21 Things I Discovered About Myself at 21

If you had told me on my 20th birthday, that these are the things I’ll discover before my next one, I won’t believe you.

So…. I turned 21 last month!

When I wrote the blog post on the 20 Things I Learned Before I Turned 20, I had decided that I’ll do a similar post every year dedicated to the age I turn!

To sum up the age of 20, it was all about self-discovery. So in this blog post, it’s going to be about all the things that I discovered about myself.

And who knows what next year would be??

So here are the 21 things that I had discovered about myself at 21!

1 – Notion is the BEST

This seems kind of lame, I know. But before Notion, I was always relying on the Notes app on my iPhone. It was my go-to.

But once I started using Notion, it changed so much for me! I became so much more organised, and it became my life system. I use it for literally everything! For work, studies, church, this blog, and even my personal life.

Yes, while this is kind of a lame discovery, it was definitely a life changing one!

Notion is my go-to reccomendation for anyone who wants to level up their productivity and organisation game!!

2 – I prefer working from home/remote working

This is crazy for me to think about, because I used to hate it. When the first lockdowns hit the world, working and studying from home was something I highly disliked.

But, over the past year, I ended up preferring that way. I mean, gas prices are just a no-go right? It’s so much more convenient, and it allowed me to be much more flexible with my schedule.

And, I can work at my own pace. It’s honestly a big benefit for me because it had given me more time to do the things that I enjoy doing most.

My tip for anyone who does do any sort of work, is to do more of what works best for you! For example, if you find that you work best in the morning, then do more work sessions in the morning. Same for any other time in the day. If you find that you work best in cafes than at home, then try to do more work sessions at cafes!

3 – I wrote a book!

Let me just say that writing a book was not on my plan for 21! But when the lockdown hit Sydney for four months, I got myself busy with writing a book!

It was a spontaneous plan, but it was the best thing I’ve done this year. Writing a book has became one of my big accomplishments, and it’s something I’m super proud of!

If you haven’t read it yet, you can read it for free here! It’s called Small Steps to Progression which talks about taking small steps… something dear and close to my heart.

But yeah, this entire experience of writing a book and then launching it made me discover that I absolutely love writing a book just as much as I love reading them! It takes work, but it’s something I’m passionate about.

I’m also in the middle of writing my next book, which will be much longer and is going to be a paid product this time! I’m so excited for it.

I definitely reccomend anyone who wants to start a big project that’s out of their comfort zone, to make that jump! You would rather regret doing it and failing, than not doing it and wondering.

4 – I have met so many new friends in the blogging world!

When I first started my blog, I honestly did not know what I was doing.

I was a fan of a lot of blogs, but all of those blogs were already well-established and years into the making!

And when I created an Instagram account specifically for my blog, I had no idea what I was doing either.

The followers I had were some of my friends, but I didn’t have any followers outside that circle.

Naturally, I wanted to grow my account, but I didn’t know how to go about it. But I realised that building friendships with those on the same boat as me was much more important than just having followers.

So instead of trying to focus on getting more followers, I just went and found new friends who are also in the blogging world.

And they are the most incredible people that I have spoken too! I’ve connected with bloggers who are at similar stages to me in my blogging journey, and who also blog about similar topics to me!

What’s so awesome is the support that we have for each other, and I am so grateful for it! If you told me on my 20th birthday that by my 21st, I have made a lot of friends through the blogging world, it would be hard to believe you at first!

And let me just say, if you’re starting a blog, or any content creating platform, what I encourage you to do is to focus on making friendships to those who are creating similar content to you, or is in the similar journey to you (both is a bonus!)… trust me, the growth will follow!

4 – I have made friends through BumbleBFF

I would’ve laughed at your face at this one, if you told me this on my 20th birthday.

I had hoped that before 21 I would make many more new friends… but I didn’t think that I would make many friends through BumbleBFF.

I’ll admit, I had a bad impression of BumbleBFF. In fact, I was skeptical, and it sounded like a silly idea. And then I tried it. Best decision ever!

