1. You’re still busy exploring and haven’t settled yet.
It could be that you haven’t made up your mind that you will stay at your current job within the next 10 years. Or that you have not gotten married yet because you are not sure if your partner is the right one. Or stay in the same city until you are 50. The main lesson is, it is good to keep exploring for better things rather than settling. Some 40-year-olds that I know are still unsure about what to do next in their lives so they plan to stay in status quo for a little while. And that is ok. Rash decisions most often yield rash results. So it is better to stop and explore what else is out there.
2. Your savings haven’t gone up much because you want to see the world.
They say that traveling is the only thing that makes us richer. And I couldn’t think of anything truer than that. Traveling though, is a financial decision. If you decided to travel while your legs are still strong enough to let you, do not blame yourself if your bank account is not inflating that fast. The trade off to that is a more culturally rich you. There is no better teacher than traveling.
3. You are ok with failing because you know you’ll gain more after.
Never be afraid of risks. If you fall down, get back up. And when you are back up, let yourself be a better person from the experience. The lessons that we learn from failing are necessary to make us successful. And if we let ourselves get scared of failing, we will never leave our comfort zone. Nobody that has ever succeeded has stayed in their comfort zones. If they did, we won’t have airplanes or computers or cures for certain diseases because all of those were created by people who allowed themselves to fail.
4. You daydream a lot and are constantly inspired.
They say that an empty can is the one that makes the most noise. If you find yourself switching to quiet mode and your mind starts wandering and daydreaming, know that there is nothing wrong with that. It is a sign that you have a creative imagination and a successful future starts with a creative mind. You can go as far as your mind can go.
5. You don’t work just for money, but focus on the meaning of work.
You might find yourself stuck in a job that does not pay as well as another profession. But it is what drives you and it nourishes your soul. Money is a necessity, but the happiness that it gives is temporary. It’s like buying a car that you have been excited about. And after a year of using it daily, it just becomes an ordinary thing to you; no meaning. So find work that is meaningful.
6. You haven’t met someone that really suits you, but refuse to compromise.
It is better to be alone than to be with the wrong person. The sadness that you are feeling because you are alone will be nothing compared to the pain that you will go through if you are with the wrong person. If you are not settling because you have not met the right person yet, it just means that you put value on yourself. And in order to find the right person, you need to be in love with yourself first. The right person will not make you a complete person; it will take two complete persons to be in a complete relationship.
7. You chase your passions even if success is not guaranteed.
I have read articles about people in their death beds wishing that they went after their passions. I cannot say this enough. You have to do what makes you happy whether or not success is guaranteed. Because there are no guarantees in life. And also, success does not only come from outside; it also comes from inside of you. Success can be that feeling of being fulfilled when you are doing what you are passionate about.
8. You let yourself take breaks to recharge because you work better afterward.
Burn-out is an epidemic. Let us not bury ourselves in work, or in planning the next big thing. We all need to take a break because mentally, physically, and emotionally, we will all perform better after we stop and rest. Better to be strong and steady than be fast and weak.
