20 takeaways at 20

Photo by Gilb Baldoza

So I am officially leaving my teens and it just means one general thing: adulting.

I remembered my 10th birthday and how I overthought of those games I can no longer play and preparing myself for the changes to come, unaware of a mind-blowing roller coaster ride. And here I am looking back for the past 10 years since then. Two words: tremendous metamorphosis.

Here I list the essentials I’ll be taking along with me—philosophical and practical things alike. Most of them I learned the hard way.

1. Plan my daily sartorial ensemble

Many times I’ve been burned by my tardiness and a pretty tough one in college. It’s not that I oversleep all the time, I just can’t figure out what should I wear in a day’s affairs. On mornings, choosing clothes on the spot is like having a surprise quiz but with many strings attached. So I tried to do an inventory of my wardrobe and mix n’ match them on my calendar. I’m so pleased with how much time it saves and lesser stress I get at the start of the day.

2. Get a body clock

When I entered UP, I lost my body clock and thought I’ll never find it again. Who would’ve thought that I’ll rekindle with this one in a bingewatch-all-you-want season of midyear vacation? It turned out pretty well. I even get to wake up without the aid of alarms (which served inadequate not so long ago) at a consistent glorious hour of 6 in the morning or earlier, are you proud of me?

3. Discovering a coffee alternative

At 18, coffee is one of the triggers of my palpitations. Acads is hard and losing coffee made it even harder. Thank God, I found the perfect alternative to this and may be a better one. Last February, we had a weeklong visit to our hometown in Camsur and were served by a homemade coffee. It was burned rice grains dipped into boiling water like tea. It is believed to be therapeutic for digestive problems and is good for hemoglobin. Since it has no caffeine, my heart is totally fine with it. It looks like a regular coffee; taste nearly as it, but with healthier benefits. It works well with milk, too.

4. Find the saving scheme best for me

Discovering the compatible saving scheme—in my case—is a trial-and-error affair. My idealist self would want to save as much as I could but there came times I felt stiff so I’ll spoil myself a little and spend it all before knowing it. The principle of reward system (plus feasibility) is just what will solve this. Self-help references really did help (and a separate bank account for that matter).

5. Letting go

Easier said than done hehe huhu

Especially when you forgot to bring the laptop charger.

6. Make time for family and acads is never an excuse

As students, we make sacrifices for academic success. “Acads” became an acceptable and honorable excuse to family, friends, and others that people often retract from bargaining. If we will just count the missed family time, we’ll realize how much we’re actually missing.

The time lost is never found. But as long as we’re in school, deadlines will never cease and classes will proceed. As for me, I’ll always choose the ones who’ll stand by me no matter what.

7. Start following Christ

I was raised to believe in God and do what is right. I am beyond grateful to have figured out the perfect ‘right’ in a world full of contestations and versions of it. It was two years ago when this faith was revived in a whole new level and my life has never been this better. If it wasn’t for Him, I’ll be lost without the wisdom the world could never give.

8. Plan my meals

It saves time, money, and lesser risk to paranoia.

9. Learn that everything happens for a reason

When I was a lot younger, I usually worry deep when things got out of what I planned. Uncertainty is something hard to embrace. But seeing how past setbacks played major roles to great things I have right now just make total sense. God is too good for accidents. He knows what He is doing. Every single circumstance is integral to the bigger picture and sometimes it takes us stepping back first to appreciate its beauty.

10. Maximize my resources

This sounds very Econ because yah it is. The logical thing to do is to produce maximum output from the available resources. I so agree because wasted potential breeds regret and chain of what ifs. The best way to take action is NOW lest the chance was already gone.

The reality is that we pay for most of our resources. So, either read those magazines or just cut your subscription off. Quality free things are rare so catch it and be the very best when you find it.

11. Analogous filing system

Archives have never been such a happy corner in the hard drive of the OC.

12. Make the most of the moment

Have you ever been in that moment: when the lights are gone and people already left and you said to yourself: “Darn, I could’ve done it better,” feeling that void in your heart only stress-eating can satisfy? I had, many times and it’s equally depressing and budget-unfriendly. Then I told myself to always bring my best foot forward, I’m in this moment anyways.

13. Refining my taste

It struck me how much time it took me to answer the classic slum book of favorites. When I thought I knew myself already, I wasn’t fully aware yet. I then looked back on my initial inclinations and work my way through the menagerie of beautiful things that fascinate me. They are intriguingly incoherent or even clashing with each other. But I suppose that the balance and diversity is a good thing. I mean it’s okay to claim aesthetics on rococo and minimalism yet swoon over the works of French impressionist Manet and vintage Chanels.

14. Adulting by yourself and not freak out

Oh my, this is hard. Hmm, there are an awfully lot of things you need to go through just by yourself. Not even bestie, mom, neither dad can intervene. It is scary and overwhelming but I guess it’s usual to feel that way on first times. What matters is growing up and getting used to it (like processing valid IDs or finding yourself ransacking the home decors department, finding the perfect bed sheet).

15. Mind over matter

As in willpower over red squares spelling out S-A-L-E.

16. Saying ‘no’ in a polite way

The art of letting down easy: a guide to busy people for not losing friends. As much as we would like to be with friends, we’ve got matters to deal with (and empires to build). But who would wanna end up uninvited or has “jerk” associated with his name? The tone, assurance of rain checks and keeping in touch on alternative means (and of course, honesty) can be helpful so you don’t give the wrong impression of not wanting their company.

17. Plot my standards

I learned that in order to preserve coherence and ensure moving forward, standards should be kept. It’s slippery and easy to slide back to old ways. Standards help keeping us on track and make us feel guilty with compromise.

Part of wanting something is to know the specifics. Clearer vision might make the selection process stringent but at least you won’t end up with the wrong pick or be torn apart between undeserving pieces.

18. Channel downtimes into therapeutic art

Coz what’s the best time to get artsy than soul searching, right?

19. Sort out my priorities in life

It makes decision-making easier and life a little less complicated. Priorities serve like filters and at its prime when properly calibrated. I usually got into a mess first before realizing what’s more important than the others. Version gets better every time. Like a person, it is also evolving.

20. Be faithful

…to God, to your potentials, to the goodness of the human soul, to commitments, and to the better future ahead of us all.

#life #lessons #bucketlist #bakitlist #20before20