Just know that when I had met up with the new friends I made on BumbleBFF, it was always a highly public place. And honestly, the friendships I have made have been incredible! I had moved to a new city, so it was natural for me to go out and actively find new friends.

I have met friends who are also new to the city like me, or who have been in the city their whole life (none in between for some reason). Either way, we’re either exploring something new in the city, or trying out a new restaurant.

I would definitely reccomend BumbleBFF to anyone who do want to make new friendships! Just be mindful of your safety, and don’t meet up with anyone that you don’t feel completely comfortable with! If you are meeting up with someone from the app, choose a highly public place such as a mall, or anywhere where there’s lots of people there.

6 – I have met friends through Meetup

If you don’t know what Meetup is, it’s another platform where they bring people with similar interests together. There are different types of Meetups that a person can go to. For example, there’s a hiking meetup, drawing meetup, writing meetup, tourists meetup… and countless more!

I have started using Meetup when I moved into a new city. Because my work and studies were all online, I didn’t have any friends to start with. Meetup was awesome because I found meetup groups that I was interested in such as the hiking and walking groups. They would run events that I would go to, and I would meet so many people from there!

I met a lot of people through the Meetup events that I attended and stayed in touch with them outside of those group events. Unlike BumbleBFF, you’re more likely to meet someone who have a similar interest to you! For instance, if you attend a hiking meetup because you enjoy hiking, you’re going to meet someone who also likes hiking as well.

I love Meetup as well for meeting new people, and it definitely could be a great platform for others who wants to meet new people.

7 – I have made friends with people that I started conversations with at any place

I have also made friends with people that I’ve randomly met. I’ll admit, I am not shy to compliment people. It personally makes my day when someone compliments me on something, and that’s why I do the same as well. Whether I’m at uni, going for a walk, or I’m doing any of my usual activities, someone is always wearing something that I’m curious on where they got it from.

I’m not going to make it out like I’m a social butterfly here by the way! I’m very much introverted and talking to strangers still terrify me. Sometimes I’m even afraid to ask a store employee where something is. I still don’t like having phone calls! It takes the 5 second rule to go and speak to someone, and it’s still a work in progress!

Because I remember that I have made friends through those this. While most compliments just get to a thank you or even to a store where they got it from, there are some where it leads to a conversation about our life. And from there, we just decide to keep in touch and catch up if we can.

The lesson I want to share here is that you just never know who you are going to meet. The other lesson is that a compliment can make someone’s day…. I know this because they make my day too when someone I don’t know compliments me!

8 – I started doing Muay Thai Kickboxing

I’m sure if I told myself at my 20th birthday that I’ll be doing Muay Thai Kickboxing as a regular sport, I would find it surprising, but not too shocking.

I used to do martial arts as a kid! And the only reason why I wanted to do some form of kickboxing, was because I enjoyed them when I was a kid. The only reason why I stopped doing martial arts was because as I got older, I got busier, and never had the time for it (plus I couldn’t really afford it).

But since I got to the point where I can afford it, and can make the time for it, I started doing kickboxing! It’s extremely fun and I always feel stronger after every workout. It makes exercise fun!

I definitely suggest anyone go back to a hobby they once did as a child! I know that kickboxing connect me with my inner child!

9 – I do weekly self-dates

In all my teen years, I have been afraid to do things on my own. If I wanted to do something, I would try to find a friend to do it with me. If I couldn’t find anyone, I just wouldn’t do it.

It was even that way up until my 20th birthday. It was intimidating to go to a restaurant by myself or do any sort of activity on my own.

But once I turned 20, I decided that I wasn’t going to let that be the case anymore. Anything I wanted to do, whether friends could do it with me or not, I was still doing it. It got to the point where I stopped asking friends altogether and just did things on my own.

I started doing hikes on my own, then I started eating at restaurants by myself. I ate by myself at restaurants a lot and I’m super comfortable with it now! I enjoy it so much that any new restaurant I want to try out, I will just do it by myself.

Then I started going to the movie cinemas on my own, and then these spontaneous trips. These self-dates only happened whenever I was free. But at the start of this year, I made a decision to do a non-negotiable self-date every week.

