25 Reminders for the 25-Year-Old-Me

I'm turning 25 in a little over a month and I'm slightly freaking out. At the same time, I've been freaking out basically every year for the past 7-ish years of my life only to come to the realization that it's really not that big of a deal. Maybe this year is even more terrifying because I'm turning a quarter century old. I can't even say that I'm having a "quarter life crisis" anymore, unless I plan to live to 100 (and with my history of alcohol consumption, the chances of that happening are slim).

I basically had a heart attack when I was filling out an online form a couple of weeks ago, and under "Age Group", the choices were "18-24" or "25-34". I will now soon move up an age group. I will no longer belong in the cool, trendy, youthful demographic of 18-24. Now I will be paired with the 30-somethings and marketing companies will now try to sell me fancy kitchenware and anti-wrinkle night creams.

Maybe it's the fact that I'm terrified of turning 25 or the fact that I'm spending way too much time in front of the computer, but I constantly find myself reading random lists about being 25. So here is my own contribution to these lists. This is going to be my 25 Reminders for the 25-Year-Old Me.

1. Never underestimate the value of sleep. Sure, at 18, you may have pulled a few all nighters. Now, if you don't sleep, you know you'll look and feel like death. Get your 8 hours in.

2. Never stop travelling. Sure, you've already done quite a bit of travelling, but there's so much of the world you still haven't seen yet. If there's one luxury in the world that's worth spending money for, it's this. Keep exploring.

3. Stop telling yourself that you're "too old". Pretty soon, you really will be too old. So be adventurous and be daring; just don't be stupid.

4. Learn to let your guard down. Don't be afraid to let new people into your life. It's going to get harder and harder to meet new people so be more open-minded.

5. Know your limit (In this case, your alcohol limit, although this could be applied to many situations). It was cool at 18 to down ten tequila shots and puke your guts out an hour later. Now every body-aching hangover is a reminder that it's just not fun anymore (if it ever was fun).

6. Don't Facebook status too much personal shit. It's embarrassing, no one cares, and it'll come back to haunt you later.

7. Stop wasting your money on useless crap. Or on overpriced crap. It may have been cool in high school to buy brand named jeans for $300 but you should probably pay your bills and no pair of jeans are that good in quality.

8. Learn to get rid of your shit. That shirt you bought 5 years ago, only wore once but kept telling yourself that you may need it one day? Get rid of it.

9. Stop comparing yourself to all your seemingly successful friends who are "also 25 but is married and making so much more money than me". So what?

10. There's nothing wrong with being at a mediocre job that you don't like. I know you think you could be doing so much more with your life and that you didn't get a degree to do what you're doing now. But this is all part of life and it's something that most people go through. Just remember that you're not stuck there forever and be thankful that you even have a job in this shit economy.

11. Never stop learning.

12. Let go of the people who have let go of you. Sometimes there's no sense in wasting your time trying to mend things with people who stopped caring a long time ago. Just let it go, move on, and spend your precious time with people who also want to spend their precious time with you.

13. Have a savings account. And give it some lovin'.

14. Stop living in the past. What's done is done and there's really nothing you can do about it now. Coulda Woulda Shoulda.

15. Spend more time with your parents. Now that you're 25, they're the coolest people you know.

16. Don't freak out because you don't have it all "figured out". Trust me, no one does and no one ever will.

17. Clean your damn room. You're not a teenager anymore.

18. Be there for your friends when they need you. Sure, we're all busy. But think about the times when your friends were there for you when you needed them most.

19. Have a responsible number of beers on a patio whenever possible.

20. It's okay to stay home on a weekend and go to bed early. Remember, It's not that you can't go out, it's that you are choosing not to.

21. Don't stop being weird. Anything worse than being old is being boring.

22. Keep exercising. Your metabolism only gets slower.

23. Spend more money on life experiences rather than material goods.

24. Don't be afraid to do things that you want to do in fear of being judged. People will judge you regardless.

25. Stop freaking out. You're only 25.