Let me tell you something about your twenties.
They’re beautiful.
One second you’re walking on air. So much life. So much potential. So many opportunities. You can’t wait to wake up every day and see what’s next.
The next second you’re spiraling.
Over every decision you’ve made. Every path you’ve chosen to follow (or not follow). And quite frankly, yourself.
Your twenties have a way of kicking you when you’re up high and then pulling you back down when you’re down low.
Because your twenties are messy.
Like, really messy.
But they don’t have to be perfect.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to enjoy the beautiful imperfections that are my twenties.
Traveling somewhere you’ve never been before.
Moving across the country without knowing what’s next.
Starting a passion project that you work on day and night.
Writing your first book.
Learning to manage your money.
Say YES—even if you’re scared.
Spending money on experiences that matter to you.
Listening to that voice in your head that tells you to take a risk.
Your twenties are everything in between.
But for far too long, I thought my twenties were supposed to be figured out.
Career. Money. Life.
How it was going to look.
But here’s the thing about your twenties:
Life doesn’t work that way.
Your twenties are about experiencing as much as you can.
So today, I wanted to share 20 bucket list ideas for your 20s to inspire you to go out and create amazing memories.
These don’t have to be everything you do in your twenties. In fact, I promise you’ll think of things that are far more unique to you.
But I wanted to create a general bucket list that could spark the excitement we all had when we were younger—to go out and DO SHIT.
Ready?
20 Bucket List Ideas for Your 20s
1. Travel somewhere you’ve never been before.
I can’t think of a single thing that empowers your soul more than stepping on a plane to a place you’ve never been.
I love traveling because it shakes me up. I don’t know the streets. I don’t know the food. Hell, sometimes I don’t even know how to say “hello.”
But when you travel, you learn to appreciate how big this world is and how much there is to learn.
Your twenties are the best time to do this.
Trust me.
Live with someone from a different country.
Work remotely from a café in Bali.
Rent a car and drive across the USA.
You don’t know until you go.
Related: 100 January Bucket Lists For 2026
2. Live alone at least once.
If you live with roommates your whole life, try living alone at least once.
Seriously.
I lived alone for the first time when I was 23, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Sure, there were days when I sat in my apartment bored out of my mind with no one to talk to.
But that’s why it was so incredible.
It made me realize how independent I could be. How strong I was without anyone else nearby.
You learn a lot about yourself when you live alone.
Not only that, but your 20s are the best time to do this before life starts kicking you when you least expect it.
Related: 50 Bucket List Ideas for Couples
3. Start a passion project.
Whether it’s writing, starting a YouTube channel, building a tiny business, or picking up photography.
Do something you love that doesn’t necessarily have to make you money.
Remember when we used to do stuff just because we liked it?
Go build something with your hands.
Write that poem.
Learn how to paint.
Start that blog.
The beauty of passion projects is that they allow you to tap back into the curiosity you had as a kid.
Where anything was possible.
4. Learn a new skill that intimidates you.
Speaking of things we used to be good at as kids…
There’s always that one thing you’ve said you wanted to learn but were too intimidated to try.
Public speaking.
Coding.
Dancing.
Cooking.
Kidding. We all know you can cook.
Learn a new language.
Pick up that skill that intimidates you and watch yourself grow.
I promise the lessons you learn by forcing yourself to be a beginner again are invaluable.
Especially in your twenties.
5. Build genuine friendships.
I’m talking about the people you know you’ll be connected to for the rest of your life.
But I’m also talking about the people who come into your life for a reason.
A season.
Or a lifetime.
Your twenties are full of meeting incredible people.
Whether they become your best friend for life or your work “BFF” you confide in for a season.
Friendships are part of life’s journey.
6. Take a risk that scares you.
Growth doesn’t happen when you’re comfortable.
Do something that scares you.
Move to a new city.
Change your job.
Quit your job.
Start that business.
Speak up for yourself.
Whatever it is that keeps you up at night because you’re scared to take that leap.
I can promise you it won’t be worth it every time.
But every time you take that risk and it does work out, you’ll look back on that moment as one of the most memorable moments of your twenties.
7. Take care of your mental health.
As fun as our twenties can be, they can also be utterly chaotic.
Pressure to figure life out.
Uncertainty about where you’re going.
With life being so hectic, it’s easy to forget how important taking care of your mental health is.
Whether that means going to therapy, journaling, meditating, working out, or setting boundaries with people or situations that don’t serve you—your mental health affects every other aspect of your life.
8. Try new career paths.
Your first job will not be your last job.
Your twenties are about exploring every opportunity that comes your way and learning what you like—and more importantly, what you don’t like.
I’ve had internships, jobs, and been lucky enough to freelance for some incredible companies.
And each one taught me something new about what I’m passionate about.
So try that marketing job, even though you don’t know anything about it.
Take that internship that scares you.
You never know what you could learn about yourself.
9. Learn how to manage money.
You never stop learning about money.
