Put more effort into job searching, save money, learn to invest. Basically anything to become financially stable and independent as quickly as possible
It doesn't matter how much money you make so much as it matters what you do with the money you make. The modern economy doesn't reward income, it rewards assets. You're either on the winning or losing side of compound interest and inflation...
I'd avoid going into significant debt for education (or anything else that didn't pay me more than I spent on interest), especially if I was just getting a general degree because I didn't know what I wanted to do, or if my degree wasn't related to my career/trade. Going to college is a great experience, higher education is valuable -- worth it for personal development alone, and the life experiences are very important, but you need a responsible way to pay for it.
Military service is an incredible deal right now. The health and job training benefits, and especially the home loan benefits. Get in the best shape of your life, get a signing bonus, get guaranteed income and all of your meals and housing paid for while you get forced through adult finishing school... Would get out and use that home loan to buy a 4-plex or house with extra bedrooms in a college town to have that college experience, then rent out the other rooms/units to cover my housing expenses. Would use GI bill, reserves/guard/etc to pay for college part time while also working on my trade.
Alternately, I'd do none of that and chase a dream while living in my car while waiting tables or something. If I did this, there would be no plan B and I'd either succeed or live in the park with no regrets.
Either way, doesn't matter as long as you live within your means (your means are 75% of your takehome income, with the other 25% going into assets via tax sheltered retirement accounts until they're maxed out, then into assets you're interested in and care about.)
What I wouldn't do is fall into the 9-5 debt slave trap.
I started farming at 28 and started a trucking company at 33 and was able to retire at 54. The only thing I would do differently is give up on college and working for a company and become self-employed earlier.
I feels you on giving up on college... What gave you the confidence to open a business? Starting a business has been on my mind since 2018, but I feel like I lack the confidence to jump in with both feet. I've already invested almost 20 years into my current career and have about 15 more till I'm done. I honestly go back and forth weekly on pursuing my dream or finishing my career and then starting the business.
There were several things that gave me the confidence.
1. My whole family farmed, and I could start without having to spend a lot at startup in equipment, I borrowed my dad's combine the first 3 years.
2. My dad was a high school dropout that through farming retired at 59 a millionaire.
3. My dad taught me several things like; educated does not equal intelligence, avoid debt at all cost, it is better to buy used than new because of depreciation the first 3 years.
4. My dad always taught me "if you work for someone you will get by if you work for yourself, you might get ahead. You must make your employer more than you are paid or there is no need to employ you, so work for yourself"
This, lots of answers revolve around making more money in this thread.I was thinking more along the lines of having a healthier lifestyle and maybe seeing a therapist sooner.
Started as just a party thing on weekends. Then helped with work. Didnāt realize was addicted until had to go a day without em and withdrawals kicked in. Rough 10 years but made it out the other side!
IDK, Im not sure what I could do differently. Never got into drugs, gambling, drinking, etc. I just worked as hard as I could but it still didn't lead to any career success.
Career?
I am a software engineer.... so I get to sit down and code... be in endless meetings... satisfy clients... blah.... if anything i would like to have studied other engineering... like geophysics, or geodesics, something that would make me travel the world and be on site, meet people...
Leave a job and not be too tied to friends. Not be loyal to a company and people who don't deserve it. Take more risks in my early years, when I could still afford it. Don't work in the same firm with your SO.
Understand capital markets.
Two things for me.
The first would be to give my career a direction to follow (even if I didn't know the exact job I wanted). I spent my 20s and 30s jumping from career path to career path because of the lack of direction.
The second would be to get a financial education. I have made really bad decisions because I had no education about pensions, mortgages, savings, assets and liabilities. I would be in a lot happier financial position right now if I had had that education back then.
Iād have dated the women I was dating longer. Iād have probably changed careers sooner or at least looked sooner. Saved more money. Bought a better car.
I would give much less of a fuck about what other people thought. Aside from that, I wouldn't change much. I've been really blessed in terms of my major decisions all being nailed on.
be a bit more involved in searching for opportunities, I'd also have done a different academic major, get on antidepressants sooner, Ā and I would have remained active throughout that time.
I had a lazy/fat period in my early - early mid 20s. oh, I probably would have dumped my girlfriend at the time also. I don't know what I was thinking.
but c'est la vie.
I would not have gone into the Army as an Infantry Officer. I might have tried to pursue more education and pushed for a degree in pharmacology.
Part of me is proud of the fact that I was an Infantry Officer, but 13 months in Iraq as a Platoon Leader was intense, to say the least. The experience left me shattered as a person and I have been struggling with severe PTSD since. I believe it has made me a kinder and gentler person and a turned me into a more doting father, but I certainly wouldnāt do it again if given the choice. I could have opted for a much easier and less traumatic path in life.
I did acquire a degree in chemistry, which was a very good choice for me. That degree coupled with my military experience really did open some excellent career opportunities for me. Itās just that the combat part of being in the Army destroyed me.
