So, just this afternoon, I saw this amazing deal online, a seat sale of an airline company. The travel-thirsty me was all up and excited and booked! Then upon payment and just minutes after I clicked the confirm button, I started calculating with all the expenses I will incur and the damage my savings will have to take. And then I thought, "Wow. Adult life is scary af."
I am 22 years old, rank and file employee with a salary just enough for my living, with dreams as grand as having my own yacht cruising the Philippines while out in the sun bathing with a glass of sparkling wine on my left hand and managing my company from the latest smartphone on my right hand as I walk around the deck with my Burberry dark tan buckle sandals. Oh, did I mention my Dior Saint Trupez beach bag?
So going back to me as 22 and being just a mere employee, I have no title or any certification or whatsoever. I am your common 20ish graduate, unsure of what to do with her life.
Articles and articles are filling up my social feeds with things that 20-something year old should know, things to do, and things we should have realized. And guess what? They are inspiring yes, but only 5 minutes after you read them. They all say the same thing, that we are in the age where it is okay to be selfish. That this is the age where we should learn and explore, to do what we love and never having to regret for not doing it. After all, YOLO.
Personally, I take these articles to heart. A bright yellow highlighter to make me remember that it is okay to be what I am right now. I still have time, and I will just have to work on it. But reality bites. Time is your enemy. No pressure.
So what should I do? Joggling everything is hard.
I listed down things I remembered from the articles I've read and came up with this: Adult life starter pack.
1. Set your goals. Work on it and make it your motivation. Try to be organize and plan things ahead.
2. Invest to self-improvement. Learn more and up-skill. Take free seminars and enroll yourself with training. This includes your skillets, social relationship with others and your values. Sometimes we need a recheck with our values if it still aligns to what we are and what we do today.
3. Savings + Insurance + Investment. My financial friends keep on telling me to always remember that you should have an emergency fund and be liquid when time requires you. And to also start working with investment and retirement fund as early as we can.
4. Live. Have fun, explore and travel. Be healthy! This is where YOLOing goes. Let's not be a money making machine. Let us be part of this world and exist. Exist in a way that we are a blessing for people around us.
We are in a crossroad with multiple path open and ready to be taken, just waiting for us to make the first step and embark to their offerings. This is where dreams and reality collides. Our dreams may have to bend and adjust to what reality and life offers us, but this is where we should never let go. The hope that we'll get there someday, in any way. That glimmering goal? Still reachable. We just need that affirmation for our-self, a pat in the back that says "Everything's gonna be alright."
Okay. So I have blabbed too much and may have forgotten that this is written as a reminder for myself as well. Let's try and stick to this, Jasmin. okay? okay.
