27 Things I Have Learned Before Turning 27

The years between 26–30 have been interesting so far.

Growing up, the age of 18 was touted as being the official marker of adulthood. You could finally register to vote and exercise your most powerful civic duty. When you turned 16, you can drive! That’s also pretty cool.

When you turn 26, you…get your own insurance. Fun.

But…after that?

What then?

The media seems to fancy the narrative that everyone stops being capable of badassery between ages 17–22. After that, characters are usually 30+, and they’re considered ‘seasoned’ or ‘older’. It’s like a tongue-in-cheek novelty that they’re still kicking enough to follow their dreams and do things besides raise babies (as if that wasn’t badass in and of itself) or focusing on their career (also wow-worthy), or themselves (a shocking concept).

There’s a sort of second-awakening that happens in your late twenties, I feel. I’m on the cusp of it after being prescribed fluoxetine for intense massive depressive disorder and anxiety that went untreated for many years. It held me back a lot.

Well, I turn 27 in May (a little over a month from now). I’ve still got a couple of years before the big 30, but I’ve learned a lot so far.

I’m going to share 27 things with you.

1. Perfect is impossible, but finished is possible (and impressive). If you’re a perfectionist, you’ll always stop yourself if you try to pursue excellence immediately after you start anything. In short, you’ll literally never be good enough for anything. So don’t set yourself up for failure! Mess up. Don’t give up after you fall once. Keep failing and keep trying until you submit that paper, meet that deadline, finish that payment, or buy that house.
2. Realize that some people just won’t like you. And there is nothing you can do about it. Your energy is too valuable to waste it on someone who is lashing out because of their own inner turmoil and clearly has no intent to debate or change their mind. Don’t waste your time. Let it roll off your shoulders, be civil, and move on.
3. Go to the doctor more regularly. This should be a no-brainer, but if you’ve been putting off a visit, please find a general practitioner and just get a check-up if you are able. For me.
4. Dusting makes everything better. Dust is literally a layer of old energy. it’s skin cells. Bug droppings. Mites. It’s awful. Sweep it away often. Vacuum it up too! It’s amazing how much lighter you’ll feel.
5. Make your bed (as often as you can). As retired U.S. Navy admiral William H. McRaven said, “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another.” I can’t say it better.
6. If something sounds too good to be true, it is. Whether it’s an absurdly low price on Facebook Marketplace or an MLM pitch at that one lipstick party your friend really wanted to go to, things that seem too good to be true seem that way for a reason. Trust your gut.
7. Walking is better than running (literally). It’s a proven fact that walking outside and being in nature has a positive impact on our mental space. In Japanese, the practice of forest-bathing is called shinrin-yoku. “Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness” by Dr. Qing Li, chairman of the Japanese Society of Forest Medicine, is a book I recommend to literally every soul on the planet. There are lots of pictures and wide paragraph spacing, so don’t worry about the intimidating width. If you’re already convinced, great! Next time you’re in need of relaxation, go into nature and just listen. Feel the air move around you. Breathe.
8. Walking is better than running (figuratively). I bet you didn’t see this coming. We all know slow and steady wins the race. But taking time to fruitfully pursue opportunities you feel passionate about not only builds your confidence but also builds your resume. Speeding up the ladder only works until you’re tired and eventually fall off. But, at a steady pace, you’ll be able to go much farther.
9. Thrift your clothes. As you get older and fall into a steady work and relaxation schedule, fast-fashion loses its allure (at least, it did for me). You find pieces you’re comfortable with and pretty much wear only those, while the rest is just clutter. I find the thrill of a hunt and scoring one-of-a-kind pieces much more rewarding, and if you shop around right, they’re usually cheaper and of higher quality. This is especially true for shoes and knits, I’ve found. Plus, it saves the planet! Did you know that according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency the main source of textiles in MSW (municipal solid waste) is discarded clothing? Not just that. The EPA estimates that the generation of textiles in 2018 was 17 million tons. The recycling rate for all textiles was 14.7% in 2018, with 2.5 million tons recycled. Within this figure, EPA estimated that the recycling rate for textiles in clothing and footwear was 13% (based on information provided by the American Textile Recycling Service). The total amount of textiles in MSW combusted in 2018 was 3.2 million tons. This was 9.3% of MSW combusted with energy recovery. Landfills received 11.3 million tons of textiles in 2018, and this was 7.7% of all MSW landfilled. So, yeah, let’s save some green on the planet, and in our wallets, shall we?