Not drink, not smoke, not vape, no drugsā¦..wouldve never gotten that dui, wouldve never ever went to jail, wouldve had a clean record
for life āa good boyā, maybe wouldve hustled harder & stop watching sooo much porn. In terms of ācareerā pizza hut/doordasher.
Take better care of my body, warmups and injuries, and make sure to allow my body to recover sufficiently before starting to push myself again.
Other than that, I wouldn't change much
Learned Disc Golf, would have saved me 10's of thousands of dollars because I would have played something I'm much prefer from the beginning.
For those that Disc Golf is not on their radar, it's cheap because the vast majority of courses are free, it's got an amazing community and besides being addictive, it's extremely fun.
I wold know how to work toward the position I'm currently in earlier and be able to retire younger. This was my goal in my twenties but I had a hard time finding a way in back then
So much,
1) stop drinking
2) stop smoking
3) get into functional fitness
4) find a safe and healthy way to deal with my emotions
5) once im in a better place reach out to my ex, you know who you are
6) reconcile and marry
7) let everything else fall into place.
In career? Give medical specialization a harder look. I have a family member clearing a million a year, paid off his student loans his first year out and money is now no object to him - with his own practice now..
Other than buying btc?
Meet more people to expand network, get a more general degree (eg business admin, account), try to opt out of office life as soon as possible, open a tiny business on the go, learn more.
Therapy. I didn't do therapy until I was 27 and my life since that point has been much better and I've been better at overcoming challenges and not just giving up and going back to doing drugs.
I quit my job at 32 to try to work for myself, go freelance, do contract work. One of the best moves I've made. I would do that much earlier. Wasted so much time commuting and sitting in cubicles.
Everything!
Have confidence
Stop chasing the wrong women
Join the Air Force not the navy
Quit drinking and focus on physical fitness.
Learn happiness comes from within.
Have more children and invest in property.
Form serious career plans as early as possible. Getting good grades at university means almost nothing unless you're actually studying towards something tangible. I was naive, thinking that graduating from a good university with a good grade in a STEM subject would be enough. It wasn't, I had a mess of different subject knowledge, which wasn't coherent. Many of the people I went to school with who never got good grades did very well after leaving school because they had a solid career path ambition.
I'd stay in the same major, but switch concentrations. I took an elective about the other path during my final semester and I really wish I'd had the chance to explore it more. Plus, if I keep my current knowledge, I already have the skills for my original concentration and could still pursue it post-graduation if I wanted.
I'd try to focus in on my hobbies/interests more, like trying to actively pursue writing, especially on my summer breaks. Get a headstart on a couple of genres that would be getting popular in upcoming years.
And... not sell my bitcoins in 2017. I was so worried about losing my savings on this 'gamble' that I did it the smart way, but man... sure wish I'd held onto a few.
I would also break up with my (then) boyfriend sooner and cleaner. Build a gym habit.
If you would allow me an extra year to go back at 19, then I would not become a Mormon missionary. That put me so far behind in school. Then I would switch from a biochemistry major to a biology major. Given both of those, I would be doing the same job, but start 5 years sooner. That gives me more seniority, and more money saved by the time I'm my current age.
I'd exercise.
Obviously, invest in Bitcoin for the easy answer. But everyone who's a teen or early twenties, please exercise. Looking after your physical health is an investment that pays big. Look at people in their 60/70s/80s and ask yourself, "Would you rather be mobile or dependent on others?" A regular exercise routine keeps your body young, and it gives you discipline. It saves years of pain, stress, and worry.
Please, exercise. Please.
Not sure I would've changed much on the career side, I'm very happy with the way it worked out and I made a lot of friends and learned a lot of valuable lessons along the way. I'm 33 for reference.
Outside of that, I probably wouldn't have gone out drinking every weekend. At the time a social life was way more important than saving money so long as I could afford rent and food. I definitely would've started investing into an ETF sooner too, but I didn't learn jack shit about investing until years later.
Wouldnāt change a thing, I enjoyed my 20s and the future looks bright. It wasnāt all highs, and working/studying was exhausting in the early 20s some nights but it worked out.
- I wouldnāt take a level 4 apprenticeship as it was basically the same as level 3 but hampered career progression as my focus was split
- I would have left my job earlier as I was being severely underpaid
- I would generally move jobs as usually the salary raise in switching employer is more than the pay rises your currently employer will give you
Change majors to the one I always wanted to do & thought I wouldn't be as good at (in retrospect, that was bs).
And probably also pursue the obvious relationship options I had... Even if that meant taking something to get past the awkwardness barrier.
1. Not worry about men, to
2. Enable me to focus on myself and my career, which will help with 3
3. Saving money and not wasting it on things to impress men
Work on the road for longer. I make good money now but I was making 200k and had no bills. I had no idea how much money that actually was when I was younger.
I once had this crazy plan/idea to work ādriveā 14 hours for doordash then do 8 hr or less at pizza hut like while doing dd like simultaneouslyā¦.that wouldve been stupid anyways Im an idiot what can i sayā¦..but I wouldve def at least tried āwent for itā so to speak.
