7 Surprising Signs Your 20s are Going Better Than You Think

Failing and your twenties go together like Chip and Joanna Gaines. They just seem to always be together.

If your 20s haven’t exactly gone as planned, you’re not alone.

Actually you’re more in the norm than you think.

Nobodies life is as good as it looks on Instagram. As I write about in my not-yet-released book 101 Questions You Need to Ask in Your Twenties, “There’s another side to everyone’s Instagram photo that they’re not exactly taking a picture of.”

But maybe your life is going even better than you think?

Even if you feel like you’re failing your twenties and the challenges you’re facing are overwhelming, check out these surprising signs your twenties are actually going better than you realize and success is just around the corner.

7 Surprising Signs Your 20s are Going Better Than You Think
1. Nothing feels normal

This doesn’t sound very exciting, but I promise it’s a good thing.

Feeling a little abnormal is the new normal of your twenties.

That just means you’re exploring, trying new things, and finding a new path. If everything felt normal, then you wouldn’t be changing, growing, or creating. You’d be that person still eating five bowls of cereal in your college cafeteria. And while I miss eating bowl after bowl of Berry Captain Crunch, my body is very thankful there is a new normal.

2. You’ve lost some baggage

No, I’m not talking about throwing your luggage off your next American Airlines flight. They frown on that.

I’m talking about cutting off some of the heavy stuff that has been dragging you down. Sometimes that can be a toxic relationship. Or maybe it’s just negative thoughts you’ve believed about yourself for too long. You don’t grow up without having some negative definitions people have thrown at you stuck on your white canvas.

Whether it’s with a friend or dating relationship, sometimes breaking up is the best thing that could’ve happened. While breakups can feel uncomfortable and painful, it’s actually freeing you to run free and with more purpose.

It’s hard to run a race with a dead yak tied to your ankle.

3.  There’s so much you don’t know

When you graduate college, ready to change the world, then quickly realize that you don’t know squat, it can be a sickening feeling.

Yet, the moment you realize how much you don’t know, is the moment a fire is lit to learn more. To dive deeper. To open great books and really ask people questions, not for a grade, but because your life depends on it.

A passionate learner who realizes how much they don’t know is ten times better off than a complacent person who thinks they know everything.

4. Netflix just ain’t cutting it..

I definitely go through seasons where I’m watching more TV than I should. But after awhile, it makes me feel worse than before I started.

I’m watching other people who are successful instead of working on my own. I start itching to take that time and energy, and doing something constructive with it.

So if you’re watching too much Netflix and feeling down, lean into that motivation to try something new.

Keep working on writing your story instead of watching someone else’s.

5. You feel challenged at your job

As I first wrote in 101 Secrets For Your Twenties, “The most dangerous job you can have in your twenties is a comfortable one.”

If you feel stretched and challenged at work, maybe that’s a really good thing. Maybe you’re learning and growing way more than if your job came easy.

Sure, it’s not comfortable, but comfort should not be the goal of your twenties.

It’s really hard to do anything worth doing and remain comfortable in the process.

If you’re job does feel easy, maybe it’s time to explore ways to make it more challenging.

6. You’re asking yourself really hard questions

I don’t think there’s anything more important in your 20s than the questions you bring to it. Obviously I think that since my new book has 101 questions for your twenties in it!

If you don’t ask yourself smart, strategic questions about the future you want to live, how are you going to live it?

7. Your outcomes aren’t amazing, but the work you’re doing is getting much better

Your 20s are a process, a step-by-step progression, hopefully building a foundation that will last you a lifetime.

One hit wonders are that because they weren’t able to build a foundation to sustain the weight of success. Notorious B.I.G sang “More money, more problems” for a reason.

Success in your twenties is in the details.

Success is found in the work, not in the sexy outcomes.

If your work is getting better, the right outcomes will come at the right time. I promise.

I’d love to hear from you within the comments on this article — which of these signs do you relate to the most?