January. A month that typically represents resolutions, or making changes, or promising that things will get better. For some, it means sticking to the status quo. For others, it means starting over entirely — and as we have seen, this January in particular has meant devastating new beginnings for so many. 

Starting over. It’s hard for me to grasp this concept in totality because I have never had to begin entirely from scratch again—though I’m sure that I, and many of us, will have to in our lifetimes. But starting over means lots of things. Losing a loved one, or a job, or a long-lasting friendship. Having to rebuild yourself. Having to remember your worth every. Single. Day. Having to simply remember who you are, and how you got here. 

I never imagined that starting over would take so long, that it would suck every last bit of energy out of you, or that you could start over time and time again. That, in your twenties, and honestly, throughout your lifetime, you don’t have anyone else helping you make decisions and it all kind of falls on you. 

I never knew that starting over would feel so empty. That you suddenly can no longer rely on the things you had grown so used to, all of those little banalities you took for granted. 

I’ve been trying to reframe starting over as something that means that opportunities are limitless. There are so many directions you can follow, or wrong turns you can take. And what’s the worst that can happen? You’ve already started from scratch. 

As I did last year around this month, my birth month, I want to write down 24 things I learned at age 24. The concept of starting over bleeds into so many, and I wanted to share these lessons with anyone who reads this blog post, in case you needed little reminders of the craziness of being in your twenties—or just being a person. 

1. You are never too old, or too knowledgeable, to seek out help. You don’t always need to be hyper-independent. 
2. Relatedly, use your connections wisely. You never know what they could turn out to do for you. 
3. Listen to yourself. Your intuition knows. 
4. Choose good friends. The bad ones will slip through the cracks. The good ones want to be around you. 
5. Buy a journal. Or two. 
6. Sometimes, the environment isn’t the problem. It’s you. LOL
7. Be real. Not perfect. 
8. Those who work in healthcare are saints. Any first responders are, actually. 
9. You don’t need to “tough it out” and live an unmedicated life. Medicine is there to help. 
10. Daily gratitude is so important to set you back on track. 
11. Find something to believe in. Be a dreamer.  
12. Even if you are not always told, or shown it in the ways you need, you are deeply loved and understood by someone in your life. 
13. As you grow older, you realize that your siblings are gems of people. (If you are lucky like I am). 
14. Creativity doesn’t always come to you—that’s okay; if it did, you would burn out. (And I did.) 
15. Dreams are always worth having, and are always there, no matter how detached from them you may feel. You can come back to them when you feel ready. 
16. You cannot just give up. Too many people are counting on you. You should be counting on you. You’re your own biggest fan. 
17. No one is actually judging you. Hear that little voice in your head? It’s yours! Be nice to yourself. 
18. Rain doesn’t last forever; but similarly, a drought needs rain to go on. Try to cry if you can. 
19.  Hope isn’t always enough. But it’s the first step towards faith. 
20.  When in doubt, board game it out. No, seriously. Buy some games. 
21.  Spend some time in nature. 
22.  Be a convenor of people. If plans aren’t happening, create them. 
23.  Keep music around you forever. It’s transcendent. 
24.  Love hard and deeply. 

Xoxo, 

Linnea