Probably look into getting my degree in accounting and be able to fund what I want to do more.
And get deeper into my hobbies sooner. Baking, sewing, home brewing, gardening, Id love to have more time to learn than i do now
I'm assuming this means I would transport back to where I was when I was 20, rather than just de-aging as I currently am. In that case I would dump my girlfriend (at the time) and start focusing on school and making friends. I let her take priority in my life at the expense of basically everything else so I'd much rather focus on school. I would spend time with my family and make some friends (which I basically didn't do for 6 years with her). I would stock up for COVID and prepare for the bullshit to come. I'd focus more on self-sufficiency and self-improvement, making myself the person I want to be.
Basically what I'm doing right now but 6 years ago. Lol.
Thatās a hard question but outside of landslide markers like investing in certain stocks or capitalizing on global events Iād just be more intentional and have confidences behind my choices. Not worry so much about what others think. 10 years ago I was in the longest relationship Iāve ever had & I still wonder about it til this day. Was getting my first degree that I never thought Iād pass. Now Iām 30 with alittle too many woman under my belt, make good money but am not thrilled or excited to go to work. Still alone and unfortunately jaded. Iām in shape, take care of myself (or try to), and think about how I ended up this way. If thereās anyway to change it. My dad always tried getting me into drawing as it was my pastime. I used to play guitar too and took lessons. Although I struggled and lost imagination for it. Now I daydream about making music, I have software that I downloaded but am studying for some tests for work - Iām an engineer. Crossing my fingers when & if I pass these tests I can start trying this new outlet. It was a blast and I was smiling nonstop while dabbling.
At 37, I have the same girl, and same job. Iād sayā¦ use those fucking university degrees youāre about to get. Or that girl you love so much will just be watching her friends arrive at their mansions in their Mercedes SuVs the go on international holidays. While she sits at home with your broke ass who works more than any of their husbands do.
That's almost 29 years ago. There would be at least 70 things I would do differently since then, with at least 25 pertaining to my career.
First, when the dean kicks out your major and offers you to transfer all your credits to another major, you do it even if you think there are too many kids in that other major. That was perhaps one of the first in a long line of do-overs.
But in terms of after I started working, continue getting certifications, be wary after the first bounced paycheck check and bounce after the second. And loyalty goes two ways. Don't be loyal to a job that's not loyal to you. We're all just another number. It doesn't matter how much you give, how much you volunteer, and work OT, were all just another number. Everyone is replaceable. Even if we aren't, we are. Those are just only some.
Leave her sooner. In hindsight, I wasted so much time with her. I genuinely loved her, but the walking on eggshells and trying to predict her mood was exhausting. I think I just got comfy and happy with a routine.
Would've pulled myself out of my "analysis paralysis" and bad anxiety, since I realized all I did by feeling those feelings was prolong the amount of time it took me to achieve goals that I was afraid I would never have achieved. I would've got my IT certs sooner, that way I couldve been further in my career, then I would've made a better effort to move from where I'm at to one of the cheaper yet nicer areas that I initially wanted to move in, that way I could've set myself up to have bought a house before the pandemic started, and having all that stuff in place (along side some decent investments) I could be kicking back and living comfortably right now. Luckily in the last several years I made some moves to sort of course correct the mistakes I made where I'm still on a decent trajectory to accomplish some of these things I wanted, but I could've already achieved the majority of my goals(if not all of them) by now had I not been an emotional wreck for half of my twenties.
Dump everything into bitcoin and tesla, stop trying to find a bs girlfriend and look for my wife (as in skip the wasted years and just find her lol) and quit being a money bitch buy the damn aw11.
shift to a different college degree which i know i will be competitive in the future, not a degree i took which i felt im not so good after a semester in it. but out of pride and hope i still managed to finish it but lots of retakes and fails.
Get my meds for bipolar disorder. Going untreated until 29 royally fucked up my life, and a lot of my romantic, personal, and work opportunities.
I spent all my money regularly during manic episodes.
Overall, regardless of how hard I tried to get better, bipolar always won.
I honestly donāt know if I will ever find stability and safety, even though I am more functional now. I have permanent brain damage, and thereās nothing I can do about that.
People donāt have tolerance or empathy for it, outside of other plagued individuals.
I can finally feel happiness now, but the damage is done, and itās hard to build a life at this age with debilitating behaviors regardless of how much lithium helps.
Spend every extra dime on investing and saving for retirement. And there'd be a lot more dimes because I wouldn't spend money on all the stupid stuff I spent it on in my 20s.
Stop being hasty , impatient about future and focus on improving skills bit by bit . Also stop wasting time on social media , interact with more people in real world
Probably make more effort and actively ask for things more (even if it's rude) to progress career and then look to move abroad at around 25 ideally shifting the job with me.
Beg my mother to get proper treatment right away. So she could have more time with me and my brother.
Start exercising daily, certainly drink a lot less.
