10 Key Skills you need to learn in your 20s

Happy New Year, lovely dreamers!

We hope that you have the greatest year in your lives, we hope you'll make it happen, whatever that "it" is for you, be is starting a blog, traveling more, upgrading your social media game, reading those 50 books you bought last year but never read (oops Maya!) but also, that you never lose your spark, even if the storm that is the 20s decade wants you to!

‍For a while now, we've been wondering how to start this new year on the blog, what article would be more appropriate for you, our readers, and for us, as the creators of this little corner of the interwebs, and the only thing we could think of is what we would say if we could turn back time and go have a conversation with our 19-20-year-old selves.

‍That's how the 10 key skills list just popped into our heads.

‍What would we do if we would encounter our 20-year-old versions of ourselves?Would we grab a bottle of wine and a six-pack of beers together and exchange some nasty words? Probably. Would we slap our younger selves into some sense? Definitely.

Most importantly, we would make sure that our younger selves are prepared for the crazy ride that is our 20s!

To be fair, even now, in my 30s (yep, I'm not in my 20s anymore), I still struggle with some of these things, because being an introvert and a perfectly functional adult is a bit like Sheldon Cooper trying to understand sarcasm every time.

via GIPHY

‍And for Andy, well, he's closer to moving in the woods and building a workshop for his 3D Printers, for his Warhammer miniatures and paints and for his new experiments than speaking in public, for example.

Before we get into it, let's tackle the "why".

Why are these 10 key skills so important?

Simply because these skills will help you adult like a boss, help you in the super fun, but also not so happy situations that you'll end up in your 20s. You don't expect to rely on mommy and daddy for the rest of your adult life, do you?Yes, it might sound simpler to just say "I'll be a kid all my life and never leave home", or "I'll call mom, she'll know what to do", but you will soon learn that you need your privacy, that you need your independence. You'll see how proud you make her when you cook dinner all by yourself, or your dad when you learn to manage your money.

Also, what if you want to travel? Yes, yes, you know English, or else you wouldn't be able to read this post, but what other languages do you know? Simply learning Spanish will help you understand and communicate with over 410 million people.Now I think you're beginning to see where we're going with this.But enough with the chit-chatting! Let's get to it!

10 Key Skills you need to learn in your 20s

1. How to present yourself well

From the way you walk to the way you talk, to how you dress, in your 20s you should try to be your best, and show your best. Walk with your back straight, speak correctly and dress in the best way you can - wear proper attire to posh events, job interviews, even try to step up your date night outfits.

Show the world you are an adult now, and the world will treat you like one.

2. Socializing and Speaking in public

For the most part of my life, from the first day of school to early adulthood, I was absolutely terrified of speaking to crowds larger than 5 people, that including mom, dad, and my grandparents. Not to mention putting myself out there and making girlfriends like other girls.

What I learned now, especially since we decided to leave home, move abroad and start fresh again, is that the new people you meet when getting a job, are curious about you, where you come from, and everything about you, especially if you are a foreigner.

That's why getting over the fear of speaking in public is a must in your 20s.

You never know when you might need it - for your new business, or a work presentation, or why not a TEDx talk? Who knows where life will take you.

3. Cooking

As we've mentioned before in other articles, cooking is a basic life skill that any young adult should learn in their 20s, and let's be real, with so many YouTube channels that can teach you everything from basics to gourmet cooking, or you can go even in more depth with some amazing courses on Skillshare.

There's really no reason to find excuses for cooking, and the benefits are many! You know exactly what goes in the food you eat, you can actually save money, get fit and stay fit and healthy, AND if you're doing it with your partner it will help strengthen your relationship (even if that sounds like a weird thing!).

Related:

5 Awesome YouTube Channels that will teach you how to cook like a Pro

What kitchen essentials you need in your home for cooking like a pro

4. Cleaning and tidying up

Ok, ok. I have a confession. I listed this partly because I became addicted to this new show on Netflix called Tidying up with Marie Kondo, but OH MY GOD! You need this in your life. Why? Because your 20s is about making memories, traveling, and simplifying.

