2 Things I Learned in My 20 Years on Earth
By: Rui Yi Gan 颜睿易
Tags: Growth, Earth, Reflections, Adulting, Lessons Learned

Isn’t 20 just a number? But why do I feel so much older?

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Perhaps it is the realisation that you have already spent 2 decades (roughly 25% of your life) on this planet. Maybe the simple numeric change signifies a detachment from your youthful self and an entrance into adulthood.

And this feeling of getting old made me question myself:

“What have I done for the past 20 years?”

If I were to die today, will I be happy? The answer is no. There are many many things that I have yet to experience and accomplish. I feel like I just getting started with life.

If that’s the case, then comes the next question.

“What have I been doing for the past 20 years?”

Preparing for the future.

Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash

Balancing the Present & Future

I have been spending most of my last 2 decades preparing for the future. I spent 12 years in an education system learning about chemistry, math, and physics so that I can hopefully get a good grade to hopefully enrol in a good university and hopefully do what I like after university. This idea of investing in something uncertain and hoping it turns out well is something that I have been doing for my past 20 years.

Being born in Singapore, this hyper-competitive education system took up the majority of my 12 years. Most of my youth was spent pursuing an alphabet, betting on the fact that this “A” grade can blaze a better path for my future.

Looking back, it is undeniable that this preparation is mostly helpful. Because of this preparation and my constant investment of time and energy into it, I am currently in a position in life where I am not limited in terms of what I can pursue at University.

However, it is just scary to be preparing so much and investing so much in the future when the future is uncertain. What if the world ends in a day’s time and all this investment is wasted? Like a financial investment, this “life” investment comes with a risk and I guess it is dependent on the individual if this risk is worth it. This does not just apply to studying. It can be applied to the working life, where most of your time is spent working so that you can hopefully earn enough and hopefully retire comfortably.

Thus, what I have learned is that the balance between investing in the future and enjoying the present has to be managed very, very carefully.

If we were to keep on investing our present time for the future, there isn’t much of a point living as we are never enjoying the current moment, and all these present moments are what makeup life.

On the other hand, if we lack the foresight to work for our future (constant learning, saving, etc), we may not be able to enjoy that moment in the future.

Hence, there is a fine line between planning for the future and enjoying the moment. We should plan for the future and when a milestone is reached (ie financial independence or a new degree), take the time to step back and enjoy the moment with those that matter.

Find your personal balance and enjoy your life continuously!

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

Finding what matters

Many people spend their whole life working for the future but after spending years hustling and grinding, some realised that they are moving in the wrong direction, or they could have attained their ideal lifestyle much earlier. For example, some dreamed of moving to a smaller town and enjoy the laid back, carefree lifestyle that it offers. Frankly, many could have already done it much earlier than they thought they could. However, they are too caught up working hard for the future but this future was not properly understood in the first place.

And this ideal future is dependent on your life priorities. Some may actually work harder than they need to because of societal pressure to do so.

It is your life and your only one. So don’t let others decide for you.

Know what you want and be proud of your life. Find what makes life fulfilling for you and work towards it.

“A million dollars in the bank is not the fantasy. The fantasy is a lifestyle of complete freedom that it supposedly allows” Tim Ferris

Photo by Robin Röcker on Unsplash

And yes. So what now?

Well, to be honest, I am not sure what exactly brings fulfillment in my life. My life’s direction isn’t very clear either. But I guess it is okay if you have yet to find your life’s direction. What’s important is that you are enjoying the process and excited about what lies ahead. Currently, I am working as a Full-Time Sales and Marketing Assistant and a Part-Time Barista at Starbucks. It is very different from what I am about to study at University (Computer Science) but I am enjoying the process of experiencing and experimenting with life. I am also trying to chart out a vague outline of what I plan to accomplish in the next 5 years.

Understanding these lessons is a thing but actually applying them is another!

For those who are reading and have yet to find your life’s direction, keep on experimenting.

Happy adulting!

Thank you for reading to the end. I really appreciate it. If you are interested to join me in this self-development journey, consider following a me on Medium, Youtube or LinkedIn. Have a great year ahead!