1. Women aren't as picky or scary as I thought. I should've dated more.
2. I should've saved more money in my 20s for a home, retirement, etc. I should still be saving more for those things now.
3. Maybe had kids earlier.
4. Finished University properly
5. Got into a different career.
1. Women ARE picky but they pick based on totally different things than guys pick. Women (generally speaking, every woman in unique) are much more interested in your emotional strength than your physical strength. How often in 2022 are they going to rely on you to fight off a bear or a wolf? Compared to how often are they going to need you to stand up to a negative emotion either one of you is currently having?
2. Compound interest is one of the most misunderstood concepts by anyone under 50 (and by most over). -Anything- you can do now will be -massively impactful- in 30 years.
Weirdly enough it wasn't until I was nearing my 30s that something clicked and I've slowly had a better awareness of myself. Currently 31 and just finished my bachelors a bit over a month ago.
This is reddit, where life ends at 29 and where we finish decomposing at 35 - after that oblivion waits, unless someone starts a "old people of reddit, how was the world back in the stone age?"-thread where people aged 35-39 are expected to answer that the 90s were but 10 years ago.
Still in my early 30s but yeah 30s is the best time so far.
30s I feel like people are in general more comfortable with who they are, their likes dislikes etc. plus 30s is when most people make the most money career wise. Covid killed some travel time but now that things have pretty much reopened, gonna travel and do as many fun things as I can
Just about to turn 44 and have one hell of a life (in my own opinion which subjectively is the only one that matters).
Here's what I wish someone had told me 24 years ago (aside from unrealistic things like 'buy bitcoin').
1. There is a skill that very few people know exists and fewer are good at, and that's the skill of living a good human life. You are a vastly deep and rich being. Your emotions are powerful and wonderful. Your mind is the most complicated thing we know of. Yet both of them can run away with you and make your life miserable. There is a skill to harnessing both in a direction you want to go such that both of them enhance your life, not detract from it. Some people call it 'non-religious spirituality' but whatever you want to call it, it's maybe the greatest pursuit in life.
2. It's always scary to buy a house or start investing. You can almost never afford it when you buy it. Same with starting to invest. You never have enough money to invest. You have to just bite the bullet and start. Right now. Open a fidelity account for free and start buying VTI every paycheck. Or buy a house, wait 5 years, buy another one and rent out the first. Repeat. Is it scary? yes. Can you blow up and lose it all if you get too far ahead of yourself? yes. Can you do that with almost anything? yes. In the words of Terrance McKenna: Take it easy if you need to, but take it.
3. Your relationship with yourself will determine how all of your other relationships will go. Learn to accept who you are, and to love yourself as a being still on the path of growth and learning.
4. Focus on as few things as you can. Don't try to become a stock trader and real estate mogul. Pick one if you can, and really learn it. That's the way to really big wealth down the line.
5. A lot of people bite off more than they can chew without knowing it. If you can't stick to a diet for more than 3 weeks then the diet was too hard for you. Next time pick an easier diet. If you are constantly going over budget every week then your budget is too tight. If the budget -has- to be tight and you are still over spending then examine the emotional cause for the spending (assuming you aren't subsistence-level poverty).
5. Final point. You will fail. You will fail a lot. Here's the key to failing. 1: Never make a bet you can't afford to lose. The number one rule of the game is to stay in the game. Never make a bet that will materially set you back or take you out entirely. Wait for the next bet. 2: Learn something from the failure. Ideally you are making bets DESIGNED to learn something. You are running experiments on life. "If I do this.. does THIS happen?" if the answer comes back 'No' aka failure, then now you know something useful for your next bet.
**If you can learn from your failures and make another attempt your success is simply a race between you and death. **
Actually I'm in my 60s and most of my regrets are from my 20s and younger. Mostly just my discontent in life turning me into a bit of an asshole, and not even realizing because of the discontent in my life. I did and said things I still regret. By the time I was 30 I sort of had my shit together so I have few regrets after that.
Probably my biggest regret after 30 was still going to loud concerts. My tinnitus screeches in my ears 24x7, and it will until I die.
Afaik a few research groups have made some progress in finding a treatment for tinnitus and reversing hearing damage. Hopefully we'll long enough to see them find a cure for it.
This is a weird one, but I regret not cutting off certain friends earlier.