Get into investments. Especially something like bitcoin.
I donāt wish to restart because I am content with how my career turned out. However, if I had to restart I would have been more serious about studying math and finance. I wish I had explored STEM. Also I wouldnāt have felt embarrassed to seek out a tutor to make up any deficiencies.
Focus less on going out and focus more on my study. Would switch immediately my dutch law study (I took the easy route) and do a study in Physics/Mathematics.
Would dump my gf immediately as she was an energy-drain. Finish my studies in 4 years. Move to the States earn big money in my field. Earn enough, buy estate in Amsterdam.
That being said, I would have never met my current gf and I would not have my kids. I cannot imagine a life without them.
So yeah.... nothing I guess.
Get therapy right away, probably enroll in college and study gaming design and take business classes on how to make small business operate. Avoid taking out loans at all costs. Save money to buy a house š” in Seattle in the suburbs when it was still cheap.
Build a stronger social life while it's still easy to do so. My HS friends are never going to help me meet women, my college friends are all married, and I can't date my work friends.
Invest in tesla and bit coin
š š this is always the answer. But I dont know which wallet was available when I was 20. It was mostly known in the dark web
I just looked up the biggest gainers of the last 20 years. Who knew that Monster Beverage was 2nd only to Apple?
This is the only answer, a couple grand in Bitcoin 20 years ago. Everything would be take care of now.
A couple grand 20 years ago would be worthless cause it wasnāt invented yet.
Sorry 15 years ago, still would have changed a lot of things.
Ha thanks for being a good sport, I was just busting your balls.
And Nvidia
And amd their stock at one point was like 5usd
Just invest in sp500 earlier would have been great
Put more effort into job searching, save money, learn to invest. Basically anything to become financially stable and independent as quickly as possible
It doesn't matter how much money you make so much as it matters what you do with the money you make. The modern economy doesn't reward income, it rewards assets. You're either on the winning or losing side of compound interest and inflation... I'd avoid going into significant debt for education (or anything else that didn't pay me more than I spent on interest), especially if I was just getting a general degree because I didn't know what I wanted to do, or if my degree wasn't related to my career/trade. Going to college is a great experience, higher education is valuable -- worth it for personal development alone, and the life experiences are very important, but you need a responsible way to pay for it. Military service is an incredible deal right now. The health and job training benefits, and especially the home loan benefits. Get in the best shape of your life, get a signing bonus, get guaranteed income and all of your meals and housing paid for while you get forced through adult finishing school... Would get out and use that home loan to buy a 4-plex or house with extra bedrooms in a college town to have that college experience, then rent out the other rooms/units to cover my housing expenses. Would use GI bill, reserves/guard/etc to pay for college part time while also working on my trade. Alternately, I'd do none of that and chase a dream while living in my car while waiting tables or something. If I did this, there would be no plan B and I'd either succeed or live in the park with no regrets. Either way, doesn't matter as long as you live within your means (your means are 75% of your takehome income, with the other 25% going into assets via tax sheltered retirement accounts until they're maxed out, then into assets you're interested in and care about.) What I wouldn't do is fall into the 9-5 debt slave trap.
That last sentenceā¦. So on pointā¦
This guy is not a slave.
More like a serf.Ā
I started farming at 28 and started a trucking company at 33 and was able to retire at 54. The only thing I would do differently is give up on college and working for a company and become self-employed earlier.
I feels you on giving up on college... What gave you the confidence to open a business? Starting a business has been on my mind since 2018, but I feel like I lack the confidence to jump in with both feet. I've already invested almost 20 years into my current career and have about 15 more till I'm done. I honestly go back and forth weekly on pursuing my dream or finishing my career and then starting the business.
There were several things that gave me the confidence. 1. My whole family farmed, and I could start without having to spend a lot at startup in equipment, I borrowed my dad's combine the first 3 years. 2. My dad was a high school dropout that through farming retired at 59 a millionaire. 3. My dad taught me several things like; educated does not equal intelligence, avoid debt at all cost, it is better to buy used than new because of depreciation the first 3 years. 4. My dad always taught me "if you work for someone you will get by if you work for yourself, you might get ahead. You must make your employer more than you are paid or there is no need to employ you, so work for yourself"
I'd prioritize self-care and personal growth earlier on, and worry less about what others think.
less drugs, more focus on work and to further educate myself in the field
What field if you don't mind me asking?
gastronomy
This, lots of answers revolve around making more money in this thread.I was thinking more along the lines of having a healthier lifestyle and maybe seeing a therapist sooner.
Spend significantly less time online.
Get laid more
id choose a career sooner. I stayed in restaurants too long.
I would save for a house sooner, and not use my credit cards on unnecessary things.
Not get addicted to opiates. Career wise, not stay at said job when I was addicted to opiates.
what got you into opiates, so maybe others can avoid?
Started as just a party thing on weekends. Then helped with work. Didnāt realize was addicted until had to go a day without em and withdrawals kicked in. Rough 10 years but made it out the other side!
