Last weekend was my 26th birthday, so I wanted to take some time to reflect on things I have learned in the past year.

I love getting to look back on all of my experiences and think about how much they have taught me. Getting older means getting wiser, even though some days I still feel like I’m not old enough to be an adult. 🙂

25 was a big year for me. I had lots of good times, and some not-so-good times. Had lots of great things fall into my lap, but also lots of challenges. Started blogging, ended a long term relationship, moved to LA, traveled, made lots of new friends, and lost some friends too.

While I was 25, I learned so much about life, love, relationships, and friendships. Here are 26 of them. Cheers to 26!

26 Things I Learned In My 26th Year

1. Don’t force friendships. Quality over quantity.

2. Say yes to fun more. Make memories.

3. It’s okay to skip a workout and break your meal plan. You’re not going to get too far off track. Let yourself relax and don’t be so hard on yourself. 

4. Don’t put up with one sided relationships or friendships – you are worth more than that.

5. How you value your own time, is the way others will value it. Don’t jump through hoops for people all the time and start saying no.

6. If you are constantly doubting a relationship, walk away. You will be much happier in the long run without it.

7. If someone else is constantly doubting their relationship with you, they aren’t right for you. You deserve a love that doesn’t need to be questioned.

8. Work hard, play hard. Find a balance and don’t work your life away, but take your work seriously and shoot for success.

9. Life is so much easier when you don’t have expectations for other people. You can only control yourself.

10. Say no to people or things that don’t bring you Joy. Think about what YOU want more.

11. Being friendly to strangers always pays off.

12. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. One person cannot be your everything.

13. Tell people you love them. Often.

14. Don’t let anyone tame your wild side or put out your fire. You’re not too much, they’re not enough.

15. Observe how much effort others make to see you, talk to you, etc. Sometimes you have to take a step back to be able to see how important your relationship is to them.

16. If you’re not completely happy, LEAVE.

17. Wear whatever the hell you want and stop caring what other people think. 

18. Face your fears or they will never go away.

19. Experiences > things.

20. Give lots, but also gratefully accept gifts/things from others. If they didn’t want to give you something, they wouldn’t offer it.

21. Stop over thinking relationships and just enjoy the time you have with someone.

22. Always be aware of your surroundings. You never know who or what will jump out at you. The universe is always giving you signs, you just have to pay attention.

23. Write more. Document your thoughts, feelings, life. You will appreciate it someday.

24. Do. Not. Change. For. Anyone.

25. People will ALWAYS find a way to judge you. Keep doin’ your thang babe. Be too focused on your own dreams to care what they think.

26. Pay attention to how others talk about you in front of other people. Do they brag about how great you are, constantly poke fun, talk about your annoying habits, exaggerate stories, etc? How a person treats you around others says a lot about how they feel about you.  

Alright 26, I’m ready for ya! 🙂

xoxo, Nicole <3