How I’m Spending My Last Year of My 20s

I turned 29 a few months ago. It still feels weird saying/writing that sentence. I blinked and I feel like my twenties passed me by.

This isn’t a remorseful post about what I wish I would have done in my twenties. I’ll talk about this a little later, but I’m trying to live more in the present moment.

While it’s great to reflect, it’s not so great to look back in regret and stay there. Instead, this is a post of everything I’m looking forward to doing in the last year of my twenties. 

How I’m Spending My Last Year In My 20s

While I have a few big things I want to accomplish and experience this year, there are a few that are more constant throughout the year. That is what this list is about.

There are a few tangible things that I mention, but most are experiences and thoughts that I want to define this last year of my twenties. With that being said, here are seven ways I’m spending my last year in my twenties.

Saying Yes More

If I could make a guess of what record I could break in the Guinness Book of World Records it would definitely be for making excuses. I catch myself explaining why I can’t do something more often than not, and I want that to change.

I’ve started doing this practice of saying yes more and it has made me feel so great. Am I scared sometimes? Of course, but what kind of exciting life can I expect to lead if I continue to let fear take the steering wheel?

How I’m Taking Action

• Staying focused and aligned on my dreams
• Checking in with accountability friends
• Reading Do It Scared by Ruth Soukup and Fear Is My Homeboy by Judi Holler

Creating Small Memories

At the beginning of 2022 I thought it would be fun to challenge myself to take a photo/video everyday of the year. I’m doing it through an app called 1 Second Everyday. It’s made me realize that I don’t really do much.

I also realized that I live for these big moments and memories that happen only a few times a year. In this last year of my twenties I want to do something different. Instead of dreaming and waiting for vacations and holidays, I want to create smaller memories to fill my year with.

Things like a day trip somewhere, a movie marathon with a friend, or going out dancing. These may seem like normal weekend events to some of you, but I don’t get out much, so this will be different for me. 

How I’m Taking Action

• Planning/prioritizing more get togethers with friends
• Romanticizing my life more: making the ordinary feel a little more special
• Using my polaroid: something about the vibe a polaroid captures just makes me so happy

Scheduling All The Doctor Appointments

I’ve been going through quite a bit of health problems the past two years. I would love nothing more than to figure out what is going on and get back to feeling 100% by the time I turn 30.

That means I see a lot of doctor appointments in my future. If it means I’ll be in good health when I say goodbye to my twenties, all the hassle will be worth it.

How I’m Taking Action

• Being an advocate for myself: telling my doctors my thoughts and exactly how I’m feeling
• Documenting my pain and other symptoms using my bullet journal
• Keeping track of when my appointments are and knowing when I need to schedule others

Traveling 

For the past few years I’ve said that I want to travel. It wasn’t until I went on my first big trip to Chicago earlier this year that I realized how much I really did love traveling.

There are so many places I want to go, but I also want to be realistic about what I can afford. I’d be happy with one or two big trips in this next year of my life and the rest be weekend, or even day trips. There are many different cities and towns around me that I have yet to explore, so why not start there?

How I’m Taking Action

• Doing research and writing down where I want to go
• Thinking about how I can get travel deals
• Brainstorming trip ideas with friends

Getting Healthy

Getting back into a healthy routine that works for my random schedule has proven to be difficult for me, but I know it’s not impossible. I’d love to have a healthy lifestyle mastered by the time I’m 30.

Whether or not I’ve reached my goal weight, or feel the strongest I ever have doesn’t matter to me. I just want to know that I’m getting there.

How I’m Taking Action

• Staying dedicated and starting over when I mess up
• Creating an accountability system
• Keeping a positive mindset by listening to the Mindset Mentor with Rob Dial podcast

Getting To Know And Accept Myself Fully

This has been a hard one to achieve over the years, but I can feel myself getting closer. Going into my thirties fully knowing and accepting myself is one of the most important things I could do for my future self. So I’m going to keep putting in the emotional work to make that happen.

How I’m Taking Action

• Continuing to go to therapy
• Regularly saying affirmations and doing other self-love exercises
• Listening to this playlist when I need a pep talk/mood boost

Completing My 30 Before 30 List

I’m excited to see where my 30 Before 30 List takes me. There are a variety of different tasks there. I’ve got some simple and easy ones, like going to a Paint and Sip Night.

Then there are some big dreams on there that are a little scary. The one I’m talking about here is starting my own subscription box business.

I’ve already seen so much growth in myself from going for this dream. I can’t wait to look back at this time next year and see everything I accomplished this year.

How I’m Taking Action

• Reviewing my list every few weeks to see the progress I’ve made
• Documenting the journey so I can look back on all I’ve done
• Making sure I’m doing a mixture of the easy and more difficult tasks 

So far I’ve dipped my toe into some of these areas, but I’m looking forward to really getting after these intentions. If this is your last year in your twenties, how are you spending it? Let me know in the comments.

About the Author

Kelly graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a minor in Journalism. Even though it took her a little while to find her career path, she was always meant to be in Communications. She remembers writing poems and songs when she was a little girl and pitching to my parents the reasons why I should have a cell phone when I was a teenager. She currently has a blog (budding-joy.com) where she talks about her weight-loss journey, mental health and personal development. Her hope is to encourage and inspire readers and let them know they are not alone. Reading blog posts like that are what helped her in tough times and she wants to pay it forward. She loves dance fitness, listening to music, and creating layouts in her bullet journal. She’s a big fan of planning, especially when cute notebooks and pens are involved.
Her dream job has changed so much over the years; right now she’d love to co-own a dance studio.

Website: budding-joy.com