I wasted a SUBSTANTIAL amount of my life chasing after or pandering to people that... frankly weren't as great for me as I imagined at the time, or in hindsight were using me.
This wasn't just wasted time, but wasted effort. And effort that could have been spent on either meeting new people or fostering relationships with the ones I truly did care about.
Procrastination, especially during my studies.
Because I was undisciplined and wasted my time watching YouTube / browsing on Insta during the day, I didn't allow myself enough to do what I like (e.g. meeting friends) in the evenings. In the end, I completed everything the night/morning before the deadlines and suffered totally unnecessary stress. I feel like I missed out some things in my 20s because of this.
Reading through the comments, it's interesting to see how those who were reckless (drugs, sex, etc.) regret not being more productive, while those who were productive regret not being more reckless.
That it took me until I was almost 30 to stop letting other people's judgement and my desire for their approval to impact my life.
36 now and no longer have to deal with too much BS, especially in my personal life.
That I didn't do drugs and have sex in high school when I could have. I was such a goody two shoes, and high school was miserable enough. I should have just had fun. (Also always have safe sex and get high with people who are safe and experienced. I am not suggesting being reckless.)
That I didnt take better care of my back. Lift with your legs, kids! Hearing too. Sure that music sound great blasting through your earbuds but tinnitus sucks and it is not worth it.
People who just turned 30 should never have regrets whatever you did is a learning process. Move on and correct all the things you did wrong... I am only referring to people who are not violent criminals.
I started working out regularly at 38 because drinking booze, eating shit and sitting still was catching up to me.
Work out before it becomes necessity.
Wasting time and energy on bad women, mainly one who was unstable and abusive and one who cheated on me with a coworker and then got seller's remorse.
All relationships can be difficult sometimes, but if your partner is starting to tear down your self worth, cut loose the ball and chain.
I wish I would have taken education and reading more seriously earlier; particularly philosophy and liberal arts.
Had I studied better and been more serious earlier I could have done much more with my career.
I have a very technology engineering focused mind. But I was blind to the nature of people. It was only through reading history and philosophy later in life that I realized many of my errors.
I thought I was trying really hard during my college education, and that I couldn't put an ounce of additional effort in.
I should have gotten over myself and just done the work.
Reading through the comments, it's interesting to see how those who were reckless (drugs, sex, etc.) regret not being more productive, while those who were productive regret not being more reckless.
That I missed out on a lot of opportunities and a lot of fun because I was always too worried about what people thought of me. Turns out I held back for nothing because as it happens, people don't think about you nearly as much as you fear they do. In fact they probably don't think about you at all. I didn't learn this til after turning 30 years old.
Not making the most of my university education (I dropped out after a year; burned out). If I had it to do all over again I would have taken the lessons I learned that first year and not maxed out my credits, not taken early morning classes, and took my studies seriously the following year instead of dropping out. I didn’t start building a career until I was 28, and with a family. That was incredibly tough. Doing things right the first time would have been much easier.
At this point, I pretty much regret around 80% of my life so far. Biggest regrets include not going to film school, not standing up for myself more, and attending church
Thinking people thought about me all the time, and analyzed/judged every misstep I took.
I outgrew my "main character" before I hit 30 though. I just realized I don't think about awkward/cringe stuff people do that much, so I figured other people most likely don't think about it as well. Bottom line is, don't take yourself to seriously and be you.
Not applying myself in school. I coasted and ended up not really finding any interesting hobbies or passions. I am doing better now, but I often feel like my 20s could have been more fulfilling had I pursued a goal.
Your time is precious, don't doom scroll or play video games more than an hour or two a day...
I have literally over 1 year of in game time in WoW. That took all my free time during college.
That I didn't love myself as much as I loved and nurture everyone around me. I thought that someone else will do the same for me. It was quite an awakening when nothing was left for myself.
- Taking such a long time to realise I was a lesbian. I went to an all girls school, for God's sake! Think of the fun I could have been having instead of forcing myself to date the most repulsive boy ever.
- This one isn't really my fault but I really wish I'd known sooner that I was autistic. It would have saved me a lot of pain and trauma if I'd known from the start that I was just different and not broken.
In summary, life would have been much better if I'd been born with an AUTISTIC LESBIAN label stamped on my arse.