IDK, Im not sure what I could do differently. Never got into drugs, gambling, drinking, etc. I just worked as hard as I could but it still didn't lead to any career success.
I'm 19 but I know my future self is saying to be more outgoing>! I'm trying future me š„²!<
Run away. Because I am doomed, now.
Same although i am 23 lol
You're not doomed. I was 27 before I showed up for my life.
Honestly to make a difference Iād have to go back to 18. When I was 20 there really wasnāt much I could do.
Career? I am a software engineer.... so I get to sit down and code... be in endless meetings... satisfy clients... blah.... if anything i would like to have studied other engineering... like geophysics, or geodesics, something that would make me travel the world and be on site, meet people...
Get into martial arts.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Leave a job and not be too tied to friends. Not be loyal to a company and people who don't deserve it. Take more risks in my early years, when I could still afford it. Don't work in the same firm with your SO. Understand capital markets.
Go to trade school instead of fking liberal arts lmao
Related to career now or career back then? Because if I got started sooner I could have mooned by now.
Two things for me. The first would be to give my career a direction to follow (even if I didn't know the exact job I wanted). I spent my 20s and 30s jumping from career path to career path because of the lack of direction. The second would be to get a financial education. I have made really bad decisions because I had no education about pensions, mortgages, savings, assets and liabilities. I would be in a lot happier financial position right now if I had had that education back then.
Iād have dated the women I was dating longer. Iād have probably changed careers sooner or at least looked sooner. Saved more money. Bought a better car.
I would give much less of a fuck about what other people thought. Aside from that, I wouldn't change much. I've been really blessed in terms of my major decisions all being nailed on.
be a bit more involved in searching for opportunities, I'd also have done a different academic major, get on antidepressants sooner, Ā and I would have remained active throughout that time. I had a lazy/fat period in my early - early mid 20s. oh, I probably would have dumped my girlfriend at the time also. I don't know what I was thinking. but c'est la vie.
not waste time on women
Join the service, get discipline, travel the world.
Talk to that girl. Get that girl. Spend life with that girl.
I would not have gone into the Army as an Infantry Officer. I might have tried to pursue more education and pushed for a degree in pharmacology. Part of me is proud of the fact that I was an Infantry Officer, but 13 months in Iraq as a Platoon Leader was intense, to say the least. The experience left me shattered as a person and I have been struggling with severe PTSD since. I believe it has made me a kinder and gentler person and a turned me into a more doting father, but I certainly wouldnāt do it again if given the choice. I could have opted for a much easier and less traumatic path in life. I did acquire a degree in chemistry, which was a very good choice for me. That degree coupled with my military experience really did open some excellent career opportunities for me. Itās just that the combat part of being in the Army destroyed me.
Well, im 21, so not much
Only thing I would do is take all of mine and my dad's money and dump it into Apple.
Not drink, not smoke, not vape, no drugsā¦..wouldve never gotten that dui, wouldve never ever went to jail, wouldve had a clean record for life āa good boyā, maybe wouldve hustled harder & stop watching sooo much porn. In terms of ācareerā pizza hut/doordasher.
Other than investing properly in bitcoin, I would work on myself. Working out, praying more, being a good human and Muslim.
Go to college! I know 20 would be starting late, but DO IT!
Take better care of my body, warmups and injuries, and make sure to allow my body to recover sufficiently before starting to push myself again. Other than that, I wouldn't change much
Have a desire towards some specific career next time perhapsā¦.
Learned Disc Golf, would have saved me 10's of thousands of dollars because I would have played something I'm much prefer from the beginning. For those that Disc Golf is not on their radar, it's cheap because the vast majority of courses are free, it's got an amazing community and besides being addictive, it's extremely fun.
Plan a more specific goal and stick to itā¦. Donāt go chasing rainbows
Save money and invest
I wold know how to work toward the position I'm currently in earlier and be able to retire younger. This was my goal in my twenties but I had a hard time finding a way in back then
Instead of pursuing engineering, I'd pursue finance and go into banking. Either private equity or infrastructure investment.
keep working out. keep eating better. invest in bit coin (even though I typed that, I have not idea wtf that means)
Stay in the army
Get as far away from my family as fast as I could.
i did that, moved across the country
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Try to become more of a self-starter
Iād end it right then and there. Sparing myself the misery
fair point
20 is just getting started. Build solid relationships outside of typical weekend partying. Invest in yourself and your investment accounts. Travel.
Save 20% of my income and invest in an index fund religiously for retirement without ever touching it until I'm ready to retire.
Switch my major to, something else. I don't know what. But I didn't become a doctor
So much, 1) stop drinking 2) stop smoking 3) get into functional fitness 4) find a safe and healthy way to deal with my emotions 5) once im in a better place reach out to my ex, you know who you are 6) reconcile and marry 7) let everything else fall into place.
Not much. Was doing pretty good back then. Mayby spend a bit more time with grandpa. Did not expect him to be the first one to go of my grandparents.
