WHAT WILL LAURA DO? - 25 GOALS BEFORE 25

As someone who has been 24 for almost 5 months, I can tell you that these past few months have been a whirlwind for me personally, mentally, and physically.

I don't think it was until I turned 21 that I heard and learned about the 'development of the prefrontal cortex' by the age of 25. I always believed we continued to grow and learn as we go and our development doesn't peak or stop at a specific age. Now, although that is very true - that we continue to learn and develop as we grow - one's twenties are some incredibly formative years that will genuinely guide our inner compass for the rest of our lives.

I would hear about people turning 24 or 25 and feeling like their decision-making or their critical-thinking skills seemed to switch overnight. I would be like "yeah okay." But...that is true (personally) to some extent. I swear to you when I tell you that the few days after I turned 24 - I thought about several things I had done in the past and was like "now what the heck were you thinking" or even crying because I miss how thick-skinned I used to be as a high-schooler (trust me, you didn't want to get on my bad side - my friends will attest to this).

Nevertheless, I have had several instances of retrospection in these past few months and although I am still learning (the hard way) that I can't go back in time and change the decisions I made or the things that happened to/for me - I can decide what to do in my future, near or far. So, here's a list of 25 things I want to do before I turn 25. And yes, I do realize I have 7 months left as I write this, but who's counting...?

1. Go skydiving

2. Get out of my comfort zone more (even for minimal things)

3. Get a job that will open new opportunities for me and my future

4. Run a 5k race

5. Run 13 miles without stopping (and still alive)

6. Save $15-18,000 dollars

7. Take myself on solo dates

8. Move out the house into an affordable and nice place :)

9. Volunteer in 3 different areas/places

10. Write a children's book, draw the illustrations myself, and get it published

11. Read 80 books

12. Go to an author signing

13. Travel solo to another state

14. Post more consistently on TikTok and not be afraid to post whatever I want

15. Go to a concert

16. Grow out my hair down my back (without cutting or dying it - for the love of goodness)

17. Get 3 more piercings on my ears

18. Go a whole month without complaining

19. Learn Italian (beginner-level)

20. Swim in a lake with friends

21. Have a bonfire/s'more's night with friends

22. Wear a swimsuit and not complain about how my body looks

23. Make a new friend group

24. Network, network, network

25. um...when I decide...I will fill in this spot.