Advice for 29-Year-Olds: Navigate Growth and Bold Choices as We Enter 2025
As the year comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting deeply while preparing an upcoming end-of-year episode of Life in Bold. This year has been one of the most transformative of my life—a time of profound lessons, growth, and clarity.
When I turned 29 in 2022, I gave myself an assignment: "Figure out what I want in life by the time I turn 30." I called it my journey to 30. At the time, it felt so clear-cut—an achievable goal that would bring clarity and peace. But when I turned 30, I realized something important: life isn’t about having everything figured out. It’s about understanding your values, embracing who you are, and boldly walking your path, no matter how uncertain or imperfect it feels.
As I approach 33 in 2025, I know I’m still on that journey... beyond 30. It has stretched far longer than I imagined, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve come to see that 30 is incredibly young. My 29-year-old self—eager, curious, and determined—didn’t “figure out life,” but he planted the seeds for a more authentic, joyful future.
This post is my love letter to him. His assignment wasn’t a failure; it was the catalyst for deep reflection, hard work, growth, and ultimately, personal fulfillment.
Here are ten lessons I’ve been journaling while preparing for the episode. They’re for my 29-year-old self, for anyone in their late 20s, and for anyone ready to step into a new year with boldness and intention.
Advice for 29-Year-Olds as We Head Into 2025
1. Drop Your Need for Approval
You don’t need your friends or family to validate your choices. It’s not their life; it’s yours—and the only person who can define what’s important to you is you. Take a step back and ask yourself what you truly want. You can't live your whole life for someone else's approval or admiration—at some point, you have to do what you have to do.
2. It’s Okay to Take Risks
Risk doesn’t mean recklessness—it’s about stepping into discomfort to pursue something meaningful. Growth often requires uncertainty, and that can feel scary, but it’s worth it. Some of the best things in life come from taking chances, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed. Lean into that fear and trust that you’re capable of handling what comes next.
3. Your Mindset Shapes Your Outcomes
What you focus on—and how you think and act—matters. If you spend all your time dwelling on what you lack, you’ll only see more reasons to feel stuck. But when you boldly believe in your potential and look for the good in your life, you’ll attract more opportunities. Your energy is powerful—direct it toward what you want to create and move toward that.
4. Adopt the "Just Do It" Attitude
If you are holding off on pursuing a business, artistic career, or job path—the time is now. Things won't magically change, and you won’t suddenly feel ready. It’s okay to be bad at things at first—step out of your comfort zone and take the first step. That thing you've always thought about but "don't know how to do" or "can't quite figure out?" Go and get started on that thing.
5. Patience is Key
The best things in life take time. Whether it’s building a career, nurturing relationships, or healing, the results rarely come overnight. There is a quote I once saw by Confucius that said, "It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop." When I was younger, that quote bothered me—I was impulsive and anxious to move on with my dreams. But when things wouldn’t happen immediately, I would pivot. Now, I am clear on the values that drive me, and I work every day toward turning those passions and values into my reality. Good things take time.
6. Invest in Getting to Know Yourself
Whether it’s through therapy, coaching, reading, or quiet reflection, take time to dig into who you really are. This isn’t about correcting your flaws; it’s about understanding your values, uncovering your motivations, and removing the blocks that hold you back. When you know yourself deeply, you can make decisions that align with your truth. Take the time to go deep—it’s hard, and you don’t want to, but you can, you will, and it will lead to a much better life.
7. Celebrate What Makes You Special
Your uniqueness is your superpower. A podcast once shared with me that while raising her, he would drive home the idea that "The things that set you apart will make you successful." Don’t try to fit into a mold that doesn’t feel right for you. Instead, lean into what makes you different—and what truly lights you up. I know you can monetize that. You might be surprised by how much the world needs exactly what you have to offer.
8. Build Systems to Support Yourself
Stop wasting energy on shame about what you’re not great at. Maybe it's keeping your apartment clean, job hunting, grocery shopping, or whatever. If something consistently drains you or feels like a roadblock, find a system, tool, or person to help you. This isn’t about avoidance—it’s about opening up space for the things that you are passionate about. Free yourself up to focus on what lights you up.
9. Find the Right Friends
Friendships are the foundation of so much joy and growth, but not every friendship is right for every stage of your life. Surround yourself with people who share your passions, support your growth, and make you feel truly understood. The right friends will amplify your energy, not drain it. I spent my twenties in the startup world and made many friends whom I love and cherish—and a few of them are extremely close to me 10 years later. But there is something that brings me so much satisfaction from my good friend group I have made from pursuing my deep-down, honest-to-God passions. It’s nice to have people who nerd out about the same stuff as me—go out and find that. Adult friendship exists, and it’s out there.
10. Stand in Your Boldness
Stand in your boldness with two feet on the ground, plant your flag, and say, "This is what I’m doing, and that is that." Do the work to ensure that the path you’re taking is what you feel best about. It is okay if it takes time—it is supposed to take time. Nobody has a grasp on their boldness when they first make the decision to be more bold. So commit to growth, authenticity, love, depth, and connection, and find support for your journey. Maybe it's therapy, perhaps it’s this podcast. But you don’t have to do it alone. And when you come out on the other side, you will look back and say, "WOW. Look what I did—and look how I did it." Wow. And remember all those moments I thought I couldn’t, and look, I did.
These reflections are for anyone who feels the pressure to “have it all figured out.” If you’re in your late 20s or early 30s, remember: you’re young. You don’t need all the answers. What matters is that you show up, reflect, and move forward with intention and courage.
The full episode of Life in Bold will be released this Christmas. I hope you’ll take a moment to listen before we step into 2025 together. Let’s embrace the new year with boldness, authenticity, and connection.
Here’s to the journey, wherever it takes us. ❤️
