I feel like this last year absolutely flew by. Actually no, the last 3 years have flown by. It’s funny, cause growing up I figured that people in their 20’s had their lives completely together. Like suddenly you hit 21 and you’re this grown, sophisticated, mature adult sipping dirty martini’s on a Friday night. I wanted to start my own company, travel the world, get married, and have kids all in my early 20’s. But…I hate martinis, and half the time I still feel like I’m a kid.

I’m still figuring out what I want to do when I grow up, and I keep learning more about myself every single day. I’m learning to be patient, and that it’s ok to not have everything figured out all the time.  I don’t have the same goals and aspirations that I did a few years ago. My goals have gotten so much bigger, and my purpose has become a little bit clearer.  This year has been an extreme year of growth for me- I graduated college, started my career, launched my blog, fell deeply in love, traveled, moved, and did a whole lot of soul searching. On Friday, right before my birthday, I couldn’t sleep because I was making a mental list of lessons I had learned this past year. Here’s 22 that came to mind…

• Have faith and embrace change.
• The decisions you make in your 20’s shape your future, be proactive.
• Genuinely love yourself exactly the way you are.
• People change, and that’s ok cause you’re changing too.
• Surround yourself with positive people, it’s okay to eliminate toxic people from your life.
• Never let someone else be in control of your happiness.
• Jealousy is pointless, get over it.
• Adults are actually just big kids. We all make mistakes, we are all doing the best we can.
• Learn to say no.
• Follow your intuition, it’s there for a reason.
• Be kind to others, especially when no one is watching.
• Integrity is everything.
• Hard work does pay off, not immediately but eventually it does.
• Cherish your friends and family, relationships are more valuable than gold.
• Have a small circle of really amazing people.
• Never stop learning, and constantly challenge yourself.
• Find what makes you genuinely and completely happy.
• Have some alone time every now and then, it’ll keep you sane.
• Spend your money on experiences, not things.
• Inner beauty is more valuable than external (& lasts longer)
• Not everyone thinks and acts the way you do, try to see different perspectives before reacting.
• Social media isn’t reality.

Every birthday I challenge myself to become a better version of myself the next year. I make mini bucket lists of things I want to achieve within the next 365 days. It’s the best feeling in the world to be able to cross off your accomplishments at the end of the year. It’s also interesting to look back and reflect on how far you’ve come and how much you’ve changed in just a years time.

We’re approaching the end of 2016, crazy I know. Luckily you still have a few months to accomplish whatever goals you may have for this year. I challenge you to refocus, set some goals, and take control of your life before the new year.

What’s on your bucket list?

XO

JWess