Young, wild, and free! That is the definition of being in the early 20s. At this age, most of us are either enrolling into college, stepping into the career world or lounging at home, thinking what to do next. Well, here are a few recommendations from your senpai ;)
1. Have a list of goals
Be it graduating, starting up a business, joining an audition, owning a house, marrying- write in your notebook and put a deadline to it. Of course, sometimes you have to tweak some dates because life happens, but believe in your Creator, the Universe, and YOURSELF that you can get it done. Learn about the power of visualisation and work towards your goals. Not having a list of goals will make you feel unmotivated and anxious because you’ll constantly ask yourself about ‘what to do next’.
2. Embark into the journey of continuous learning
I understand that some of us can’t afford going to university due to various factors — financial, mental capability, commitments etc. So, I am suggesting you to attend classes (online or physical) in areas that interest you the most. You can join baking or cooking class, automotive crash course, learn coding, entrepreneurship or forex from Google and many more. You can ask your mom to teach you how to cook and make handcraft too if you like. The accumulation of knowledge that you have now may help you in generating money in future.
3. Try part-timing
You can be a barista, shopkeeper, tutor or anything that the world offers to you. Not only can it generate income for you, it also helps to expand your network. This is an opportunity for you to connect with important people who may be significant in your future. A friend who worked as a barista met her current manager at Starbucks. She is then appointed as the company’s engineer! Another friend who tutored primary school children is now a senior executive after being recommended by his student’s father.
4. Invest if you can, save if you can’t
Money CAN buy happiness, or at least finance your therapy. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the basic needs as a human are food, water, shelter, clothing (doesn’t have to be new and/or expensive), rest and sleep. List down your priorities and if you have extra money, try investing in a low risk investment like ASNB. You only need RM10 to set up your account. It is better to invest in ASNB and let it accumulate (passive income) rather than spending your money on things that you don’t really need. If you don’t have RM10, try saving RM1 daily or weekly and build it up from there.
5. Prioritize mental health
Failures in fulfilling the basic needs may be the contributors to deterioration of mental health. So, please eat nutritious meals, hydrate yourself, exercise, practice meditation and get enough sleep! Be kind to yourself and to the people around you. Ask for help when you need one. While it is true that different people have different backgrounds and stressors, you have to know that there is always a solution to every problem. Trust me, you are not alone.
So friends, now that the MCO is hitting us again and making us feel domesticated and restricted, I recommend you to map out your goals and set the deadlines for each goal. It can be as serious as getting a Degree or as exciting as learning how to play the guitar. Then, you can take necessary steps towards your goals and master your passion. Open your eyes on the opportunities laid to you, be it in terms of career, education or finance. Most importantly, take care of yourself and your loved ones.
Cheer up and stay safe! ❀