One thing that I’ve come to realize is that goal setting and going for your goals is a lot harder after pharmacy school. While in college, your goal is hyper focused on graduating that life seems to just pass you by. People are moving, getting married, having babies, and even getting divorced. What I quickly realized after graduating is that I needed to focus and set my own personal development goals if I wanted to achieve anything in life that I wanted.
Your 20s is such an important time in your life. It’s the time to experiment, make mistakes, and learn more about your true authentic self. It’s the defining decade that sets us up for our more established and mature selves, but only if we use it wisely. Intentional goal setting is always important, so today I’m sharing a list of personal development goals that would be great for any twenty-something year old women. With proper goal setting and a mind shift, you can achieve so much more than you could even imagine.
18 Personal Development Goals For a 20 Something Year Old
Set up an emergency fund
Of the many financial goals that you could make, saving for an emergency fund should be on the top of your list. You never know when something major may happen in your life unexpectedly that could cause financial stress. Shoot to save $1,000 first, then once you complete that goal you can shoot to save 3 to 6 month worth of expenses.
Read: Emergency Fund: Why You Need One + How to Save it Fast
Book a flight to somewhere new
Make it one of your personal development goals to book a trip somewhere new and exciting! Maybe it’s that location that you saved on Pinterest or a tiny home that you saw on TikTok. While traveling can seem to be an expensive adventure, it doesn’t have to be if you learn how to budget, travel on a whim, and take a friend or two! Take an adventure or two in your twenties. I promise it’ll totally be worth it!
Fix your credit score
While credit cards are not the enemy, they can be if they make you go into credit card debt and lower your credit score, which of course has long term effects. When you have a credit card, the goal is to only spend the money that you can reasonably afford. Don’t worry if you started off your 20s on the wrong foot when it comes to credit. Spend these next few years fixing your credit score and learning how to manage credit responsibly.
Read: How to Manage Your Credit in College and After Graduation
Learn to be more discipline
Humans aren’t naturally born with discipline. It’s a behavior that is learned and improved on as you progress through life. If you want extraordinary results from your business or hobby, then you have to be consistent enough to do it even when you don’t feel like it. Working on building your self-discipline is a daily task that may be challenging even if you have a clear vision.
Take your health seriously and strive to make good choices
One thing that I learned quickly after graduating from pharmacy school is how important taking your own health seriously is. As a pharmacist, we are always focused on our patients and family that we forget that it starts with us to be a good example for others. Book those doctor’s appointments, seek out a therapist, and invest in your body by eating healthier and exercising.
Learn to cook a few signature dishes
Up until now, you’ve probably only dabbled into cooking just enough to make it editable and call it a day. Trust me, I’m also no cooking expert, but cooking and creating meals that aren’t out of a box becomes a real necessity after moving out of the dorms. Pick up a few cookbooks or scroll through Pinterest to find a few recipes that you’d like to try. If you want a cookbook created by black chiefs, these are some great options that have amazing reviews: You Have Food At Home, Black Girl Baking, and Brown Sugar Kitchen.
Learn how to say “no”
Too many of us become what I like to call a “yes man” where we say yes to everything even if it hurts or handicaps us in the future. Before your twenties are over, learn how to say no without feeling guilty. Your time is precious, and you want to use it effectively to achieve your dreams and for things that make you happy.
Make friends outside of your high school or college circle
Making friends after college is difficult because many of our relationships were based on proximity than actual true bonding. This is the time to find your true friends, even if it’s only an online relationship. Once you do find quality friends, make sure to water and grow the relationship with them. Having quality friends is one way we can achieve happiness in our lives, which let’s be real is the reason for this personal goals list.
Establish a self care routine
With a demanding job, it’s easy to get burnout and restless if you don’t make it a daily effort to take care of yourself. Everyone’s self care routine will look different from each other, but the goal is to spend time doing something that you enjoy that isn’t work-related. Do a yoga class, write in your journal, or call a friend you haven’t spoken with in a while.
Read: How to Kickstart Your Self Care Routine
Write a bucket list and plan to cross some things off your list
If you don’t have a bucket list, write a massive list of all the things that you’ve always wanted to do and plan to check a few of those things off your list this year. While some of them may not be achievable this year alone, seeing your goals on paper can spark that push you need to work towards them. Remember that life is short and stop putting your life on hold!
Drop a bad habit and start a new good one
If you take a few moments to think about your habits, I’m sure that you that you can think of some, good or bad. Make it one of your personal development goals to create a new habit that is more aligned with the life that you want. This could be eating healthier, be more consistent with mediation, or learning to show more gratitude in your day-to-day life. Highly recommend reading Atomic Habits by James Clear; I’m currently reading it right now, and it’s changing the way that I look at habits entirely.
Read intentionally
Between social media, constant email alerts, and never-ending news reports, it’s easy for us to get distracted throughout the day and not plug into the things that will help us achieve the life that we want. When I mean by this is that we have to unplug and connect to books, podcasts, blogs, and webinars that help us move forward in life. It could be something to learn a new skill, heal old wounds, or build your business. Whatever it is make sure you’re reading with intention.
Set a lofty goal and shoot for it
Goal setting is so important, especially in your twenties, because without a clear vision, it’s hard to get to any destination intentionally. Whatever personal development goals you may have, pick one goal, elaborate on it, and shoot for it. I just finished reading the One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, and I highly recommend it if you are striving for goals without a game plan. It’s really great if you struggle with time management and feeling burnout from your long to-do list.
Sign up for a class you never thought you would take
Not everyone has the opportunity to go to college or continue their formal education, but you do have the opportunity to take in-person classes near you or to learn a new skill online. There are a ton of learning platforms online, such as Skillshare, Udemy, and LinkedIn, that will teach you a learn new skill on your own time.
Make an effort to continue to learn and explore
Many people think that you stop learning after your graduate from college or high school, but you don’t. Life is all about learning and developing yourself throughout the years. Make an intentional effort to continue to learn, explore, and expand your knowledge base. Do the things that make you scared, make mistakes – it’s during the times outside of your comfort zone that true learning begins.
Establish a 401k, Roth IRA, or retirement
Thinking about retirement in your 20s may seem a little excessive, but now is the time to start! Time is money, and the sooner that you start saving for retirement means you’ll have more money decades later. Research the different retirement options and figure out which ones work for you. Imagine how much money you can save in retirement if you start right now with as little as $100.
Find a cause that you’re passionate about
Life isn’t complete until you find something gets you out of bed and makes you excited. Finding a cause that you’re passionate about may take some time, but don’t be afraid to try out a few different volunteer programs until you find the one that you like.
Learn about yourself
One thing that everyone in their 30s say about their 20s is that it’s the years of nonstop self-discovery. Set your own personal goal to get to know yourself – your wants, needs, likes, dislikes, triggers, etc. Humans are complex individuals and it’s beneficial to spend time learning more about your inner self.
