My name is ___________.

My life hasn’t exactly gone as planned.

Yet, as I strive to crush my quarter life crisis and truly be successful in my twenties, here are 29 declarations I will live by.

1. I choose to live intentionally. Far too long I’ve lived intentionally unintentional. I have to keep moving forward to figure out where in the world I’m headed.

2. I choose to believe that I owe the world, instead of believing that the world owes me.

3. When I find myself opening the fridge after 9:00 pm, I’ll ask myself these questions:

– Am I thirsty?

– Am I tired?

– Am I bored?

– Am I anxious?

– Maybe I’m not hungry after-all?

4. I choose to think about my future more than I obsess about the past.

5. No more nostalgia. No more wishing I could go back to some time where I didn’t have any “problems”. Nostalgia is a liar. There were always problems. Each season carries with it the good, bad, and the ugly. If I only see the good in every season only after the season is over, then I will never actually see any good.

6. I choose hope over cynicism.

7. I choose community over isolation. I’m not alone in this.

8. I choose to create instead of complain.

9. I will be open to opportunities that initially look like roadblocks. Dead-ends are only dead-ends if I turn around

10. I won’t try to escape frustration. I will dive headfirst right into it. I will let the frustration of “This is not where I want to be” cattle prod me where I need to go.

11. When I begin to feel the lure of Obsessive Comparison Disorder kicking in, anxiety swelling inside of me like a balloon being filled with Mountain Dew, I will say out aloud, Not me. Not tonight! I will turn off the TV. Put down the computer. And read a book. Or pray. Or call a good friend. Or go on a walk. I will thwart Obsessive Comparison Disorder before it thwarts me.

12. The goal of my life will not be to live comfortably. Comfortable is a quicksand. I will keep moving forward or agree to sign the waiver that I understand the risk of being suffocated by perks, 401K’s and “well hey, at least it’s a job”.

13. I choose to get lost on purpose, with purpose. You can’t explore if you don’t first lose site of the familiar.

14. I will not blame others. No one is to blame. The more I blame others, the less I move forward. Blaming others for my situation is like swimming in circles in a murky pond. No matter how hard I swim, I’ll end up in the same place covered in muck.

15. I will not expect others to solve my problems. I will ask myself the tough questions.

16. I will not expect a relationship to solve my problems. I will ask my relationship the tough questions.

17. I will not go to Facebook to complain. Complaining on social media is like spraying yourself in skunk then wondering why everyone tries to avoid you.

18. I will not fill every down moment with the iPhone. How can I think for myself if I’m obsessed with reading the thoughts of everyone else? I will not avoid awkward situations by escaping into my phone.

19. I will love from my strengths and not from my insecurities.

20. I will allow myself to be at peace if I choose to be home on a Friday night. And Saturday night too. I will not feel less because I choose not to continually chase more.

21. I will sing loudly. Dance unashamedly. And live un-apologetically big.

22. I will trust the process. Success in my 20s is about showing up, doing good work, consistency, perseverance, humility, and many other unsexy words that won’t make it in the Twentysomething Hallmark Collection. I realize that now. Being a successful twentysomething is about being purposeful in the process.

23. I’ll floss more often. For real this time.

24. I will read. Books. Good books. That give me life. I repeat. I will read books. Good books…

24. I choose not to allow Likes and RT’s to validate me.

26. I choose to live idealistically instead of being reality checked.

27. I will embrace my quarter life crisis. Pretending a crisis is not happening does not magically make it go away.

28. I will listen more than I talk. I will seek to understand instead of forcing others to understand me. I will show people they are important by asking good questions, putting my phone away, and just being there with them.

29. I will uncover my Signature Sauce. I have a unique flavor I need to bring to the world. I will not live stuck. I will not let my Signature Sauce become that black, burnt goo on the bottom of the pan because I never used it. I will serve the world by serving it my Signature Sauce.