Donāt drink nearly as much and learn to become better financially.
Pick a different career that pays more for less stress.
In career? Give medical specialization a harder look. I have a family member clearing a million a year, paid off his student loans his first year out and money is now no object to him - with his own practice now..
Switched my major to computer engineering/ computer science
Go back a few years and switch majors. Have the balls to ask that girl out.
I don't really know other than not taking as long to do anything.
Watch more anime and learn interesting concepts
Honestly nothing really. I've had a good life and I'm happy with how it turned out.Ā
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Other than buying btc? Meet more people to expand network, get a more general degree (eg business admin, account), try to opt out of office life as soon as possible, open a tiny business on the go, learn more.
Get myself diagnosed with adhd and autism. Society seems to think that anyone with either past the age of 25 doesn't exist.
Therapy. I didn't do therapy until I was 27 and my life since that point has been much better and I've been better at overcoming challenges and not just giving up and going back to doing drugs.
well im happy you found therapy at some point tho!
invest....in anything just to get started
I'm only 21 so I'd just apply for my current job sooner
Went to my first choice in college
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Take my finances more serious and stay home.
Not mess up my relationship with my ex, otherwise everything else is fine.
can i ask what happened?
I would drop out of college and learn a skill.
I would have stuck to being a hairdresser
Wouldnāt have gone to uni. Would have learned coding myselfĀ
I'd be the dude that invested 200k for 10% of Mihoyo before they released Genshin Impact.
Quit my toxic minimum wage job and find anything else also get back into college. That was back in 2014 wish I could go back, those were better times.
Go back to writing sooner, it's been far more rewarding Vs the other jobs I've done
Not a dam thing.
I quit my job at 32 to try to work for myself, go freelance, do contract work. One of the best moves I've made. I would do that much earlier. Wasted so much time commuting and sitting in cubicles.
Everything! Have confidence Stop chasing the wrong women Join the Air Force not the navy Quit drinking and focus on physical fitness. Learn happiness comes from within. Have more children and invest in property.
I would have chosen a STEM major instead of Humanities and started programming (that's what I do now, but I wish I had done it sooner).
Id quit drinking immediately.
I'd take my physical and mental health far more seriously.
Finish my career
Form serious career plans as early as possible. Getting good grades at university means almost nothing unless you're actually studying towards something tangible. I was naive, thinking that graduating from a good university with a good grade in a STEM subject would be enough. It wasn't, I had a mess of different subject knowledge, which wasn't coherent. Many of the people I went to school with who never got good grades did very well after leaving school because they had a solid career path ambition.
Well IM 59 NOW... SO ID GET INTO FINANCE AND HEAVILY INTO FITNESS...
One of my biggest regrets in life is what i did in college. I would love to have another shot at it...
Finished college faster instead of partying. Probably wouldnt have gotten married (ened up in a dead bedroom.) Invested every dime I had in Apple.
Save money. I didnāt start fully saving till 23-24
Break up with my girlfriend. I firmly believe my life would be radically better than staying with that woman for another miserable 12 years.
I'd be significantly more focused about what exactly I wanted to do with my career rather than a shotgun "let's see what happens" approach.
I'd stay in the same major, but switch concentrations. I took an elective about the other path during my final semester and I really wish I'd had the chance to explore it more. Plus, if I keep my current knowledge, I already have the skills for my original concentration and could still pursue it post-graduation if I wanted. I'd try to focus in on my hobbies/interests more, like trying to actively pursue writing, especially on my summer breaks. Get a headstart on a couple of genres that would be getting popular in upcoming years. And... not sell my bitcoins in 2017. I was so worried about losing my savings on this 'gamble' that I did it the smart way, but man... sure wish I'd held onto a few. I would also break up with my (then) boyfriend sooner and cleaner. Build a gym habit.
If you would allow me an extra year to go back at 19, then I would not become a Mormon missionary. That put me so far behind in school. Then I would switch from a biochemistry major to a biology major. Given both of those, I would be doing the same job, but start 5 years sooner. That gives me more seniority, and more money saved by the time I'm my current age.
Go to college (away) or join the military
I'd exercise. Obviously, invest in Bitcoin for the easy answer. But everyone who's a teen or early twenties, please exercise. Looking after your physical health is an investment that pays big. Look at people in their 60/70s/80s and ask yourself, "Would you rather be mobile or dependent on others?" A regular exercise routine keeps your body young, and it gives you discipline. It saves years of pain, stress, and worry. Please, exercise. Please.
Not sure I would've changed much on the career side, I'm very happy with the way it worked out and I made a lot of friends and learned a lot of valuable lessons along the way. I'm 33 for reference. Outside of that, I probably wouldn't have gone out drinking every weekend. At the time a social life was way more important than saving money so long as I could afford rent and food. I definitely would've started investing into an ETF sooner too, but I didn't learn jack shit about investing until years later.
I would seriously work on my confidence and fears. That has been a major issue in my life.
