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Starting early and starting right can get you a head start in life, and nothing like doing it in your 20s when you do not yet have major responsibilities. Here are 5 things you can do.
Despite the number of ‘20 things you need to know about in your 20s’ articles on the internet, there is no refuting that many twenty-somethings find themselves unprepared for the crucial decade that lies ahead of them.
Bidding goodbye to carefree teenage days and grappling (sometimes hopelessly) with adulthood, this period is marked by uncertainty and often second-guessing our decisions, but also excitement and desire to test our abilities, prove our worth and achieve greatness. Through the trial and error, mistakes made and lessons learnt, there are a few bases that every twenty-something needs to touch to ensure an overall smooth ride:
Metaphorically, the 20s are all about falling down and getting back up, over and over again. It may sound exhausting, but it’s the biggest learning process you shall encounter (despite 15 years of formal education).
How does one create a strong base for oneself?
A lot of twenty-somethings discount this process of ‘self-evaluation and understanding’ as a function of time, and let their guards down when it comes to crucial decision-making points in their lives.
The cost of setting up your new life in your 20s is high – be it repaying student loans, planning to live away from home, or just earning for the first time and managing your finances.
With a new source of income comes the desire to try new things – travel to new places, eat out or experience new things. For millennials, to create wealth, time is the most essential element. It is important to make a conscious decision to educate yourself about investing for long-term goals, and not resort to the instant gratification of all wants. Tracking finances, budgeting and saving for a rainy day may seem like cumbersome tasks, but it is important to take time out every now and then and evaluate your spending habits, and making sure that you’re making the best decision for your future self while spending your hard earned money.
Furthering your cause – be it finding a new job, starting a project of passion, or just branching out to try new experience – all of these can be achieved through networking.
You are bound to encounter people from various walks of life, each of whom will have something to teach you. Many people mistake networking as a forced way of walking up to people, introducing yourself, exchanging cards and hoping that this connection will be of some use in the future. Networking doesn’t have to be transactional; it is merely the process of forming a friendship that is rooted in the kind of work you do.
Focus on adding value to the conversations you have with people, and never make the mistake of assuming you are too young to create an impact in anyone’s mind. Building your personal brand, as mentioned before, is something that will help you gauge what you can bring to the table and what you can seek in other people. Networking will never go out of fashion, so it is important to grab every opportunity that comes your way.
‘Leadership’ can seem like a subject that one might not take seriously in their early 20s. But the norms of leadership are fast changing – millennials as a generation exhibit more skills as leaders than any generation before them. This is because they are more agile when it comes to procuring resources to solve a problem, and are unafraid to try unconventional methods to reach the desired goal.
Irrespective of how old you are, it is important to take charge of situations every now and then, and demonstrate bouts of leadership, whether your role may explicitly ask for it or not. Consider this as an exercise in inculcating a habit that is bound to take you places. Take up initiatives, exhibit a child-like curiosity about things and don’t accept status quo at face value. This will help you open up various avenues for yourself and become an individual people would look up to.
It is essential to inculcate in ourselves, especially when we are younger, a habit of giving back to society. Owning wealth is not a prerequisite – simply use your skills to give back to those who are lesser-privileged than you, and help them have access to the same chances you might’ve had.
Volunteer for a cause close to your heart, donate things you might not be used to people who might need it, donate to an issue you are deeply passionate about – it is important to stay humble and be rooted, and endeavour to make the world a better place in whatever way you can.
A version of this was first published here.
Image source: shutterstock
Priti Rathi Gupta is the Founder of LXME (Digital Investment Platform for women) and the Managing Director and Promoter at Anand Rathi Share & Stock Brokers Ltd. She has been associated with the Anand Rathi read more...
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Rajshri Deshpande, who played the fiery protagonist in Trial by Fire along with Abhay Deol speaks of her journey and her social work.
Rajshri Deshpande as the protagonist in ‘Trial by Fire’, the recent Netflix show has received raving reviews along with the show itself for its sensitive portrayal of the Uphaar Cinema Hall fire tragedy, 1997 and its aftermath.
The limited series is based on the book by the same name written by Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, who lost both their children in the tragedy. We got an opportunity to interview Rajshri Deshpande who played Neelam Krishnamoorthy, the woman who has been relentlessly crusading in the court for holding the owners responsible for the sheer negligence.
Rajshri Deshpande is more than an actor. She is also a social warrior, the rare celebrity from the film industry who has also gone back to her roots to give to poverty struck farming villages in her native Marathwada, with her NGO Nabhangan Foundation. Of course a chance to speak with her one on one was a must!
“What is a woman’s job, Ramesh? Taking care of parents-in-law, husband, children, home and things at work—all at the same time? She isn’t God or a superhuman."
The arrays of workstations were occupied by people peering into their computer screens. The clicks of keyboard keys were punctuated by the occasional footsteps moving around to brainstorm or collaborate with colleagues in their cubicles. Most employees went about their tasks without looking at the person seated on either side of their workstation. Meenakshi was one of them.
The thirty-one-year-old marketing manager in a leading eCommerce company in India sat straight in her seat, her eyes on the screen, her fingers punching furiously into the keys. She was in a flow and wanted to finish the report while the thoughts and words were coming effortlessly into her mind.
Natu-Natu. The mellifluous ringtone interrupted her thoughts. She frowned at her mobile phone with half a mind to keep it ringing until she noticed the caller’s name on the screen, making her pick up the phone immediately.
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