Growing Up and The Important Checklists of 20s and 30s

Now that we’re adults, I’m sure we all once craved for that moment in time when innocence was our friend. Growing up means that there are responsibilities (especially financial ones) that we need to account for. Adding into the mix is the important checklists that we have to tick off as we embark on each stage of life.

Attached herewith is my recommended checklist items (based on my personal experience).



Pursue knowledge and skills

Alright, I know this goes without saying, but there are still some millennials who actually delay their pursuit of knowledge due to circumstances. Knowledge doesn’t have to be synonymous with your current field of studies or employment. It can be anything that will help broaden your life experiences and knowledge.

Fancy painting but never had the penchant for art? Sign up for the classes. Want to dance but never had the opportunity to do so? Go for it.

Age is never a barrier to knowledge. No matter how old we are, we are still capable of learning things. In fact, we are still students processing every lesson that life has thrown our way.

Pursue your dreams

Never ever let anyone stop you from pursuing your dreams! As Winston Churchill once said, 'never, never, never quit'.

This is not easy to fulfil because of parental and societal expectation from us, but success comes from pursuing our dreams. I know that it may be a tough path, but the rewards to be reaped are great.

Save money

In our current society, it is not uncommon to see graduates who are financially in debt almost as soon as they start working (or at least in my home country, where most of the fresh graduates already own a couple of credit cards).



This is where Personal Capital comes into play. It is a corporation where their aim is to assist people in reaching their financial goals. Additionally, it helps you to manage your finances using their net worth calculator. It gives you an insight into your expenditure, where you’ve been spending it and how to save your money to make your goals (such as purchasing a car or somewhere you can call your little pad) a living dream.

Travel

YOLO. That’s something that the youngsters of this generation are familiar with. If you aren’t, it means ‘you only live once’. Don’t place all of your focus on fulfilling your duties and responsibilities as one of Earth’s citizens. You should take time off work or studies to broaden the horizon. Visit places you haven’t visited and immerse in their rich, historical culture. It wouldn’t hurt to enrich your life with the travel experiences garnered.

I can relate to this well because the opportunities I’ve been given to travel interstate and abroad has shaped me into the person that I am today.

Personal Capital's net worth calculator can also help you to allocate the funds for your travel too!

Be YOU

And yes, be who you are. I can’t stress this enough. I know that there’s a high possibility of us losing our identity while we are growing up, but it is our unique character that defines us. Don’t let anything or anyone change that.

If only there was someone kind enough to have informed me on that when I was a little teenager.

Make memories

You never known what you have until you’ve lost it. Go out there, mingle with your peers at work or campus (even if it pains you to make the first move of having to approach them). You can even plan to go to the local restaurant for Sunday brunch or even squeeze in an impromptu meal at the university café.

Balancing the stressful work or academic environment with socializing has its benefits too. It prevents the friendships from falling into pieces due to the distance and taking the beautiful, nostalgic memories with it.

Another memory you can make is being in a relationship with someone. I’ll qualify myself here; this doesn’t mean that you should force yourself to love someone when you’re not emotionally ready.