There are certain mistakes that we’re all bound to make in our lives after college. Things get pretty exciting once college is done and it’s time to enter the real world. Some of us are totally ready for what’s next in life. Most of us are completely confused and not sure of what the next moves should be at this point in life. I wanted to look at some mistakes that I made and others that my friends were guilty of. I want you to be able to learn from others.
What are some common mistakes that we all make after college?
Feeling entitled to spend money.
We feel that we deserve to spend money now that we’re free. We feel the urge to buy all of the fancy things that we couldn’t get our hands on when we were struggling to survive. This is especially true for those that find a decent paying gig after school. It only seems natural to treat yourself now that you have money coming in.
Why’s this a mistake then? Because chances are that you either have student debt or credit card debt. You also don’t want to fall in further debt just because you want to spend money now that you’re done with school. My simple advice here is to pay yourself first and try to save a little bit of money so that you don’t fall totally behind.
Wasting precious time.
Anyone that can’t find a job or chooses not to look for look can easily become guilty of wasting precious time. Sure there are many benefits to hanging out and finally getting some rest. The problem is that time does fly by pretty quick and it’s easy to waste valuable time. Next thing you know and you’re in your late-20s still not doing anything you want to be.
How can you avoid wasting time? My trick is to keep your eye on the prize. No matter what, you need to have your end goal in mind. You need to have something that you’re chasing after. If you’re just staying afloat, then this could lead to serious problems. You don’t want to feel stuck at 30 without any serious job prospects.
Getting off track.
It’s easy to get off track. You go on a trip, you enjoy your new lifestyle, and you don’t feel like entering this scary thing called the “real world.” A few years go by, you’re soft of working, you have random projects on the go, but you don’t have anything concrete happening.
How can you stay on track? I firmly believe in constantly challenging yourself and setting new goals. Without goals and challenges, you don’t really have anything to look forward to or to keep you going. This is why I set a goal for myself to earn $5,000 more from freelance income this summer. That’s just one way that I try to stay on track.
Are you going to avoid these mistakes? I hope that you get the most out of life in your 20s. I don’t want to see you fall behind.