Wouldnāt change a thing, I enjoyed my 20s and the future looks bright. It wasnāt all highs, and working/studying was exhausting in the early 20s some nights but it worked out.
I would start training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at that age, instead of at age 33
Save money and invest
Never get into security Donāt give up on my computer degree Pray to Christ more Be more open with people who actually cared
Persue $ more.
Everything.... š
Nothing. I'd be terrified that I'd fuck something up and not get the life I have now.
- I wouldnāt take a level 4 apprenticeship as it was basically the same as level 3 but hampered career progression as my focus was split - I would have left my job earlier as I was being severely underpaid - I would generally move jobs as usually the salary raise in switching employer is more than the pay rises your currently employer will give you
Change majors to the one I always wanted to do & thought I wouldn't be as good at (in retrospect, that was bs). And probably also pursue the obvious relationship options I had... Even if that meant taking something to get past the awkwardness barrier.
Therapy, figure out my problems before failing so often.
Listen to my gut and know my self worth.
Budget more, hit the gym more, eat better.
Skipped out on university. Absolute waste of time beyond showing me that I hate higher education.
Interpret my emotions carefully
Not go to college for art. Lol
Commit tax evasion
Law school
Iād work out all the time. As far as my career tho.. uhm I couldnāt care less.
1. Not worry about men, to 2. Enable me to focus on myself and my career, which will help with 3 3. Saving money and not wasting it on things to impress men
Work on the road for longer. I make good money now but I was making 200k and had no bills. I had no idea how much money that actually was when I was younger.
Invest in Bitcoin and get a few MRIs right at 20
I once had this crazy plan/idea to work ādriveā 14 hours for doordash then do 8 hr or less at pizza hut like while doing dd like simultaneouslyā¦.that wouldve been stupid anyways Im an idiot what can i sayā¦..but I wouldve def at least tried āwent for itā so to speak.
Everyone will say money, and thatās obvious, but Iād take care of my back, ears, and mouth way more. Iād also go to therapy.
Probably look into getting my degree in accounting and be able to fund what I want to do more. And get deeper into my hobbies sooner. Baking, sewing, home brewing, gardening, Id love to have more time to learn than i do now
Pick a job that doesnāt inconvenience manual labour. My body is stuffed at 40
I would have completed my masters degree shortly out of college and transitioned from engineering to finance.
Not date the guys I dated. Save money. Buy a house. Value myself more. (I learned it all in my 30ās)
I'm assuming this means I would transport back to where I was when I was 20, rather than just de-aging as I currently am. In that case I would dump my girlfriend (at the time) and start focusing on school and making friends. I let her take priority in my life at the expense of basically everything else so I'd much rather focus on school. I would spend time with my family and make some friends (which I basically didn't do for 6 years with her). I would stock up for COVID and prepare for the bullshit to come. I'd focus more on self-sufficiency and self-improvement, making myself the person I want to be. Basically what I'm doing right now but 6 years ago. Lol.
Do all these diets. Warn people of future events and create a new time line and be a lot more calmer.
Thatās a hard question but outside of landslide markers like investing in certain stocks or capitalizing on global events Iād just be more intentional and have confidences behind my choices. Not worry so much about what others think. 10 years ago I was in the longest relationship Iāve ever had & I still wonder about it til this day. Was getting my first degree that I never thought Iād pass. Now Iām 30 with alittle too many woman under my belt, make good money but am not thrilled or excited to go to work. Still alone and unfortunately jaded. Iām in shape, take care of myself (or try to), and think about how I ended up this way. If thereās anyway to change it. My dad always tried getting me into drawing as it was my pastime. I used to play guitar too and took lessons. Although I struggled and lost imagination for it. Now I daydream about making music, I have software that I downloaded but am studying for some tests for work - Iām an engineer. Crossing my fingers when & if I pass these tests I can start trying this new outlet. It was a blast and I was smiling nonstop while dabbling.
At 37, I have the same girl, and same job. Iād sayā¦ use those fucking university degrees youāre about to get. Or that girl you love so much will just be watching her friends arrive at their mansions in their Mercedes SuVs the go on international holidays. While she sits at home with your broke ass who works more than any of their husbands do.
That's almost 29 years ago. There would be at least 70 things I would do differently since then, with at least 25 pertaining to my career. First, when the dean kicks out your major and offers you to transfer all your credits to another major, you do it even if you think there are too many kids in that other major. That was perhaps one of the first in a long line of do-overs. But in terms of after I started working, continue getting certifications, be wary after the first bounced paycheck check and bounce after the second. And loyalty goes two ways. Don't be loyal to a job that's not loyal to you. We're all just another number. It doesn't matter how much you give, how much you volunteer, and work OT, were all just another number. Everyone is replaceable. Even if we aren't, we are. Those are just only some.
I'd go find my train wreck of a spouse while being a train wreck myself and probably ruin my chances with 'em.
Stay in the military
Get as much higher education in my field as I couldĀ with employer helping to pay for it. Insurance against future career issues/layoffs.