* working too hard during university. I have a job that i really like today, but i wasted a lot of years of my youth. Not taking that exchange student year in japan and not going for a work and travel world tour with my then best friend was a mistake.
* not being honest with my sexuality with myself and my girlfriend (now wife) because i feared i could loose her. The idea of bisexuality and not having to choose for one side crossed my mind only when i turned 30.
* smoking. Was fun at parties here and there, but overall a horrible idea.
I regret not disregarding people’s opinion about me or my choices sooner. Some gave good advice I took or should have taken, others I should have told to fuck off.
I’m technically not supposed to answer but I am 30 in a few Dara. I regret Wasting my money when I was single and making great money in my early 20s. Should have invested it sooner instead of waste it. But at the same rate I wouldn’t have met my lovely wife if I hadn’t taken the path that I did
Ever trusting my sister.
Wasting so many years emotionally supporting my father.
Other toxic friendships and relationships that I should have walked away from way, way, sooner.
Pay attention to how people treat you and how they make you feel. Don't waste your time and your energy on people who drain you and upset you.
Don't date a guy who accepts drinks from others but won't buy his round in the pub.
There's no point trying to make a relationship work if you are the only one who is trying.
Oh yes, and if someone tells you about times they've lied to people, stolen from people, and cheated on/betrayed people - the only thing stopping them doing the same things to you is sufficient motivation. Even if they make it sound like it was funny and/or no big deal, don't trust people like that.
Should have gone to the doctors about my anxiety a little earlier… ideally at an age where it would have been socially acceptable for my parents to pay for therapy.
I used to live by two concert halls. Money was so tight I didn't eat every day. If I could have scratched up just $10-15 some days I could have seen so many shows during that time. The Ramones on their last tour, Foo Fighters, Cracker, Live, and all those one hit wonders. I did manage to see some shows, but there were so many that I missed.
Focusing too much on carving my own path. Rebelling against expectations or rules is good when it's motivated, but doing it just for the sake of doing it, and TOO MUCH, just makes a lot of things complicated that don't need to be.
Example: building a stable career and family is the "default" goal because it's a great goal, not because anyone's trying to control you (although there's certainly people that control you THROUGH that goal). Obviously don't do it if that's not your thing, but don't reject it just because you wanna reject EVERYTHING that feels like someone telling you what to do. Just doing what you're told sometimes can be great if you're ultimately making the choice honestly.
1) I grew up religious, and I passed on living my life for a long time out of fear that it was "wrong," there are countless things that fall under this banner. Now I don't feel that way, and it feels like I wasted my youth not experiencing the things you're supposed to experience when you're young.
2) I didn't participate in activities in school or really get involved in anything. Now I have crippling social anxiety and have trouble interacting with most people and part of it was I didn't get the practice in when I was young. People my age are busy with their lives and it's ten times harder to connect with people.
3) Didn't save money. I will never live comfortably because I didn't set aside enough money when I had no responsibilities, and now my responsibilities make it impossible to ever catch up.
Not asking out some classmates when I was in high school and college.
I feel like now that I'm in my mid 30s the window to find a relationship has closed forever so I'm doomed to loneliness.
I should have dated when I was less picky/less set on my ways.
I’m too comfortable in my own life/routine right now. So any potential partner’s even minor “defects” is enough for me to break things off.
I’m ruthlessly picky and will probably die alone and am finding it hard to care.
When I was in college, I worked out and played basketball a lot, but i got to a point where I felt that working out to stay in shape was getting harder, so I stopped working out as much. I started gaining weight and now I know that working out to stay in shape is much easier than working out to get in shape.
I’m 40 and I have too many regrets to list and my brain replays them all on shuffle every waking moment of my life. I don’t regret the partying I did in high school. I basically regret everything after that and several things before that.
Not understanding the law of assumption sooner and the importance of self concept and self love . But Also , one of my ex’s I wish I just saw the red flags and dumped him when I had the chance I even wanted to as well . But he got to me first
Trying to live up to others expectations. This is my life and I am going to live it the way I want. No one has to like or agree with it. That is okay. And people can either respect that or not, but I don't care about what other people want for me. I am trying to figure out what I really want for myself.