10. Drink some water. Seriously, we’re all workaholics and rarely hydrate enough. Take a sip right now. I’ll wait.
11. Wear sunscreen every day. I’m a huge fan of make-up but have since gone foundationless in favor of concealer and sunscreen. I use Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Dark Spot Sun Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50 and Dr. Jart+ Cicapair™ Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30, which is a green-tinted SPF that cancels out redness. These products add protection without adding layers onto my face that will just run off under my mask. By the way, this tip applies to all ages and all genders. If you’re looking for a good starter for $11, try CANMAKE Mermaid Skin Gel UV 01. I got a sample of it last time I ordered products from CANMAKE in Japan, and I am obsessed. I plan to order a full size once I’m through my other products. Speaking of which, sunscreen can turn into cooking oil if it’s expired, so make sure to be conscious of expiration dates and don’t buy too much in advance if you can’t use it all up.
12. Try to exercise daily. And no, I don’t just mean cardio on the treadmill (or in the woods). Do some light lifting with weights, books, wine bottles, whatever is on hand. Building muscle is equally important to healthy body management as good foods and good moods.
13. Learn to cook a few signature recipes. You don’t have to be a chef (who has the time, am I right?), but whether it’s treating yourself to a nice meal or entertaining your friends or family, have a few dishes up your sleeve that you know how to prepare really well. My favorite is cutting a spaghetti squash in half, cooking it for 10 minutes, dropping half a cube of Japanese medium-hot curry mix into it, adding a little water, and scooping out the sweet-savory meat. Julienne some cucumbers and add a little “Everything but the Bagel” seasoning from Trader Joe’s on top. Bonus points if you add some Nishiki brown rice. You’ll be full for days.
14. You don’t need to buy a house immediately. Seriously, you can live in an apartment for the rest of your life or save up for that perfect Maplewood mansion, but don’t rush into homeownership just because you feel like you should. Also, in today’s competitive real estate market, especially since COVID-19, many Realtors in urban/suburban areas won’t work with you unless you’re already approved for a loan through your bank or another lender. Renting not only buys you some time to evaluate your finances and find out what you can afford but gives you a little more skin in the game when it’s time to pull the trigger and you’re stacked up against other renters who also have their own credit scores you’re trying to compete against.
15. Go on picnics. Pack some Green Sandwiches (a creation by moi that’s just wheat bread, avocado, cucumbers, and sriracha) and kombucha, and go to a park on a nice day. Sit with family and friends and just enjoy food together. Nothing is more grounding.
16. Retail therapy…works sometimes. As long as well live in a capitalistic society, nobody can claim money can’t buy happiness. Money buys medicine, food, shelter, and vacations. It also buys fun candles, crystals, and organic teas from that local cafe up the street. Pay your bills, buy your food, demand to be paid fairly for your hard work, treat yourself to a small ceramic unicorn (or something else, I'm not your mom), and don’t you dare make anyone let you feel bad about it.
17. Sometimes self-care means taking care of your future self. I am all for pampering after a hard day/week/month, but sometimes, the best self-care is doing things that need as soon as you can so you can relax later when you really need it. Do the laundry earlier in the week instead of 3 a.m. on Saturday after a round of drinks. Clean out the dishwasher before you go to bed so it’s empty in the morning and ready for you to dirty whatever dishes you need to make breakfast get the day started. Wake up early and stretch, if you have the energy. Bath bombs and face masks are nice, but future me would really love if past me would pay the medical bill early and shop for groceries after work so she can crash on Friday night.
18. Try anything. Is a cafe selling a rose and oat milk latte? Do you want to get it? Then get it. No shame. Do you want to go to that amazing Indian restaurant but have no idea what you want? Go inside, support a local business, and be brave. Do you want to start your own podcast about ghost-hunting? Sure! Why not? Trying something new is sometimes about the result, but always about the experience. Experiences are better than clutter because they’re precious and don’t gather dust.
