When you hit your twenties everything changes. It’s an unfortunate side-effect of growing up and there’s nothing you can do about it. You’re an adult now. Sorry about that.

And the thing about being an adult is that you can’t rely on other people to make decisions for you anymore. It’s your turn. You have to run your life. Every decision is yours for the making. And there are some big things to decide on.

Here are just some of the decisions you have to make in your twenties that you should definitely not take lightly:

Your first car – When you buy your first car you really don’t know what you’re doing. How can you? You’ve never done this before. It’s your first time. It’s only natural that you’re going to be a little sloppy. So, take some back up when you go searching for pre-owned cars in South Africa and listen to any advice you can get. Don’t just buy the first pretty (and affordable) thing that comes your way. Think about safety, fuel-efficiency and how long you think the thing will actually last.

Insurance – Yuck. Aside from “taxes”, “insurance” is probably the worst thing you can attempt to talk to a twenty-something about. But it’s got to be done. Firstly, you want to focus on the most important cover you need: your medical aid and your car insurance. Choosing which company to go with is a big deal and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Don’t just go for the cheapest or the easiest. You need to really think about this one.

What you want to do – Let’s start with this: nothing is set in stone. The direction you choose to go in now is not necessarily the path you’re going to carry on with. You simply need to decide what you want to do NOW. Do you want to study further? Do you want to launch an elaborate career? Do you want to work for a bit, save up and then travel? Don’t let anybody tell you that you need a 5 year plan. You really don’t need a 5 year plan. All you need to know is what you want to do now and (hopefully) how it could benefit you.

And lastly…

Who you’re going to be – Nobody finds themselves in high school. That’s just not how this works. You only really start finding yourself in your twenties. That’s when you begin to understand who you are and the type of person you want to be. Of course, you don’t have to make all the big decisions and plan out your life (once again, nothing is set in stone), but you need to make an effort to understand who you are.

Welcome to your twenties, where everything changes and nobody holds your hand. Don’t worry, it gets easier.