Why Your 20s Aren’t A Great Time to Be Popular
Everyone wants to be popular in their teens and 20s. I know as a young kid, that was definitely the case for me.
Over the years I had a multitude of aspirations, from wanting to be a professional skateboarder, to a popular YouTuber, to even being an NBA player. In hindsight, I can see that not having these things work out was the best thing that ever happened to me.
It Gives You More Time to Develop
The reality is that very few people reach a point of big success in their 20s. Most of them tend to be professional athletes, or even professional video gamers or content creators. Folks that have chosen paths that are heavily dependent on their body being in tip-top condition.
For many of these individuals, despite taking on a great deal of worldly success, they miss out on a lot of the aspects of ordinary living. Many of them end up dropping out of high school or college, and some of them never get to experience a life outside of being famous. Having a regular job. Having ordinary friendships and relationships. Living freely without a ton of pressures and responsibilities.
Personally, I am glad that hasn’t been the case. I am glad that I have been able to have the experiences of working a regular job, attending college, having regular friends, and so on. I’m even grateful for the times where I struggled financially, or had to go through getting rejected for job and relationship prospects. These things build character. It’s something I wouldn’t trade all the money in the world for.
It Gives You A Lot To Look Forward To
Sadly, many folks that become highly popular at a young age aren’t able to maintain that position for very long. They shoot up, enjoy a short period of fame, and then before they know it they are on the other side of the mountain, still with a whole life ahead of them. In some cases, these individuals may feel like they go on to live in the shadow of who they once were at a younger age.
Athletes in particular tend to have a pretty short career window. Lets say they get drafted at 21, by 35, their career is most likely done. In some cases, these individuals end up going broke because they get accustomed to a certain lifestyle and lack the financial skillset to make proper investments. I’m sure that’s got to be pretty tough.
For myself, I am grateful that I still have a lot to look forward to. Taking the time to really learn about personal finance through my 20s gives me the confidence that my priorities will be in the right place as I move forward in life. It won’t be all about trying to look popular, and I will have the tools to make my savings last and continue to grow.
It Helps You Avoid Making Bad Choices
There seems to be a trend amongst young celebrities and the lenience toward reckless behavior. Guys getting into drugs, performing ridiculous stunts, getting into trouble, and so on. Many of them end up being alright, but many others also end up passing away much younger than they should have. Mostly because they got caught up in a lifestyle that was just too chaotic and all over the place.
One of the great gifts of solitude is that it wipes away a lot of the bullsh*t and helps you to see more clearly. You get more in touch with yourself, and outside influences have less of an effect on you.
When you get too popular too quick or too early, you may find yourself with too many people pulling on your shirt collar than you would ideally want. People trying to steer you in different directions. Putting pressure on you to do things a certain way. Putting things in your ear that just aren’t necessary.
For young people especially, this just isn’t healthy. And that’s why many of them end up getting into drugs, alcohol, and other addictions. Mainly just to cope with the stress and pressure of it all.
Learn in your 20s, Earn in your 30s
Contrary to what you might see on social media, being popular in your 20s isn’t all that. I am a big proponent of the phrase “learn in your 20s, earn in your 30s”.
People may tell you differently. Parents want what’s best for them, sometimes more than what’s best for their children. Sometimes that includes putting an increased pressure on them to have it all put together at a young age. Other people may try to attach themselves to you so that they can feel better about themselves, pushing you toward a treadmill of feeling like you’ve always got to be fighting to be good enough.
The more you can put all the B.S. to the side, the better you will feel internally and the better things will look externally. When you are truly healthy, and in a good standing financially, the less you will really care about looking popular.
There Are Some Exceptions
Of course, there are also many instances where becoming popular at a young age turns out to be an incredible asset. Folks that have their priorities straight, and are able to maximize the benefits of their position while distancing themselves from the nonsense. There’s a big difference between these individuals and the guy out there dying his hair yellow and blowing all of his money just to look cool.
These folks have managed to establish themselves as being exceptional in their field, and in many cases have set themselves up for a strong financial future. Which is a great position to be in at a young age. They weren’t really missing out on anything all that great at school or working a regular job anyway. And because they are so young, they still have plenty of time to learn and grow in other areas.
At the end of the day it’s more about how you do the things you do, and why you do the things you do. Everyone’s path looks different. What worked for one guy at one age might work just as well for another guy at a different age. And as they say, as long as the direction is correct, you will get there.
Thank You For Reading
Thank you for taking the time to read. As always, I hope you have enjoyed, and I will see you on the next article.
