Well, I have officially been 20 for about two weeks now. I’d like to tell you that I have emerged from the murky uncertainty of my teenage years and into the enlightenment of adulthood, but honestly, it wasn’t a very lifechanging transition. And I’m starting to think the whole “enlightenment of adulthood” thing is a sham designed to make high schoolers work harder and ask fewer questions. But as some of you may recall, I made a post about a month and a half ago of 20 small changes to make before I turned 20. The post itself was actually life changing, though not in the way you might expect. After submitting it to StumbleUpon, the list went viral in the smallest of ways, which you can read a little more about in my January month-in-review post. But now I’m ready for a look back to see how much good – if any – the list did in my everyday life.
1. Compliment someone every day.
I’ve been working really hard at this, and I’d say it’s mostly a success! Making people smile is always rewarding, I’ll definitely stick to this one.
2. Meet new people at every opportunity.
I posted this before classes started for the semester, so accomplishing it wasn’t too hard. And I’ve met some lovely people, as a bonus.
3. Eat your vegetables.
I eat more carrots than any other human being in the world, I think. And yes, I still eat a lot of french fries – but usually with a side of salad.
4. Write something every day.
Especially lately, I’ve been pretty bad at this, and I can feel it taking a toll on my writing skills. Self-expression is definitely something I should be making a priority.
5. Stay in touch with friends.
Okay, in all honesty, I’ve been bad about this one too. I’m busy and stressed, but that’s no excuse to ignore the important people in my life.
6. Swear only when you mean it.
I still swear more than my middle school self would be comfortable with. But also a lot less than I did before, and it’s forcing me to be a little more creative in how I express things.
7. Forgive people for the little things.
Admittedly, I vented my frustrations to my roommate a lot, but I also let a lot of things go right after that, and anything that makes me less bitter is a keeper.
8. Stay active.
I didn’t really adhere to this one until recently, but I feel so much better for it. And I finally get to use my yoga mat.
9. Reconnect with old friends.
The reunion dinner I was hoping for didn’t happen hasn’t happened yet, but I am at least talking to people a little more consistently now.
10. Speak deliberately.
This one I’ve been doing pretty well at. It’s actually resulted in me speaking a lot less in my classes, which is probably a good thing – no one likes that one kid in class who talks just to hear their own voice.
11. Be on time.
I’ve been alright at this. I’m still not punctual, but I’m late less often than I used to be, and usually not as late, either. It’s progress.
12. Connect with professors.
I’m all over this one. I’m retaking a class with my favorite TA ever/life goal inspire-er, and I’ve developed decent relationships with almost all my other instructors. Except my computer science professor, but in a class of 500, can you really blame me?
13. Go somewhere new.
Do new restaurants count? I haven’t had that many opportunities to go new places so far. I should probably focus on making some
14. Treat yourself.
I didn’t get steak, like I said I would. I don’t know why I said I would. I don’t even like steak, even though I know that’s blasphemy. I did treat myself to some pie, though, so it counts.
15. Take more pictures.
I actually got myself and Instagram account to help with this! Slowly but surely, I’ll document my life – one quasi-artsy photo of the quad at a time.
16. Do your hair.
I haven’t been styling my hair much (Illinois winter wind makes that impractical) but I have been trying to take better care of it, and it’s showing.
17. Don’t let boys be mean to you.
I took this one to heart, and I think there are a few boys in my classes and debate league that fear me. And I like that a lot.
18. Do one thing that scares you, every day.
This wasn’t hard to do, since I’m a very anxious person, but my comfort zone is a little bit bigger, and I’m hoping to keep pushing my limits, even if it is bit-by-bit.
19. No negative self-talk.
This one was hard – I have a really self-deprecating sense of humor, so I make a lot of jokes at my own expense. Outside of humor, though, I’ve tried to be more positive.
20. Unlearn fear.
A comment on the original post reminded me that fear is a choice. Which is very true, and something I need a reminder of every now and then. I decided to make an icon-organizing desktop background to remind me of that. I’ve decided to make it available for download for anyone who wants to use it:
To use this background, click the image to see it full-sized, and then right-click and save it. 1366 x 768 pixels.
Well, there you have it. So, aside from the list, what did I do before I turned 20? I went viral, started a new semester, met some great people, and made some really incredible memories. And I’m looking forward to the year to come.
What have you accomplished since your last birthday? What would you like to get done before your next one?