I have not missed a week since then, and self-dates has been a life changer! I enjoy my own company and I prefer to be in my own company.

For anyone who wants to grow themselves, self-dates are the way to go! You get to discover what you enjoy doing, and don’t have to worry about other people not enjoying it. You can do whatever you want!

10 – I like studying and working at cafes

Maybe not a cool discovery, but it’s a helpful discovery!

I give credit to lockdown for making me sick of the room I was working and studying in.

Studying and/or working at cafes have became a great way for me to have a different environment. Being in the same environment (I feel) does affect my level of productivity. By changing the environment, it enhances my productivity!

Cafes are fun to do some work in… plus you get coffee which is a big bonus (obviously if you’re a coffee lover).

11 – Taking courses is worth it for me

I used to be afraid of investing in myself. But I had learned that investing in myself is going to give a big return. I’ve never regretted investing in myself.

And one of the things that I had invested into are courses. To be honest, I do get hesitant before I invest into a course. But if my gut intuition makes me feel like I should invest in it, I take a leap of faith and purchase the course.

Let me just say that I haven’t regretted any course that I have purchased. I did purchase a Master Youtube course when I started YouTube for a bit. Although I had temporarily put doing YouTube on hold, I still learned valuable skills from that course that I apply to my other pieces of content. And it’s something that I will still have for as long as I live. Once I decide to go back to do YouTube videos, I will go back to that course.

And also, getting courses is a great time saver as well. You may think that there’s no point of getting a course when you can find information for free… but guess what? That still has a cost! That cost is time. And once you use it, you can never get it back.

While you should research the course and read the testimonials to see if that course is right for you, unless you have a gut feeling screaming at you to not get it (like if you sense danger), take the jump and get it. Of course, do all the research that you need so that you feel confident in your decision to purchase it. Don’t purchase a course that you’re not 100% confident in.

12 – I am even more obsessed with water than I am now

I’ve always had a love for water views… but now more than ever I am obsessed with it.

At first, I thought that my love for water was just plain weird. But then, I’ve learned to embrace that it’s a part of me. I mean, it’s kind of unique right?

Maybe there’s something that you’re obsessed with. Maybe it’s kind of unusual to the eyes of other people. For example, you may be obssessed with penguins, or this particular TV show. But it doesn’t matter, something you find really cool and interesting is what makes you… you!

13 – I Cook Regularly… through an airfryer

No one knew that airfryers existed a year or two ago…. but they are a gamechanger!

I’ll openly admit that I am not a fan of cooking. Although I enjoy home cook meals, I just don’t like the task of cooking in itself.

And then, we bought an airfryer and I started trying out different recipes on it. I would find recipes through different accounts that made airfryer recipes and they were pretty cool. All you have to do is the prep, and then pop it into the airfryer… then boom there’s your meal.

I’ve discovered a lot of recipes that I can do in the airfryer, and they taste super good too! I guess you can say that I do cook regularly.

14 – I eat at restaurants by myself more regularly at 20… and without crying

Writing that point down made me feel sorry for my past self. I was literally so afraid of eating at restaurants by myself. I mainly had fear of people’s judgements and what they thought. And I avoided eating at restaurants on my own even up until 20 years old.

But this past year, I have eaten at MANY restaurants by myself. Like what I mentioned earlier, I have self-dates at restaurants. I love trying new restaurants. If I don’t have anyone to try it with, I’m trying it on my own.

And what do I do at the restaurant? Sometimes I bring a book, a journal, or I just people watch. What I don’t do is go on my phone that entire time. Because on a date with someone, it’s kind of rude right? Same with yourself!

It may be a scary and intimidating thing at first. But trust me, it’s a good experience to get used to!

15 – I go to the movies on my own… and it’s fun!

One thing I would be shocked to find out is that I love going to the movies by myself.

And by movies, I mean the cinemas! I love going into the cinemas, ordering food (especially the ones where they bring your food to you during the movie!), and obviously watching the movie. It’s one of my favourite self-dates!

When I started doing movie self-dates, I was already at the point where I felt really comfortable doing things on my own. I already was used to going to restaurants by myself, so going to the cinemas was no big deal.