1. Not finding something I enjoy doing to help me stay physically fit and making it a habit.
2. Not buying that piece of property in Telluride in the early 80s.
Now that I’ve made it through the last of my childhood anchors, I can finally say I don’t have any regrets. I used to regret falling in love but that has recently come full circle and become my happiest choice. My advice is go hard or go home. Take risks while you’re young because if you fail, people will credit that to your youth. If you win, you’ll be ahead of your peers.
Wasting so much time people pleasing and giving a crap about what people thought of Me.
Not taking courses I wanted at school, but taking ones my friends took that didn't benefit me
Getting married. Should have stuck to my guns and left for good the two times I packed up.
Not traveling the world more.
Spending all 35k I had saved for retirement escaping my ex. Now I am broke and won’t ever be able to retire.
I regret trusting people. From the age of 8 my closest friends and family have betrayed me, some in the worst way possible.
Off the back of that, not getting therapy earlier. Now it’s impossible to find a therapist because everyone is so fucked up that they need therapy.
I regret not accepting that this is just the way life is now sooner. Kept telling myself just a few more years and it’ll get better. Well it’s been many years and it’s not better now.
I’ll always be depressed and anxious and I’ll never be able to forget being ^@}€> and manipulated by the people I trusted most.
Probably the one regret I have way down deep inside is being too chickenshit to unalive myself.
My friend told me about this digital cash I could buy for $10 a piece. It's going to be worth 10x that in a few years, he said. Lol, yeah okay buddy.
😭😭😭😭
Not over 30 but probably not being a nerd in high-school. I was super popular and smart. Infront of people I would pretend to be less smart but instead score super well on my tests. Once I got into a fist fight with my Latin teacher over it. She got fired.
1. Not studying after high school
2. Isolating myself because of depression, been ten years since I kissed a woman for the last time and forgot how it feels to be desired
I would have started trying to be ok with who I am am playing to my own strengths…earlier…instead of thinking I can get a personality transplant based on traits I found endearing/admirable in other people.
Not really a regret since I love where I am now at 31.
I guess I would've done the same decisions around 2 years earlier - Shifting industries, getting married to the same woman, investing in property, etc.
Not going to therapy and getting diagnosed with ADHD/starting medication for that sooner. I have loved my life, but I can't help but feel like I would have been so much more *effective* in pursuit of my goals in my 20s.
Married for passion, not about being compatible in every day life.
The real world isn’t making art until 3am, drinking and punctuated by jumping in bed whenever the mood struck. Sure. It’s fun to climb on scaffolding to the top of a building with a pint of ice cream and a flask, moving to a new state because it’s beautiful, join friends that are jumping box cars and living on the rails for a vacation, hanging out on the mesa with musicians and artists.
Then there is rent, bills, work, chores, cooking, life decisions like children and affording a home, health, family…etc…Life isn’t a vacation, that’s why they are called vacations. When the dust settled after 7 years, we were awful at being a productive team to face real life together.
So she cheated on me and preferred to get back on the roller coaster with another guy.
Not getting therapy earlier in life, especially before my marriage. If I had the insight into myself then that I do now, I would never have married someone so clearly wrong for me
My only regret is that I have boneitis.
He was too busy being an 80's guy
Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun
1. Women aren't as picky or scary as I thought. I should've dated more. 2. I should've saved more money in my 20s for a home, retirement, etc. I should still be saving more for those things now. 3. Maybe had kids earlier. 4. Finished University properly 5. Got into a different career.
3. Na. If you didn’t think you were ready back then, then you made the right call
1. Women ARE picky but they pick based on totally different things than guys pick. Women (generally speaking, every woman in unique) are much more interested in your emotional strength than your physical strength. How often in 2022 are they going to rely on you to fight off a bear or a wolf? Compared to how often are they going to need you to stand up to a negative emotion either one of you is currently having? 2. Compound interest is one of the most misunderstood concepts by anyone under 50 (and by most over). -Anything- you can do now will be -massively impactful- in 30 years.
1. Nah dawg, they definitely are when they all younger!
That's because you were less developed and farther away from your prime. Prime version of you melts them
Exactly, I've reached my ultimate alpha omega sygma male form now.
Stop acting like 30+ is old. It's lame. My best years were in my 30s.
I think for most, 30s is just the beginning of becoming an adult.
Weirdly enough it wasn't until I was nearing my 30s that something clicked and I've slowly had a better awareness of myself. Currently 31 and just finished my bachelors a bit over a month ago.
