Turning 18 is a big deal, and these are the lessons I have learned up until this point!
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Save your money!
When you become aware of your finances, you’re setting yourself up for good money management habits in the future. Start young!
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Stop stressing over the things you can’t control!
Afterall, worrying about the past or stressing about the future won’t change anything. If you can’t control the outcome of a situation, let it go.
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The magic you’re looking for is in the work you’re avoiding!
You want abs, but you don’t want to go to the gym. You want a 4.0, but you don’t want to study. When you put in the consistent work for whatever it is that you want, it’ll pay off.
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It’s okay to be emotional!
You don’t owe anyone an explanation for being upset about something. It’s okay to be sad. Recognize and process your emotions, then work on facilitating their passing.
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Read lots of books!
Reading will get you out of your own head for a while. It’s good for your brain, and it can be so fun to get lost in a good book.
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Give yourself a fresh start!
It’s never too late to reinvent yourself. If you made a mistake yesterday, tell yourself that tomorrow is a new day. Wake up and try again. Work towards being the person you’ve always wanted to be each and every day.
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Skincare is more important than makeup!
You should feel good in your skin without wearing makeup. In the long run, you’ll be happy you started taking care of your skin so young. On the other hand, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing makeup at all.
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Yearly physicals are still important!
Even if you don’t need sports physicals anymore, it’s still important to get a check-up once a year to make sure everything’s okay.
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You can be more than one thing!
You don’t need to define yourself. You can like sports and the band. You can like country music and rap music. Let go of the idea that you can only be one well-defined thing.
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Have a planner!
It’ll save you a lot of stress. Just get a planner.
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Kiss your dog as much as possible!
They won’t be around near as long as we’d like them to. Take advantage of the short but very, very sweet time with your pets.
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Heating pads will always make you feel better!
Seriously.
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Your health, relationships, and spirituality directly affect your happiness
I recently learned that age, gender, money, intelligence, and attractiveness have shown no effect on one’s happiness. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself and putting time into the relationships that matter most to you. If you’re religious or spiritual, make time to connect with whatever higher power you may believe in. These three things are what’s going to affect your mood most.
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Time is the best gift you can give
In friendships and relationships, nothing is as important as quality time with one another. Time is the one gift you can always give, no matter how busy you may be.
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Nothing will ever be perfect!
If you’re a perfectionist, work on letting go of the idea that everything needs to be figured out. That everything needs to be perfect. Everything you experience is leading you down the path that God made just for you.
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Learn to enjoy the journey
The journey is what makes up 99% of your life, afterall. Implement things in your everyday life that make you excited to get out of bed. Try to look forward to Mondays.
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Recognize that it’s important to give more than you take
In any aspect of life.
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Be gentle on yourself
You’re only human. Remind yourself of this often.
“Life is a series of lessons in which there is never enough learned.”