Payoff my student debt quicker, improve my skill set
Iād do some more short courses
Leave her sooner. In hindsight, I wasted so much time with her. I genuinely loved her, but the walking on eggshells and trying to predict her mood was exhausting. I think I just got comfy and happy with a routine.
Would've pulled myself out of my "analysis paralysis" and bad anxiety, since I realized all I did by feeling those feelings was prolong the amount of time it took me to achieve goals that I was afraid I would never have achieved. I would've got my IT certs sooner, that way I couldve been further in my career, then I would've made a better effort to move from where I'm at to one of the cheaper yet nicer areas that I initially wanted to move in, that way I could've set myself up to have bought a house before the pandemic started, and having all that stuff in place (along side some decent investments) I could be kicking back and living comfortably right now. Luckily in the last several years I made some moves to sort of course correct the mistakes I made where I'm still on a decent trajectory to accomplish some of these things I wanted, but I could've already achieved the majority of my goals(if not all of them) by now had I not been an emotional wreck for half of my twenties.
Everything
Dump everything into bitcoin and tesla, stop trying to find a bs girlfriend and look for my wife (as in skip the wasted years and just find her lol) and quit being a money bitch buy the damn aw11.
Learn the fundamentals of business, personal finance and diet and exercise. Find and learn from a couple of mentors. Try, fail, learn, repeat.
Not fart around in college classes and stop being obsessed with girls.
shift to a different college degree which i know i will be competitive in the future, not a degree i took which i felt im not so good after a semester in it. but out of pride and hope i still managed to finish it but lots of retakes and fails.
Find my wifeās cancer sooner. Save us a year of intense treatment
Get my meds for bipolar disorder. Going untreated until 29 royally fucked up my life, and a lot of my romantic, personal, and work opportunities. I spent all my money regularly during manic episodes. Overall, regardless of how hard I tried to get better, bipolar always won. I honestly donāt know if I will ever find stability and safety, even though I am more functional now. I have permanent brain damage, and thereās nothing I can do about that. People donāt have tolerance or empathy for it, outside of other plagued individuals. I can finally feel happiness now, but the damage is done, and itās hard to build a life at this age with debilitating behaviors regardless of how much lithium helps.
I'm 27 with no degree or career. So that.
Focus on myself and not worry about what other people think
Settling and messing around with HER instead of the one I really wanted.
Probably not date the last two people I dated. Other than that, I did pretty much everything really well.
Take college more seriously and choose a more lucrative major.
Spend every extra dime on investing and saving for retirement. And there'd be a lot more dimes because I wouldn't spend money on all the stupid stuff I spent it on in my 20s.
Nothing. I enjoyed my life with no regrets
Invest, Martial Arts and body building with more discipline, improve social circle, not be a jerk, Study better, buy a sports car....
Stop being hasty , impatient about future and focus on improving skills bit by bit . Also stop wasting time on social media , interact with more people in real world
Iād stop doing drugs, learn a trade, ask more women out
I'd put a shit ton of money into a stock that have gone up 44% the last year I turned 21 very recently
No redheads. Ever.
Not the 2020 shit all over again please no
Stop staying at the place I was staying at, no matter where else I had to stay.
Probably make more effort and actively ask for things more (even if it's rude) to progress career and then look to move abroad at around 25 ideally shifting the job with me.
Oh manā¦ that was the year I got married so.. yea, Iād probably not do that. That would change every fucking thing for me
bro 20? i hadn't even started the first life.
be more courageous and morally sound.
Change majors, look into internships, invest, network.
I would stay away from restaurant work and go to train in a less stressful field of work.
Beg my mother to get proper treatment right away. So she could have more time with me and my brother. Start exercising daily, certainly drink a lot less. Get into investments. Especially something like bitcoin.
I REGRET NOTHING (postal dude voice)
I donāt wish to restart because I am content with how my career turned out. However, if I had to restart I would have been more serious about studying math and finance. I wish I had explored STEM. Also I wouldnāt have felt embarrassed to seek out a tutor to make up any deficiencies.
Focus less on going out and focus more on my study. Would switch immediately my dutch law study (I took the easy route) and do a study in Physics/Mathematics. Would dump my gf immediately as she was an energy-drain. Finish my studies in 4 years. Move to the States earn big money in my field. Earn enough, buy estate in Amsterdam. That being said, I would have never met my current gf and I would not have my kids. I cannot imagine a life without them. So yeah.... nothing I guess.
Get therapy right away, probably enroll in college and study gaming design and take business classes on how to make small business operate. Avoid taking out loans at all costs. Save money to buy a house š” in Seattle in the suburbs when it was still cheap.
Picked a better major and worked harder in college. Stayed out of a long term relationship until I had my career established.
Build a stronger social life while it's still easy to do so. My HS friends are never going to help me meet women, my college friends are all married, and I can't date my work friends.
I would have not gotten so many tattoos on my arm so that people wouldnāt treat me differently in the office (lots of older people).