life. You'll be surprised what will happen if you just ask!
24. Take time to enjoy life. It seems like everyone wants to be rushing forward into the next step in life, but it's important to slow down and enjoy the now. You don't want to miss the present because you were rushing into the future.

Snakeskin Dress | Tights | Almost Exact Boots | Ring | Very Similar Earrings

And now here are 5 things I want to accomplish before my 25th birthday!

Travel Out Of The Country

Okay this is a little bit of an easy one since I have a super exciting international trip planned for this summer! But I'm so crazy excited for it since it's been in the works for a little over a year now. Can't wait to share it with you when the time comes.

Save $5000

One of my lessons for myself above was to start saving my money, and I want to make this next year the year of saving. $5k is A LOT of money, but I like having a big goal, and I would love to have that much more squared away for later. This is difficult since I'm a blogger and love to buy the latest things, but I have to put that into my budget and save money elsewhere.

Start A Fitness Routine

Since around Christmas I've been great at making it to the gym at least 4 times a week, but I would like to keep this habit up and maybe even increase it to 5 or 6 times a week. I want to make being healthy a priority, and keeping up a good routine is a perfect place to start.

Start A Bedtime Routine

Similar to my fitness goal, I want to get in the habit of good sleep. This means creating a bed time that I can stick with, limiting my screen time at night, and relaxing my mind either through reading, listening to music, or another form of calm activity to "turn off" my mind before I go to bed. I've always been the absolute worst sleeper, so I think it's time to change that.

Take My Blog To The Next Level

This is a soft goal as I don't have any particular finish line in sight. Whether it be increasing my income, connecting to more readers, taking a deeper dive into SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or something else, I want to reach further with TCB.

What do you think of these lessons and goals? Do we share anything similar? I'd love to hear your goal for the next year in the comments!