Your twenties can be some of the best years of your life.
You’re finally an adult, and with that comes true freedom while still maintaining a resilient
and youthful body and mind.
While you certainly should enjoy the prime of your life, there is also an element of
preparation and long-term game that I want you to keep in mind.
In this video, we’ll go over how to have a blast in your twenties, but also set yourself
up to be successful long-term.
What's going on guys! Dr. Jubbal MedSchoolInsiders.com.
It's a common misconception that becoming
a doctor means you are signing away your twenties and even your early thirties.
I often hear medical students complain that they are missing out on all the fun that their
non-medicine friends are having, and that they won’t be able to enjoy themselves until
after residency.
I do see where this sentiment comes from, but I reject the emphasis played on delayed
gratification.
Why not enjoy your twenties, become a doctor, and set yourself up for success in the future?
I didn't say it was gonna be easy, but it's definitely not impossible.
First efficiency.
Anyone familiar with this channel knows that I'm a huge proponent of efficiency.
Time is our most valuable asset and it's about time we start treating it as such.
The majority of twenty-something-year-old’s haven't yet come to terms with the fact that
our time on this planet is quite limited.
By being highly efficient with your time and maximizing each moment, you'll be able to
free up time for other important things in your life.
The key is to be highly deliberate with your time.
Every few minutes, I ask myself if I am spending my time wisely and if not, how can I change
that?
Be mindful of wasting time on social media, TV, and other pursuits that do not bring long-term
value.
One hour less of TV or Facebook means one more hour of exercise, sleep, or quality time
with friends and family.
Now, you could consider both Facebook and board games with friends or family to be leisure
or relaxation time, but I would argue that one of them is higher value than the other.
Number two, take a stance and be true to yourself The cliche of don’t care what others think
has a good underlying principle but I believe it is misguided.
You do in fact need to care what others think in order to be empathetic, to get good evaluations
in medical school, and to match into a good residency, and even to make friends.
So instead of don’t care what others think, let's say, be true to yourself.
Now during adolescence between the ages of 12 and 18 we enter the Erikson stage of identity
versus role confusion.
Erikson postulated that this is the time when individuals discover their adult selves and
solidify their beliefs and values.
I would argue that this very much continues into most people’s twenties.
It's helpful to care what others think in many situations, but we often prioritize and
overvalue their opinions even in cases where it shouldn’t matter.
In medical school, I would ride my bike with a lunch box strapped to my backpack.
I would wear pasty white zinc oxide sunscreen, and I still wear a ridiculous looking wide-brimmed
hat that protects me from UV rays.
Some think it's ridiculous, but I own it and their opinion on such trivial matters doesn’t
concern me.
I do care, however, how my colleagues relate to me, how they think of me as a leader, and
how they think I can improve as an individual both personally and professionally.
As you get older, you'll be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do rather
than the things you did.
I love the story by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.
Before starting Amazon, he had a secure and well-paid position at an investment company
in New York.
He was considering quitting his job and starting this book business.
To aid him in making the decision, he turned to what he coined a regret minimization framework,
and what others may call the rocking chair test.
He imagined himself at age 80 and imagined looking back, what would he regret more?
Taking a leap, starting Amazon, and taking a part in this thing called the Internet that
he believed would be really big or not trying at all.
He knew that if he failed he would not regret it, but he certainly would regret not having
ever tried.
Number three, don’t enter a career because of parental pressure.
This ties in nicely with the above point but deserves to stand on its own.
Remember that while your parents want what is best for you, it is ultimately up to you
to decide what that actually is.
Some parents pressure their children to pursue medicine.
But it is incredibly important to set some boundaries between you and your parents so
that you can figure out what you want both personally and professionally.
At the same time, value parental support, as they often have life experience and wisdom
that you have yet to acquire.
If you do want to become a doctor, you need to be going into medicine for the right reasons.
Check out our previous video to learn what those reasons are.
Going into medicine for the wrong reasons, such as parental pressure will result in burn
out, depression, and ultimately regret.
Number four, schedule exercise.
It's much easier to build healthy habits for a sustainable lifestyle in your twenties.
As you get older and additional responsibilities pile on, it becomes that much more difficult.
There are a multitude of benefits to regular exercise.
You obviously look better and be more attractive to the opposite sex, but you'll also experience
higher sustained energy levels, improved focus at school which translates to better grades,
and improved mood, sense of well-being, and happiness.
If you’re finding it hard to be regular with exercise, we have a few videos that can
help.
Remember to choose a form of exercise that you enjoy.
I personally opt for cycling and weight training over running for exactly that reason.
Number five, enforce healthy dietary habits.
In high school and college, your metabolism allows you to get away with a suboptimal diet.
As you get older, physiologic changes in your metabolism will catch up with you.
Those late-night pizza runs are not gonna cut it anymore and neither will binge drinking,
hangovers come with a newfound vengeance.
There is a common misconception that eating a healthful diet is mutually exclusive with
enjoying your food.
As someone who has eaten a very clean diet for years, I can confidently say that this
is not true.
Our taste preferences are molded by cultural influences, which often includes highly processed
foods high in simple carb or saturated fat content.
Healthy food is actually tasty.
Once you break the cycle of sugar addiction and loving these processed foods, you’ll
see what you've been missing.
Your dietary habits are some of the hardest habits to change, but they will stick long
term.
It is easier to change while you are young, so invest the effort now in learning how to
practice healthful eating.
You will be glad you did.
Number six, choose your friends wisely.
I'm sure you have heard this one before, you are the average of the five people you spend
the most time with.
There are two lessons to learn here, first, choose your friends wisely.
You may outgrow certain friendships, and that is totally okay.
I have experienced that myself and while it does not feel good in the moment, it's often
for the best.
Second, prioritize relationships that matter to you.
As you enter your twenties, everyone, including yourself, seems to become busier and busier.
For that reason, it becomes even more crucial to put in the effort to reach out to others.
Don't expect that they will reach out to you, be proactive and cultivate life-long friendships
that will bring you tremendous value for years to come.
Lastly, get outside of your comfort zone.
You probably think you're already getting outside of your comfort zone, but I guarantee
you can take it much further.
For some people, that's traveling solo around the world.
For others, it quitting a safe and secure, high-paying job to follow their dreams.
To those that are afraid of public speaking, I suggest you join Toastmasters and overcome
your fears.
Even better, join an improv class and work your way up to stand-up comedy.
Your twenties are a pivotal time in your life.
The more you put in, the more you'll get out.
The most significant and life-changing habit for me has been adopting a growth mindset
and critically assessing how I can improve in my life.
If you're here watching this video, it means that you're cultivating a growth mindset too
and you're on the right path.
These are my seven tips to living more effectively in your twenties.
I would love to hear any additional tips that you may have down in the comments below.
As always, thank you all so much for watching.
If you haven't already check out my new vlog channel for a behind the scenes peek on the
life of a doctor.
Let us know what other topics you want us to cover and I will see you guys in that next
one.