I meant to write this last week, but was a little bit busy with birthday festivities to sit down and make it happen.
I turned 24 recently and as my Facebook feed fills with posts like, “25 Things to Do Before You’re 25” or “How to Live it up in Your 20s”, I thought I should reflect on what I’ve learned in my 20s so far.
I don’t really count 20-22 because I was in college and college isn’t real life. 23 is real life. And it was a really big year for me. It was my “Jordan Year”.
I learned a lot of things, none of which I’m going to put in some kitschy list. However, if you’re 23 and feeling like complete hopeless crap, like I was about 1 year ago, I do have one piece of advice, get out of your bubble, like now.
Here’s what happens: You graduate from college and you move into an apartment with your friends, near where your other friends live, in a city where a you know a good amount of people. You go to the same bars and find yourself reminiscing about the fun things you did in college. Then you realize, you’re not in college any more. You were expecting more out of this post-grad thing and to be honest, you are restless and bored. Don’t wait for this feeling to subside because it won’t. You need to get out of your bubble and go try something new. I’m not saying you need to move to India, although it’s an amazing country and I highly suggest it, but you need to do something.
Join a soccer league with people you don’t know.
Take improve classes (which I did and LOVED).
Get a new job and move to a city where you know no one.
Hang out with a friend of a friend, then make plans to do it again.
Go to a Meetup on a subject you’re interested in but know nothing about.
Try new things, be adventurous and stop caring what everyone else you graduated with is doing. Now obviously this doesn’t apply to everyone, but I’ve seen my fair share of post-grad slumps from my fellow graduates, so that’s my two cents on the subject.
As I enter my Kobe year, or as I like to call it, my Bobby Jackson year (go Kings!), I’m psyched to take risks, be adventurous and get closer to being the best human I can be. I don’t think I’d be where I am now [super pumped on year 24!] if I hadn’t taken a big leap, right out of my bubble.