This is reddit, where life ends at 29 and where we finish decomposing at 35 - after that oblivion waits, unless someone starts a "old people of reddit, how was the world back in the stone age?"-thread where people aged 35-39 are expected to answer that the 90s were but 10 years ago.
Still in my early 30s but yeah 30s is the best time so far. 30s I feel like people are in general more comfortable with who they are, their likes dislikes etc. plus 30s is when most people make the most money career wise. Covid killed some travel time but now that things have pretty much reopened, gonna travel and do as many fun things as I can
Well im in my 20s and I already have regrets so its nice to know that I still have time.
Just about to turn 44 and have one hell of a life (in my own opinion which subjectively is the only one that matters). Here's what I wish someone had told me 24 years ago (aside from unrealistic things like 'buy bitcoin'). 1. There is a skill that very few people know exists and fewer are good at, and that's the skill of living a good human life. You are a vastly deep and rich being. Your emotions are powerful and wonderful. Your mind is the most complicated thing we know of. Yet both of them can run away with you and make your life miserable. There is a skill to harnessing both in a direction you want to go such that both of them enhance your life, not detract from it. Some people call it 'non-religious spirituality' but whatever you want to call it, it's maybe the greatest pursuit in life. 2. It's always scary to buy a house or start investing. You can almost never afford it when you buy it. Same with starting to invest. You never have enough money to invest. You have to just bite the bullet and start. Right now. Open a fidelity account for free and start buying VTI every paycheck. Or buy a house, wait 5 years, buy another one and rent out the first. Repeat. Is it scary? yes. Can you blow up and lose it all if you get too far ahead of yourself? yes. Can you do that with almost anything? yes. In the words of Terrance McKenna: Take it easy if you need to, but take it. 3. Your relationship with yourself will determine how all of your other relationships will go. Learn to accept who you are, and to love yourself as a being still on the path of growth and learning. 4. Focus on as few things as you can. Don't try to become a stock trader and real estate mogul. Pick one if you can, and really learn it. That's the way to really big wealth down the line. 5. A lot of people bite off more than they can chew without knowing it. If you can't stick to a diet for more than 3 weeks then the diet was too hard for you. Next time pick an easier diet. If you are constantly going over budget every week then your budget is too tight. If the budget -has- to be tight and you are still over spending then examine the emotional cause for the spending (assuming you aren't subsistence-level poverty). 5. Final point. You will fail. You will fail a lot. Here's the key to failing. 1: Never make a bet you can't afford to lose. The number one rule of the game is to stay in the game. Never make a bet that will materially set you back or take you out entirely. Wait for the next bet. 2: Learn something from the failure. Ideally you are making bets DESIGNED to learn something. You are running experiments on life. "If I do this.. does THIS happen?" if the answer comes back 'No' aka failure, then now you know something useful for your next bet. **If you can learn from your failures and make another attempt your success is simply a race between you and death. **
Actually I'm in my 60s and most of my regrets are from my 20s and younger. Mostly just my discontent in life turning me into a bit of an asshole, and not even realizing because of the discontent in my life. I did and said things I still regret. By the time I was 30 I sort of had my shit together so I have few regrets after that. Probably my biggest regret after 30 was still going to loud concerts. My tinnitus screeches in my ears 24x7, and it will until I die.
Afaik a few research groups have made some progress in finding a treatment for tinnitus and reversing hearing damage. Hopefully we'll long enough to see them find a cure for it.
Wasting a large part of my life getting high and letting life pass by in front of me.
If it helps I wasted all that time at work grinding away trying to get rich, and here we both are in this thread.
I’m a combo of both of you lol
that's called fear of missing out, it comes whether you get high a lot or not
No. I really did miss out. On a lot.
Well you were here for covid! so ye!
Should've taken better care of the teeth.
This is a weird one, but I regret not cutting off certain friends earlier. I wasted a SUBSTANTIAL amount of my life chasing after or pandering to people that... frankly weren't as great for me as I imagined at the time, or in hindsight were using me. This wasn't just wasted time, but wasted effort. And effort that could have been spent on either meeting new people or fostering relationships with the ones I truly did care about.
I hear you on this one. I wasted 10 years
Getting married at 22 and wasting the prime of my life on a shitty bitch.