It’s fun. I love it, and it’s a great way to spend time with my own company. I definitely suggest this self-date idea to anyone as well! Besides, the cinemas is dark, so no one is going to notice you anyway. They are all focused on the movie!

16 – The arcade is also fun too!

I actually discovered this self-date idea ONE day before my 21st birthday.

This discovery was one of the last discoveries about myself before my 21st.

My last self-date as a 20 year old went like this – I went to an all-you-can-eat buffet and then I spontaneously decided to go to the arcade. I used to love going to the arcade as a kid! And I haven’t played the games in so long. I only saw an arcade if I went bowling or something, but I never went and played the games.

This self-date has personally been a way for me to connect with my inner child. My inner child loved these games! And even though you may not have someone to compete with, you can compete with yourself every time you go there! Get some tickets and prizes!

17 – I’m obsessed with small towns… they’re super cute

I am obsessed with small towns! I first came up with the idea when we went on a day-trip to the beach. You see, where I live in Canberra, they have no beaches. The nearest beach is about 1 hour and 30 minutes away. On the drive there, I noticed these small towns and I was curious about them. For another day, I made a trip to one of those small towns and spent the day there!

It was super fun! Not only are small towns really cute to be around, I just love the atmosphere of it! I walked around and did random things. I got food (obviously), took some photos, visited an antique boutique store, museum, and then ate more food. It was a pretty cool day!

And I made it a bi-monthly tradition to visit a new small town every month. I mean, small towns have a great vibe!

18 – I live in a city with no beaches

For someone who loves the water and is obsessed with the beach, this is shocking. But hey, it is how it is!

I mean, at least there is a beach somewhere nearby, even though it’s an hour and 30 minutes away. But even though there are no beaches, there are still plenty of places that I love to explore!

There is always a new thing to explore or discover, even though there are no beaches. That goes for all cities, beach or not. There is always going to be something new you will discover no matter what! Even if you had lived in a city your whole life, there is always going to be something new you will find.

19 – I flew a plane!

To be fair, this was on my 21st birthday, but hey – I’m counting this!

Last year, I jumped out of a plane. This year, I flew a plane! I made it a goal that every birthday in my 20’s I’ll do something with adrenaline! I wonder what next year would be…

But yeah, I flew a plane. I took a flying lesson and I got to control the plane. It was a fun but scary experience… but mostly fun! I enjoyed every single moment of it, and it was a memorable 21st birthday.

It was extremely out of my comfort zone too!

20 – I went on my first trip on my own… FINALLY!

I know that there are a lot of people who went on solo trips at an earlier age than I did.

I was 20 when I finally went on a solo trip on my own! Even though it was just to another state, I had the time of my life!

I mean, I got to get on a plane and then see another city which is a breath of fresh air from COVID days. And it was a great learning experience for me too. It was great to discover things on my own, and see how this whole solo-traveling would work for me.

I’m happy to say that this would be the first of many!

21 – Matcha lattes are the best!!

I’ve always been a coffee drinker. My go-to favourite is mocha. But I have soon replaced this coffee as my favourite coffee… and that is matcha lattes!

During the second major lockdown in Sydney last year, the cafes were open. They served matcha lattes which I decided to try out. Ever since, I loved matcha ever since. I now buy packages of matcha to make at home (it saves me so much more money that way!) and it’s my new favourite coffee.

I am disappointed that not all cafes serve matcha lattes. But I guess getting to make it at home is probably better.

The only reason why I added this discovery was because it’s probably the most random discovery on this list. But most times, the random discoveries are really cool and make you unique in a way.

Wrapping up…

So when you think about the Theme of 20 was all about self-discovery.

Now, we’ll just have to find out what the Theme of 21 was on my 22nd birthday yeah?

So, we’ve got to wait another year and another birthday post to find out more about me!

Thank you that one of the things I have as a 21 year old is this blog. I am so grateful for all of those who support me!

-Lauren 😊

If you want to read my post for my 20th birthday, check it out here.

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20 Things I Learned About Myself Before 20

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