10 Things I Learned Before Leaving 25

Being a 25-year-old girl is really such a big phase from teenagers to youth to adult life. I found a lot of brand new stuff when I walked along the road. Not only that, I also learned bunch of new things as I met various type of people around me. As I approach the new age, I'd like to share 25 things I learned before leaving 25 soon.

1. Take care of yourself.

Nobody will take care of you like your mom took care of you when you were still a kid. I learned about this every time I started to feel sick and couldn't do anything else except laying on my bed. I got sick because I just didn't take care of myself well at that time. I didn't pay attention to my eating habit, even sometimes I skipped meal time just because I was too busy with my works. So, when I got sick and not go to work, I had a long rest where I need to take care of myself. Prepared my own meal, took the medicine, and so on. So, you have to take care of yourself too. We can't expect anyone to always be there for you.

2. Don't hesitate to ask for help, no matter how experienced you are.

I learned about this a lot as soon as I started to work as a full-time teacher. Maybe you think it's normal to ask for help when you start working in the first year. Yeah, I agreed with that. I also thought the same way back then. When I entered my second year of teaching, I became a bit proud of myself that I thought I could do everything the way I want. But, I realized that is a big NO. In reality, there are always new stuff where I need some help from my work colleagues. Even now where I am already in the fourth year of teaching, I still find myself confused about some things that I never found before in the previous years. In other words, I can't do and finish my work alone. I need other people to help me. No matter how experienced you are in your field, no matter how many years you have spent working in the field, do not hesitate to ask for help even to your juniors or younger colleagues.

3. Everyone has their own struggles.

Never judge anyone around you. You might think that your friend's life seems so smooth and well, or you might think that someone's work is much easier than yours. You might feel that your life is full of struggles and challenges, and you can't even solve them. Well, let me tell you that we all have our own struggles. The life you have right now is fit with your strength and capabilities. Comparing yourself with others will just waste time. You think you can solve A's problem because it's based on your point of view. On the other side, A might think that they can solve your problem based on their point of view. In other words, learn to respect and support each other. They might seem happy and cheerful in the outside, but we don't exactly know what they are feeling in the inside.

4. Take care of your appearance.

A proverb says, "Don't judge a book by its cover." In reality, people will see your 'cover' first before they know about you deeper. So, make sure your appearance is appealing and interesting for others to gain a good relationship.

5. Don't be a workaholic!

I know most of us have a bunch of to-do list every day. But it doesn't mean that you have to work 24/7. Don't push yourself to finish them all in one day until late night. You still have time to finish them on the next day, or next two days, or even next week. You need some leisure time for you to take a rest, do the stuff you like, and enjoy yourself. 

6. Manage your time wisely.

As I said before, you are the one who has to take care of yourself. This includes how you manage your time in a day. Everyone has the same amount of time every day, 24 hours. Many people out there seem to live a bright and healthy life is because they manage their time wisely. You spend around 8 hours at your workplace. You may set 3 hours for yourself to do your hobbies or stuff you like. Don't forget to set some time to pray to God and have a moment with Him every day. You have 8 hours to sleep in the night. The rest is up to you. You are the one who is responsible with your time.

7. It's okay to go out, travel, or eat alone.

It doesn't mean that you don't have friends, it just means that you want to enjoy your alone time by going out, travel, or eat alone. If you feel like you want to visit a new place, you have asked a friend or someone to come with you but they don't want to, it's totally fine. Just go out with yourself! Don't think about what people around you see you being alone, you are the one who knows how great it is to have some alone time. I often do this and I feel recharged every time I spend my 'me time' well. I don't have anyone to push me to here or there, or eat this food, I can choose anything I want to do and anywhere I want to go.

8. Read more books, either fiction or non-fiction.

Reading books doesn't stop when we have graduated from the college. We still need to read books no matter how old we are. For me, reading makes my mind relaxed and refreshed. It doesn't matter what kind of books you read, the fiction ones or the non-fiction ones, just keep reading. Set a time every day to read some pages of a book. You will not only gain knowledge, but you also train your mind or brain to get some imagination and inspiration.

9. Train and work out your body.

The busier you are, the less time you have got left. But, is it really true? I don't think so. It all depends on you, how you manage your time each and every day. I still find it hard to leisure some time on my working days to work out. So, I decided to set my work out day on the weekend. I go out jogging in the morning. I spend at least 1,5 hours letting my body sweat under the morning sun. It's hard at the beginning to get out of your most comfortable place aka bed, but if you commit to yourself you will get used to it. Your body will surely thank you for the training and workout you have done.

10. Reward yourself!

There is no such thing as satisfying as you have passed and done a long to-do list. It just feels so great. That's what I feel every time I have been through a lot of things in a day. I sighed while thinking back the things that I finally can finish. I pat my shoulder and say "Good job, Nadya!" or I talk to myself in the mirror and say, "You made it, Nadya!". Yes, those small things are the simplest way you can do to reward yourself. Another way, maybe you can buy your favorite boba drink or coffee for yourself. Or, you can go to the cinema to watch your favorite movie that you've been waiting for. Or, you buy a new perfume that smells so good to refresh your body. Well, there's actually a bunch of ways you can do to appreciate yourself. Remember, don't be so hard on yourself. As long as what you do does not interrupt others, just do it then!

That's all. Hope you find this post useful for you.

Have a wonderful day!

Palembang, 021223