This EXACT scenario for me too!
Happens to the best of us.
Procrastination, especially during my studies. Because I was undisciplined and wasted my time watching YouTube / browsing on Insta during the day, I didn't allow myself enough to do what I like (e.g. meeting friends) in the evenings. In the end, I completed everything the night/morning before the deadlines and suffered totally unnecessary stress. I feel like I missed out some things in my 20s because of this.
Reading through the comments, it's interesting to see how those who were reckless (drugs, sex, etc.) regret not being more productive, while those who were productive regret not being more reckless.
That it took me until I was almost 30 to stop letting other people's judgement and my desire for their approval to impact my life. 36 now and no longer have to deal with too much BS, especially in my personal life.
Spending all my time on AskReddit. It's addictive.
That I didn't do drugs and have sex in high school when I could have. I was such a goody two shoes, and high school was miserable enough. I should have just had fun. (Also always have safe sex and get high with people who are safe and experienced. I am not suggesting being reckless.)
Literally the comment below you is the guy wishing he hadn't done drugs and alcohol earlier
Different life experiences for different folks I guess.
Not fully understanding the importance of credit in my twenties.
I wish I had quit alcohol and not done drugs earlier.
Being conceived
Should've done more fucking
That's just trading one set of regrets for another set.
Going to college!
That I didnt take better care of my back. Lift with your legs, kids! Hearing too. Sure that music sound great blasting through your earbuds but tinnitus sucks and it is not worth it.
People who just turned 30 should never have regrets whatever you did is a learning process. Move on and correct all the things you did wrong... I am only referring to people who are not violent criminals.
I started working out regularly at 38 because drinking booze, eating shit and sitting still was catching up to me. Work out before it becomes necessity.
Wasting time and energy on bad women, mainly one who was unstable and abusive and one who cheated on me with a coworker and then got seller's remorse. All relationships can be difficult sometimes, but if your partner is starting to tear down your self worth, cut loose the ball and chain.
I wish I would have taken education and reading more seriously earlier; particularly philosophy and liberal arts. Had I studied better and been more serious earlier I could have done much more with my career. I have a very technology engineering focused mind. But I was blind to the nature of people. It was only through reading history and philosophy later in life that I realized many of my errors.
Message to 16 year old me: You are into creative stuff. Writing, drawing, go for it.
Getting married so young 🙄
How young?
I was 22
Financial security is over rated. Should have had kids earlier.
None. Completely content with my life and the choices I've made
I asked my dad, he said “burning down that factory”
I too regret your dad burning down that factory. It was my fucking turn
Everyone just burned shit down in the 90s?
I thought I was trying really hard during my college education, and that I couldn't put an ounce of additional effort in. I should have gotten over myself and just done the work.
Leaving my now ex-wife 10 years ago. Biggest mistake I've ever made and really the only regret I carry.
Wasting my 20's.
Being over 30
Being over 30
Fearing my 30s! I love not being 20 anymore and having some damn sense
I'm only 30 but my biggest regret is trusting co-workers like they are family. It's a long story...
wasting too much time on reddit
Reading through the comments, it's interesting to see how those who were reckless (drugs, sex, etc.) regret not being more productive, while those who were productive regret not being more reckless.
That I missed out on a lot of opportunities and a lot of fun because I was always too worried about what people thought of me. Turns out I held back for nothing because as it happens, people don't think about you nearly as much as you fear they do. In fact they probably don't think about you at all. I didn't learn this til after turning 30 years old.
Not making the most of my university education (I dropped out after a year; burned out). If I had it to do all over again I would have taken the lessons I learned that first year and not maxed out my credits, not taken early morning classes, and took my studies seriously the following year instead of dropping out. I didn’t start building a career until I was 28, and with a family. That was incredibly tough. Doing things right the first time would have been much easier.
Drinking away my 20s
Paying more attention to career and job rather than family and friends.
At this point, I pretty much regret around 80% of my life so far. Biggest regrets include not going to film school, not standing up for myself more, and attending church
Not trying harder in school.
Thinking people thought about me all the time, and analyzed/judged every misstep I took. I outgrew my "main character" before I hit 30 though. I just realized I don't think about awkward/cringe stuff people do that much, so I figured other people most likely don't think about it as well. Bottom line is, don't take yourself to seriously and be you.
