Screw Milestones 

Screw the idea you have to get married in your twenties. Screw the idea love is something you can put a timeline on. Screw the idea you need a ring on your finger to be happy, a man on your arm to seem successful. Screw the idea of the single life being associated with misery and ice cream. Screw the idea of different relationship statuses equating to different levels of worth. Screw the voice in the back of your head that warns you something must be wrong with you since you’re the last one in your friend ground unmarried.

Screw the idea you have to land your high-paying dream job in your twenties. Your dreams are ever-shifting, forever evolving. Once you reach the goal you have set for yourself now, two new goals will pop up in its place. You are never going to stop growing. You are never going to stop chasing. You are never going to be satisfied. Instead of feeling bad about how much time it’s taking you to reach your next step, think about how far you have come since your last step. Think about what a badass you are.

Screw the idea you have to travel the world in your twenties. Screw the idea you are missing out unless you have enough money to fly across the globe on your own dime. Screw the idea everyone is having a better time than you because they have explored more of the country than you. You might not take luxurious vacations every three months, you might not leave your own neighborhood often, but you can still make the most of your time. You can still go on adventures. You can still make exciting memories.

Screw the idea you have to get pregnant in your twenties. Screw anyone who says you are making a mistake by waiting until your thirties to have children. Screw anyone who says you are selfish for deciding against having children. Screw the idea you are disappointing other people. Screw the idea your life is completely meaningless until the day you become a parent. You have meaning right now, right this second, children or no children.

Screw the idea you have to have your shit together in your twenties. Screw the idea you should own a house. Screw the idea you should be home every night at eight instead of drinking, instead of having fun, instead of making mistakes. Screw the idea you have to live your life a certain way by a certain age. Screw the idea you are screwing up everything.

Nobody has any idea what they are doing. Take a look at your friends. They might seem like they are put together on social media, but whenever you grab brunch with them, you realize they are going through the same bullshit as you. They are just as lost as you.

Other people your age are not as far ahead as you’ve tricked yourself into believing. Being ahead isn’t even a concept you should be thinking about. Happiness is not a race. Your career and relationships are not a race. Everyone moves at their own pace. Everyone has different end goals. Respect that. Honor that. Get used to that.