I'm not saying you should go on and get rid of everything, but keeping the good stuff, and learning how to store them properly will help later on when you have kids for example.

5. Budgeting and money handling

In your 20s you learn how hard it can be to earn and keep the money. This is the perfect time to learn how to create a budget for yourself, how to save money, how to earn more, outside your day job.Again, if you have no idea where to start, there are A TON of amazing bloggers out there, like Natalie Bakon for example, that can help you get started, or you can find step by step guides and courses on sites like Skillshare.

6. Patience

I know, I know, patience is not a skill per se, BUT it's super important that you learn how to calm yourself and keep the stress levels at a minimum in some situations that you cannot influence, like time passing when you're doing a very unpleasant job, or having to deal with problematic people, for example.

Being patient is difficult, that is so true! Especially when you're just starting something new - like a book, or you just applied for your dream job, or you finally set up your wedding date and now you have to wait until that beautiful day!

Be patient. You'll have fewer wrinkles in your 30s.

7. Time management

Good organizational and time management skills are as important in your professional life, as they are in your personal life. To be able to tackle a lot of small jobs and still have time to relax, meditate and take care of you is vital for your sanity and those around you.

In this decade you'll do so many crazy things and you'll learn so much from your mistakes, and the ones other people do, and the most important thing you'll learn is how precious time really is.You'll have times when all you want to do is binge watch all your favourite TV shows on Netflix or Amazon Prime, but to actually do that without feeling guilty is actually achievable when you know the simple tricks - like setting up alarms during the day, dividing big jobs into smaller ones.

Related: How to manage your time and get more things done in one day

8. Proper Manners

When I say "proper manners", I'm not only talking about your poise, how you talk, and your actions in public or at home, but also about the finer things, like how to set up the table for an occasion, for example.

I remember when I was 14, I was a total tomboy, I was even wearing only boys clothing at some point, and I was such a rebel, that I told my parents I was turning into a boy and staying that way. Then, my father bought me this book called "How to be a Lady", by Candace Simpson-Giles to inspire me to be what I was supposed to be, a lady.

At first, I smirked and said that was a stupid idea, like any teenager, but being a bookworm, of course, I read it, and guess what? It got interesting! This is one of the books that helped me turn into a true lady, and now, after all these years, it serves as a reminder of what I was, and how I evolved.

Oh, and it does have a pair, "How to be a Gentleman", perfect for any young man that needs some guidance in the 20s.You can find them both on Amazon, available as Kindle, Hardcover, Audio CD, or if you start your free Audible trial, you can get either of them for free!

9. How to deal with rejection

I know this (and number 10) might sound crazy, or not even as a skill to some of you, but dealing with rejection is an important lesson that anyone needs in life, and in your 20s is the perfect time to learn this.

Because now you're over the hormone fireworks from your teenage years, you're more prepared to accept a "No", and your reactions won't be as volcanic. Well, maybe just a little, but you'll learn to get over them faster.

You need to accept that not everything in life will come easy, and even if sometimes it might seem like it's the end of the world, just think of it as an opportunity, not a defeat.

10. How to keep on learning

Curiosity might have killed the cat, but not in this case. One of the most important pieces of advice I've personally received was: "Be curious". Keep your mind open, read anything, learn a new language, watch educational programs in between your Big Bang Theory episodes, or Friends reruns, try to evolve as a human being in any way you can, find a new hobby.

This is one of the key points in your 20s, to keep on learning after you've finished your studies. If you want to have intelligent conversations with interesting people, that's how you do it. If you want to see fewer people imitating reality tv "stars", that's how you do it.

Being curious will help you become a well rounded and respected adult, and it will help you find likeminded people to befriend! so, be curious and keep on learning!

Aaaaand that's all for today, lovely dreamers! We hope you enjoyed our top 10 key skills you need to learn in our 20s, and if you liked it, don't forget to share it, pin it tweet it!

Our question for you is: What is the one thing that you wished you could tell your 20-year-old self?