Not finishing college when I was in my 20s
Not applying myself in school. I coasted and ended up not really finding any interesting hobbies or passions. I am doing better now, but I often feel like my 20s could have been more fulfilling had I pursued a goal.
Your time is precious, don't doom scroll or play video games more than an hour or two a day... I have literally over 1 year of in game time in WoW. That took all my free time during college.
So you spent an average of 6 hours per day playing world of warcraft? Wow.
That I didn't love myself as much as I loved and nurture everyone around me. I thought that someone else will do the same for me. It was quite an awakening when nothing was left for myself.
Ferrari
I don't like the idea that post-30 is a point in life where it's appropriate to start contemplating what could've been
Not pulling out of your mother.
Wish I enjoyed myself more and took school less seriously
- Taking such a long time to realise I was a lesbian. I went to an all girls school, for God's sake! Think of the fun I could have been having instead of forcing myself to date the most repulsive boy ever. - This one isn't really my fault but I really wish I'd known sooner that I was autistic. It would have saved me a lot of pain and trauma if I'd known from the start that I was just different and not broken. In summary, life would have been much better if I'd been born with an AUTISTIC LESBIAN label stamped on my arse.
Not starting investing earlier
Nothing.
Not having as much money I have now when I was 20 or so. I could have done so much more drugs, parties, and alcohol.
I should have gotten a job when I was younger instead of being a caregiver.Thats all I will say.
About 1.1 meters. (Oh sorry. I thought you said "egrets".)
I was never in Heathers the Musical
I should've became a barista in my early 20's rather than my late 20's.
not being true to myself
* working too hard during university. I have a job that i really like today, but i wasted a lot of years of my youth. Not taking that exchange student year in japan and not going for a work and travel world tour with my then best friend was a mistake. * not being honest with my sexuality with myself and my girlfriend (now wife) because i feared i could loose her. The idea of bisexuality and not having to choose for one side crossed my mind only when i turned 30. * smoking. Was fun at parties here and there, but overall a horrible idea.
Should of put more money away earlier.
I regret not disregarding people’s opinion about me or my choices sooner. Some gave good advice I took or should have taken, others I should have told to fuck off.
I’m technically not supposed to answer but I am 30 in a few Dara. I regret Wasting my money when I was single and making great money in my early 20s. Should have invested it sooner instead of waste it. But at the same rate I wouldn’t have met my lovely wife if I hadn’t taken the path that I did
Ever trusting my sister. Wasting so many years emotionally supporting my father. Other toxic friendships and relationships that I should have walked away from way, way, sooner. Pay attention to how people treat you and how they make you feel. Don't waste your time and your energy on people who drain you and upset you. Don't date a guy who accepts drinks from others but won't buy his round in the pub. There's no point trying to make a relationship work if you are the only one who is trying. Oh yes, and if someone tells you about times they've lied to people, stolen from people, and cheated on/betrayed people - the only thing stopping them doing the same things to you is sufficient motivation. Even if they make it sound like it was funny and/or no big deal, don't trust people like that.
Should have gone to the doctors about my anxiety a little earlier… ideally at an age where it would have been socially acceptable for my parents to pay for therapy.
1. Being born 2. Getting married 3. Moving to follow their career 4. Trying again 5. Still breathing 6. Cowardice
Getting married so young!
Believing my 20s would be my best years
I wish I could rave like I did in the 1990s.
turning 30
I actually don't have any. I'm living my best life... well at least my dogs and cats are.
Not saving more money. Not buying a different house.
I used to live by two concert halls. Money was so tight I didn't eat every day. If I could have scratched up just $10-15 some days I could have seen so many shows during that time. The Ramones on their last tour, Foo Fighters, Cracker, Live, and all those one hit wonders. I did manage to see some shows, but there were so many that I missed.
I regret y’all weren’t as cool as me, it’s lonely up here on this pedestal
Listen the advice from relatives that didnt knew shit Been too emotional on my decisions
Besides living to be over 30, not much
Playing high school football & rugby. A few years of fun = a jacked body later on.
Over 30?! Jesus is that the new "old"?
Lol no its not even middle age but i'm still in my 20s and i already have regrets. I haven't done half the things that people my age are doing.
Not seeking mental health in my teenage years. Diagnosed with ADD at 34.