Whether it’s how to budget, save, invest, or spend wisely.
I didn’t always know these things either. But once I actually sat down and started understanding how money works, life became so much easier.
Learning about money will empower you to make smarter financial decisions for your future.
Trust me.
10. Do something spontaneous.
Sure, you should always plan for the future.
But some of the best memories I’ve created in my twenties were spontaneous decisions.
That last-minute beach trip.
That random road trip with friends.
Life’s too short to overplan every decision.
Some of the best things come when you least expect them.
If you see that a ticket to Bali is super cheap—buy it.
If your friend asks you to road-trip across the country—say YES.
I promise you’ll thank yourself later.
11. Volunteer or help a cause you believe in.
Helping others is one of the most grounding things you’ll ever do.
Use your free time to give back.
Not only will you feel good about helping out, but you’ll also be reminded that there’s a bigger purpose for each and every one of us on this earth.
12. Learn how to say no.
I couldn’t stand hearing the word no when I was younger.
Which is why I often said yes to things I didn’t want to do just to avoid upsetting someone.
As I’ve gotten older, I can honestly say that saying no is one of the best skills you’ll learn.
Your time is valuable. So are your emotions and mental health.
Set boundaries with people and situations that don’t serve you.
13. Document your life.
If I had a dollar for every time I thought about how fast life flies by…
I’d have enough dollars to buy a yacht.
Your twenties go by faster than you think.
I started picking up photography a few years ago, and it’s one of my favorite hobbies.
Not only because it allows me to be creative, but because it’s also a great way to document my life.
Whether you’re into journaling, taking photos, blogging, or writing down your thoughts.
Make sure you document your twenties somehow.
You’ll want to look back on your old selfies one day.
Trust me.
14. Invest in yourself.
This could be reading books, listening to podcasts, finding a mentor, or investing in an online course.
Building your knowledge is one of the best investments you can make—especially in your 20s.
You’re never too old to learn something new.
Let’s make our twenties a decade of learning and growing.
Related: 10 Ways To Invest In Yourself And Make Your Life More Meaningful
15. Fail at something.
Your twenties are all about failing.
And honestly, that’s okay.
We fail at everything at some point in our lives.
But failing teaches us resilience.
It teaches us humility.
It teaches us how to adapt.
These are all things we need to learn in our twenties.
So go ahead and fail as much as you want.
You’ll thank yourself later.
16. Do something creative.
This can include writing, painting, listening to music, designing, cooking, or building something with your hands.
Whatever fires you up.
Creative outlets are one of the best ways to express your inner emotions and ideas that words simply can’t explain.
Find what you’re passionate about and run with it.
You never know—you might discover a hidden talent.
Related: 10 Creative and Inspiring Back-to-School Bulletin Board Ideas
17. Build healthy habits that will last a lifetime.
Sleep.
Exercise.
Eat nutritious foods.
Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day.
These are all habits that have drastically improved my life.
Sure, they may not seem like the most exciting things to do.
But trust me—your future self will thank you.
Because the earlier you start, the more those healthy habits will stick with you for life.
18. Spend quality time with family.
We are so busy in our day-to-day lives that we often forget about the people who matter most—our family.
Make time to create memories with them.
Whether it’s taking your parents out to dinner.
Going on nature walks with your siblings.
Or simply having an extra conversation while hanging out.
These moments will become priceless later in life.
19. Take breaks from social media.
When I’m constantly on social media, I start to believe everyone has their life together except me.
But when I take breaks, I’m reminded that everyone is just trying to figure life out.
We aren’t in a competition with each other.
Enjoy the present and live for now.
Nobody has it all together—we just think they do because we’re looking at everyone’s Facebook highlight reels every day.
Related: 8 Signs You Need a Break from Social Media
20. Create memories you’ll look back on and laugh about.
Some of the best moments in life won’t be amazing achievements.
They’ll be memories.
That random adventure with friends that turned into the worst hiking trip ever.
That time you got too drunk at dinner and started making up words.
Your twenties are all about creating amazing memories you’ll want to reflect on one day.
Reflection
Your twenties are not about having everything together.
Far from it.
Your twenties are about experiencing as much life as you possibly can.
Some years will be better than others.
And that’s perfectly okay.
Your path won’t look like everyone else’s.
And that’s the beauty of life.
Everyone’s journey is different.
Which means you will have good years and bad years.
Embrace the adventures that are your twenties.
Conclusion
Your 20s are a time of life you will never experience again.
So live every day like it.
Not because life is perfect.
But because it’s filled with endless possibilities.
You don’t need to complete every item on this bucket list.
But if there’s one thing here you’ve been thinking about doing—
Do it.
Stop overthinking every decision you make.
Life’s too short.
Say yes to new experiences.
Take the leap.
Make mistakes.
Love hard.
Create amazing memories.
Because one day you’ll look back on these years like nowhere else.
And I promise—they’ll all be worth it.
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