Before July ends, I want to share the new chapter I’ve just stepped into. July 19th marked my 24th birthday, and it also brought me to reflect on the past year. Shortly after turning 23, I moved across the country to a city I had never been to before. I started a new job and had to build everything from scratch, including connections, clients, and even finding my new favorite sushi spots.

In just one year, everything changed. As I celebrate my 24th birthday and approach my one-year anniversary of moving to LA, I am immensely proud of the hard work I put in every day to get to where I am. 

To commemorate this milestone, I want to share 24 lessons I’ve learned over the past year that I will carry with me into this new chapter of my life.

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1. Imagine yourself five years from now looking back at yourself in this moment. Is what you are doing now worth all the worry?

2. If you’re stressing about it, you’re doing it wrong.

3. Be around people who listen to you the first time.

4. You should also listen to someone the first time.

5. Compliment yourself often.

6. Once you’re able to find beauty in the small things, life gets even bigger and more exciting.

7. You should be happy to be in your own body.

8. Knowing how to mind your business is a privilege a lot of people don’t have.

9. Do it. Move far away, send the email, and speak up even though it scares you. Just do it.

10. Call up your people the second they are on your mind; they’re thinking about you too.

11. Research the trailblazers in the field you’re interested in; their stories are a lot like yours.

12. Have both a solution-forward mind and a tender heart, and recognize which situations call for which. Sometimes you need both.

13. Speak your name out loud, first and last. Get used to hearing it and you will start hearing it in rooms you’ve dreamt of hearing it in.

14. If you’re scared of looking desperate, you’re not ready for the amount of consistency needed for that goal.

15. Taking time to walk and get some fresh air when you’re feeling flustered helps a lot more than you think.

16. It’s okay to realize that you don’t know everything; you’re not supposed to.

17. People will always have something to say no matter what.

18. Lean into what truly interests you and not what you think you should be interested in.

19. There is so much beauty in friendships that replenish you.

20. Creating and analyzing at the same time halts progress.

21. Working on yourself should be expensive. Life itself is priceless, and you should make sure you enjoy it with a healthy mind and body.

22. Try to find inspiration every day in everything.

23. If you pride yourself on being independent, try asking for help more often and see how you feel afterward.

24. Wake up with gratitude, and you will always have a good day.