Cutting loose & taking risks: Why it matters for 20-somethings

I talk a lot about being practical on this blog, but that has made me realize that I don't focus enough on the opposite topic--having fun, cutting loose, being free.

A friend of mine mentioned that she's nervous about turning 30, and I can remember the anticipation I had about entering my 30s. (After all, I am happy to say, it wasn't too long ago!) Most people think about their 20s, naturally, when they're moving into their 30s. They wish they did more. Or they recall being clueless. But just about every one of them says they learned a lot in their 20s.


Part of learning in your 20s is done by taking steps. Making mistakes. Making moves. Not playing it safe.

That doesn't give you an all-out invitation to be reckless, but it takes the pressure off. Think about it: If you're not sure about a decision, make the best one and let it be. If it doesn't pan out the way you wanted, you can chalk it up to a learning experience. That's what your 20s are for. (Newsflash, that's what the rest of your life is for--learning as you go--but the decisions you make in your 20s, I think, will prove integral in helping you make better choices throughout your life.)

The point is, now is your time to learn. Have fun. Cut loose. Because some of those decisions you make now and things you do now will help you to become a more-alive person. If you don't cut loose now, professionally or personally, you will close off that adventurous side of yourself that's harder to get back when your older (and is probably what results in so many mid-life crises!)

We tend to forget that. I say we, because it gets harder to do as you get older. By taking risks and having fun now, you live without regrets. Even if things don't go well, that's part of it. It's no reason to make completely stupid choices, but it does remind you that this is probably the only time in your life when you can get away with things that would otherwise seem outlandish. So take that trip. Make a career move. Write that book. Make that call.


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