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At 25, it will be just five more years before you’re 30. You’re not that young anymore.
25 years on earth is a defining point for most people. You’re most likely out of college, trying to navigate life on your own. It’s interesting and exciting, but can also be terrifying. You get a taste of freedom and independence. But you also face the task of taking personal responsibility.
It’s one foot in chaos and another foot in order. If this is you, here are some skills that can help you navigate life more effectively.
Self-mastery
The reason most people have messy lives can be attributed to one thing: A lack of self-control.
Different forms of addictions, unwanted pregnancy, regrettable choices, failed habits, forgotten goals, etc., all happen because people lack self-control. “All of humanity’s problems,” as Blaise Pascal rightly said, “stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”
At 25, you’re active and your hormones are at their peak. Sure, you dream of a bright future, but you also want immediate pleasures. You crave distraction. Staying on one thing for long is almost impossible.
Without self-mastery, you will not be able to achieve anything worthwhile. You’ll quit your goals halfway just for the mere reason that it’s no longer exciting.
To master yourself is to put your feelings aside when you have things you need to get done. It doesn’t come naturally. Humans naturally want what’s most exciting. We crave distractions. This is why going after self-mastery will set you free and set you apart.
Self-defense
This isn’t a skill most people pay attention to, but knowing how to defend yourself when the need arises is a skill you’ll need throughout your life. It will become even more important when you have a family to protect.
Part of what it takes to defend yourself is simply getting into shape. Regular workouts will keep you fit and build your muscles. You can sign up for judo classes and learn how to handle your body and also throw a proper punch.
CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
We all understand the importance of CPR, but did you know that only 3% know how it’s done. 9 out of 10 deaths from cardiac arrests only happen because the patients couldn’t get any help from bystanders before an ambulance arrives.
CPR is a simple skill that will probably take you a few hours to learn. Think about it. One day someone you’re close to might need help, and you’ll just be the one to save his or her life. Wouldn’t that be cool?
How to cook a signature dish
The truth is, not every guy can cook, and that’s okay.
Some people grew up in families where there were enough ladies to take always take care of things in the kitchen. For some guys, life can quickly get so busy they barely have time to cook for themselves. And this is understandable.
However, no matter your background or the nature of your routine, you should have at least one meal that you can pull off at any time.
It shouldn’t be that hard to master just one dish. You can make time to add more later.
Make time to learn a signature dish, one you can easily cook whenever you’re having a guest over, preferably something that is widely accepted by people. Besides the fact that this will make you look good whenever you have someone over, mastering one meal can be a great way to learn how to cook others.
How to make money
There’s an art behind making money. And the most important part of this art is information. Most people are still broke simply because they don’t know enough.
If you have a phone and a laptop and you’re still broke, it’s either you don’t have the right information or you’re lazy.
Build skills that will make you valuable. Nowadays your skills are more important than your degree. Many top companies like Google, Apple, and Starbucks have high-paying positions that don’t require degrees to apply for. What you need are skills.
By 25, you’re already becoming independent. Learning ways to make money will not just save you the embarrassment of running to your parents whenever you need money, it will make you enjoy the freedom that comes with independence.
Let’s face it, without money, breaking out from your parents is like sentencing yourself to a life of suffering.
Of course, this doesn’t mean if you’re not a millionaire by 25 you’re a failure. However, by 25 you should be investing your time and building something on the side for yourself. Something that will yield fruits in the future.
How to manage your money
If you’re making money and you have no idea how to properly manage it, it’s going to leave you as fast as you get it. There are more than enough ways to spend when you’re still 25.
You can pour it on the latest fashion trends or the newest gadgets or you can decide to learn proper investment. Don’t think because you don’t have a family to take care of you can spend without any plans. Learn how to manage your money and make it work for you.
How to think independently
A time will come when you’ll go to your parents to seek advice and you’ll realize they don’t know the right thing for you any more than you do. What do you do about that?
This is a life-defining moment for everyone, and it can be frustrating because most people grew up looking up to their parents as their saviors.
At 25, you’ll need to learn to make decisions and live with the consequences. You’ll need to learn to stay on problems until you find solutions to them.
Furthermore, most times in life, people will want to use their own fears and insecurities to influence your choices. If you don’t learn to think for yourself and make your own decisions, you’ll be swayed here and there, confused about what you do and why.
Networking
It takes deliberate effort to build great relationships. It requires you to actively seek out the right people and make an effort to build a connection. Make efforts to build connections relating to what you do.
If you’re a writer, seek out other writers. If you’re a painter, join an online community where you can get inspired by people and also get to steal ideas. No one is an island. The connections you build will be a part of your inner circle forever.
It’s not going to be easy. Not everyone will reciprocate or even appreciate your effort. However, learning to build great connections with the right people is always worth the effort.
Public speaking
Whether it’s making a toast at your friend’s wedding, going for a job interview, or defending your thesis in school, knowing how to speak in public is one skill everyone needs to learn. You can either sign up for public speaking classes or make it a habit to frequently articulate yourself in public.
Most people never learn to speak in public because they’ve been hiding from it all their lives. And unfortunately for them, you only become better at the things you do frequently.
Most people know how to effortlessly speak in public because growing up, they were always in situations — like drama & singing groups, debate groups, etc. — that demanded them to always perform in front of others.
Big changes can happen through you if you know how to articulate your ideas properly. Freedom fights have been won. Generations have been influenced because of it.
How to write
A person who can express himself or herself effectively through speaking and writing is highly valuable. The effectiveness of these skills manifested in Barack Obama’s time as America’s President. He used the right words, under different circumstances to capture and enter the minds of the masses.
Being able to articulate ideas is an effective and even dangerous skill. Big changes happen because people can craft out arguments in ways that people can resonate with. Look at the most popular writers, even on Medium.
One of the reasons Jessica Wildfire is so successful on Medium is because of how well her ideas resonate. That’s the power of writing. When you can write, you can influence and make big changes.
Final thoughts
The skills you have, not your age, determine your value. By 25, you’re at your prime. You’ve seen and experienced a lot, and there’s more ahead. For most people, the decisions they made in their mid to late twenties greatly defined the rest of their lives. If you tread wisely, you can set yourself on the right track for life.
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