19. Take yourself on a vacation. You don’t have to go to Palm Springs or Shanghai or Melbourne. It can be as simple ad driving to a B&B a few hours away in a town where nobody knows you, and just spending the night. The important thing is that you choose the destination and that you choose what to do. As you get older, you realize how precious alone time really is.
20. It literally doesn’t matter if you want to get married or have kids. If you want to be married, awesome! If you want to have kids, wonderful! Some people want both. Some people want neither. Do what makes you happy, and don’t judge others for feeling differently than you, regardless of where you stand.
21. Don’t live in suspense. I’m sitting at my desk right now drinking an almond milk and matcha latte I made myself (I may love dairy-free lattes if you can’t tell). I’ve been wanting to make one for days, and finally just realized, “Why not?” So, I did it, and while the end product isn’t perfect, the accomplishment is still tasty. If there’s something you really want to try, don’t stop yourself because it’s technically unimportant or mundane in the grand scheme of things. You are your own universe, and if something is on your mind for a reason, it automatically has a purpose.
22. If you can do something in under two minutes, do it! This is a masterful piece of advice that some of you may already be familiar with thanks to Youtuber Rowena Tsai (one of my favorite productivity/self-care role models of all time). Her rule is pretty self-explanatory, but it’s life-changing. If you can do it in two minutes, you have no reason to not do it. Maybe it’s loading dirty dishes from the sink into the dishwasher. Maybe it’s bringing in laundry from the balcony. Maybe it’s running to your mailbox and grabbing the mail. Maybe it’s hitting ‘send’ on a really important email. You’ll save yourself so much stress down the road if you tackle the small things as they come up.
23. Admit that you’re hurting, and take time to heal. Millennials and Gen Z have grown up being taught to hide their sadness, but on a brave face, and muscle through. For trivial problems (a rock in your shoe, a broken umbrella, a hole in your pocket) this is okay. At least, it’s a temporary fix that stops you from huffing in public. But little things add up. One extra piece of straw can break a camel’s back. If you feel yourself on the brink of a meltdown, don’t run from it. Wallow in sadness. Cry your eyes out. Huddle under blankets. Turn off your phone. Take a sick day or two. You deserve the time to grieve and feel emotions. It can be a weird adjustment to take that time for yourself, but when you actually start to sit with your feelings of sadness and digest them, your understanding of yourself can only deepen as a result.
24. Start a gratitude journal. Gratitude is an amazing superpower. The more gratitude you feel in life, the easier it is to find goodness to enjoy each and every day. Take a few moments before bed or before work to write or type a few things you’re grateful for. Maybe it’s Only by being grateful for what we have can we become stronger versions of ourselves and grow.
25. Avoid uni-taskers. This amazing piece of advice is from Alton Brown (Good Eats, Chopped) and it may be one of the best pieces of advice ever. Do you really need to spend $20 on a veggie spiralizer or a breakfast sandwich maker? Or, can you just use a knife and make a sandwich with your hands? This not only applies to appliances but to technology, apps, and even work processes. If something is only good at doing one specific thing, it’s a uni-tasker, plain and simple. Uni-taskers take up space and waste money. Embrace multi-taskers that help you work smarter, not harder.
26. Network, network, network! No matter what you do, practice your handshake and get some business cards. If you’re in a space with other like-minded people, grease some elbows and introduce yourself to as many people in the room as you can. You’d be surprised how quickly face-to-face connections with the right people can build your presence and reputation. The more recognizable and personable you are, the more likely people are to remember you and think of you when opportunities arise. You are always your best cheerleader and PR person.
27. Finish what you start. Don’t stop writing a short story until it’s done. Even if you never publish it, finish the work. Finish the painting even if the shading is off. Finish that cover letter even if you think you won’t need it. You took time to act on an idea you believed in, and you owe it to yourself to finish it.

I’m rooting for you. がんばって!