 Life is in stages. There's a time to be born and a time to die. In between that, it is a time to live and have fun. The quality of life you'll have in the satisfaction you'll experience in your old age is highly dependent on how you spend your youth. Be young, have fun, but be wise. Set the foundation for your future and live a legacy for the next generation. In this video, I'm going to share with you 13 small things to do in your 20s. 1. Discover yourself. The most important thing you will ever do in your life is to discover yourself. It is also not something you can be taught. It is something you alone can do. Discovering yourself unlocks limitless potentials within you. It makes you sure of the steps to take and what you need to do to accomplish your goals. People who are yet to discover themselves often float from one role to the other, always feeling unfulfilled. The good thing is that your purpose always leaves clues in your interest, the things you enjoy doing, and the things other people feel you are great at. It takes courage for one to follow their dreams. If you don't follow your heart, you might never know if things could have turned out differently. According to American Bishop, author and filmer, T.D. Jakes, if you can't figure out your purpose, figure out your passion, for your passion will lead you right into your purpose. 2. Set life goals. Your life goals have to reflect your interest. Setting them on time is critical, because life goals sometimes take decades to fulfill. The faster a person sets them down, the earlier they can begin executing them. Think critically about the quality of life you want for yourself. Think about the type of wealth you want to have, even the type of spouse you would love to have. Specifically, outlining those things clearly can help you focus in strategizing on how to achieve them. Knowing your long-term goals also helps you make career decisions, investment decisions, and relationship decisions. Someone who has not done this is likely to gamble a lot with life's choices. As a young person, outlining your life goals is a really smart thing to do. 3. Become independent of your parents. Moving out from home is a pretty big step when you're young. It is a decisive action that opens you up to the hard realities of life. When you are with your parents, you need to know the trouble of rent or utilities. You even have free food served daily. When you are on your own, it is not as easy. You have to boat work, maintain your home, cook, and pay all the bills. Still, it is a smart thing to do in your 20s. When you start staying on your own, you have your personal space away from everyone. It helps you to collect your thoughts better. It also helps you stay more focused on your work and goals because the realization that your own success depends on you is stronger. 4. Determine a suitable career path. When you are young, it is the best time to start a career. There are more opportunities for younger people than there are for older people. Unless you are exceptionally talented, no one wants an employee that might have a heart attack if given short deadlines. Determine your career in your 20s so that you can spend the next decades building your career. Sometimes, to figure out one's passion, you have to do different things. This is why it is advisable to start when you are young. You can try out different jobs, change location a couple of times, and try your hands in entrepreneurship until you figure out what works best for you. 5. Acquire professional certifications and memberships. The competition for work today is fierce. People who have just degrees are no longer seen as competitive candidates unless they have distinction in their results or have professional certifications to support their application. A chartered financial analyst, who is also a solicitor, licensed to practice law in the US, is far more valuable than a person licensed to practice law as a solicitor alone. Having professional certifications in sought-after areas is a way to stay ahead of the competition. According to Indeed blog, the top 6 business certifications to obtain in 2020 are Certified Business Analyst Professional, CBAP, Project Management Professional, PMP, Professional Certificate in Team Leadership, Sales Force Certification, HubSport Inbound Marketing, and APICS Supply Chain Professional Certification. The certification may vary across disciplines as well. Having professional certifications also speak to prospective recruiters of your commitment to learning and improving yourself. 6. Have a financial plan. One of the smart things you can do when you are in your 20s is to have a detailed financial plan. It will help you organize your expenses as well as set the financial goals you will work towards. Your financial plan should include savings and investments you intend to make. Having a financial plan when you are young sets you up for financial freedom when you are old. Everyone in their 20s should have one. It is an incredibly smart move to make. 7. Travel the world. It is when you are young that traveling holds a strong appeal. There is a lot to explore and see. Travel as often as you can when you are young. When you travel, you are exposed to other cultures, people, and new knowledge. It is for this reason that traveling is so essential. There is a limit to what you can learn online. Visiting a place can give you a better understanding of another country's culture, business, policies, and laws. Traveling when you are young is not only smart, it is fun. 8. Volunteer in your area of interest. Now is the time to start volunteering. Choose the organization you are interested in and start. There is invaluable satisfaction derived from knowing that your actions have impacted the lives of others. Volunteer as often as you can. 9. Fall in love and stay in love. You should also find love at this stage. Have fun, date someone, or fall in love. Give love a chance, even if you have been hurt before. Refusing love means that you stay hurt over things that happened in the past. 10. Build quality networks. Go out and make friends. As a young person, you need all the friends and acquaintances you can get. Make friends that are stockbrokers. Make friends that are lawyers. Make friends that corporate executives. You can sometimes gain useful insights into their various industries through casual conversation. 11. Have a mentor. Having a life, career, or business mentor at this stage is a great idea and show you find someone with similar interests as you do. 12. Develop millennial skills. It is important to have soft skills like being tech savvy, competent in communication, and having excellent problem-solving skills. Developing one or more of the skills is a pretty smart thing to do. 13. Start as savings. One of the smartest things you can do when you're young is to start saving. A saving can help you keep aside money for investments, capital projects, and self-development funds. If you want to travel, having savings can be particularly useful. In conclusion, as a young person, there are many things you can do to pave the way to a better future.