27 Things I’ve Learned In My 27 Years of Life
I celebrated my 27th birthday yesterday (July 4th, 2023 if you’re reading this in real time) and as a natural reflector of life at significant times, it was the perfect time to round up 27 life lessons that I’ve learned in 27 years of life.
These fall in no particular order and there’s of course way more, but as I was thinking about where I’m currently at in my life these are the most prevalent lessons that came to mind.
My hope is that you get something from them, too!
Eat breakfast before drinking coffee. I’ve been listening to the nutritionists and dietitians I follow say this for years – I always fought it because I didn’t want to eat breakfast as soon as I woke up. Turns out, you really DO feel better when you do this.
You can’t please everyone so stop trying. (where are my fellow recovering people pleasers at?)
Standing up for yourself will usually make people mad or it might make you feel uncomfortable at first. Do it anyway.
When you define your personal core values, decision making becomes a lot easier. You know exactly what to say yes to… and what to say no to.
Your free time doesn’t have to be filled with more productivity. You’re allowed to read for fun, let the work to-dos wait until the next day, enjoy a mindless Netflix show with your spouse and even do NOTHING.
Don’t let your fear of doing the “wrong” thing stop you from taking action. The only way you’ll ever find clarity is by doing SOMETHING.
Action breeds clarity AND confidence.
Afternoon walks are (in my humble opinion) the best way to clear your head & reset after a work day.
Doing LESS can actually bring MORE joy.
Reading a certain number of books every year doesn’t matter unless you retain and implement what you learn.
There is such a thing as consuming TOO much content.
Audit who you learn from and make sure they’re actually aligned with who you want to be/become. The Internet does a good job of convincing us that everyone is a genius and we need to learn from them – that’s a slippery slope.
Reading for fun makes you more creative — Emily Henry makes me feel like I can write a fun book of my own one day so stay tuned for that maybe??
Movement proceeds motivation. A lot of times we wait for motivation to strike to do something — but too often, that motivation never comes. Act first and motivation will follow.
Contentment is not the same thing as complacency — the quest for more should never distract you from the beauty of enough.
My mom was (and is) always right.
Take the freaking trip. Even if it means you have to work harder to get things done before you leave – take the trip.
Always take the day after vacation off, too.
Be where your feet are – aka be present in the moment. The social media feed can wait. You will literally never get the moment you’re currently in back again.
You have to believe in yourself before anyone else will.
You’re allowed to change your mind.
Your thoughts determine your actions, which determine your results. If you don’t like your results, examine your thoughts.
Alignment is greater than constant achievement.
You can’t do everything at once (shocker, I know). Choose what’s most important, focus on that first and the rest can follow.
Don’t try to force creativity – that defeats the entire purpose. Instead, do 1 of these 3 things to spark it.
Regulating your nervous system is LIFE. CHANGING. (shout out to my chiropractor)
Plan ahead for all things (personal and professional), but don’t freak out if when the plan changes – because it WILL change and knowing how to adapt is key.
And there ya have it - 27 life lessons (in no particular order) that I’ve learned in my 27 years of life.
Here’s to my late twenties. 🎉
P.S. I’d love to hear which of these 27 life lessons stood out to you the most - email me at natalie@nataliebdavis.com with your thoughts!