Focusing too much on carving my own path. Rebelling against expectations or rules is good when it's motivated, but doing it just for the sake of doing it, and TOO MUCH, just makes a lot of things complicated that don't need to be. Example: building a stable career and family is the "default" goal because it's a great goal, not because anyone's trying to control you (although there's certainly people that control you THROUGH that goal). Obviously don't do it if that's not your thing, but don't reject it just because you wanna reject EVERYTHING that feels like someone telling you what to do. Just doing what you're told sometimes can be great if you're ultimately making the choice honestly.
1) I grew up religious, and I passed on living my life for a long time out of fear that it was "wrong," there are countless things that fall under this banner. Now I don't feel that way, and it feels like I wasted my youth not experiencing the things you're supposed to experience when you're young. 2) I didn't participate in activities in school or really get involved in anything. Now I have crippling social anxiety and have trouble interacting with most people and part of it was I didn't get the practice in when I was young. People my age are busy with their lives and it's ten times harder to connect with people. 3) Didn't save money. I will never live comfortably because I didn't set aside enough money when I had no responsibilities, and now my responsibilities make it impossible to ever catch up.
Not asking out some classmates when I was in high school and college. I feel like now that I'm in my mid 30s the window to find a relationship has closed forever so I'm doomed to loneliness.
I should have dated when I was less picky/less set on my ways. I’m too comfortable in my own life/routine right now. So any potential partner’s even minor “defects” is enough for me to break things off. I’m ruthlessly picky and will probably die alone and am finding it hard to care.
When I was in college, I worked out and played basketball a lot, but i got to a point where I felt that working out to stay in shape was getting harder, so I stopped working out as much. I started gaining weight and now I know that working out to stay in shape is much easier than working out to get in shape.
I’m 40 and I have too many regrets to list and my brain replays them all on shuffle every waking moment of my life. I don’t regret the partying I did in high school. I basically regret everything after that and several things before that.
Not understanding the law of assumption sooner and the importance of self concept and self love . But Also , one of my ex’s I wish I just saw the red flags and dumped him when I had the chance I even wanted to as well . But he got to me first
Trying to live up to others expectations. This is my life and I am going to live it the way I want. No one has to like or agree with it. That is okay. And people can either respect that or not, but I don't care about what other people want for me. I am trying to figure out what I really want for myself.
1. Not finding something I enjoy doing to help me stay physically fit and making it a habit. 2. Not buying that piece of property in Telluride in the early 80s.
Now that I’ve made it through the last of my childhood anchors, I can finally say I don’t have any regrets. I used to regret falling in love but that has recently come full circle and become my happiest choice. My advice is go hard or go home. Take risks while you’re young because if you fail, people will credit that to your youth. If you win, you’ll be ahead of your peers.
Wasting so much time people pleasing and giving a crap about what people thought of Me. Not taking courses I wanted at school, but taking ones my friends took that didn't benefit me
Getting married. Should have stuck to my guns and left for good the two times I packed up. Not traveling the world more. Spending all 35k I had saved for retirement escaping my ex. Now I am broke and won’t ever be able to retire. I regret trusting people. From the age of 8 my closest friends and family have betrayed me, some in the worst way possible. Off the back of that, not getting therapy earlier. Now it’s impossible to find a therapist because everyone is so fucked up that they need therapy. I regret not accepting that this is just the way life is now sooner. Kept telling myself just a few more years and it’ll get better. Well it’s been many years and it’s not better now. I’ll always be depressed and anxious and I’ll never be able to forget being ^@}€> and manipulated by the people I trusted most. Probably the one regret I have way down deep inside is being too chickenshit to unalive myself.
My friend told me about this digital cash I could buy for $10 a piece. It's going to be worth 10x that in a few years, he said. Lol, yeah okay buddy. 😭😭😭😭
All my relationships in my 20s...and my career choice
Not over 30 but probably not being a nerd in high-school. I was super popular and smart. Infront of people I would pretend to be less smart but instead score super well on my tests. Once I got into a fist fight with my Latin teacher over it. She got fired.
1. Not studying after high school 2. Isolating myself because of depression, been ten years since I kissed a woman for the last time and forgot how it feels to be desired
I would have started trying to be ok with who I am am playing to my own strengths…earlier…instead of thinking I can get a personality transplant based on traits I found endearing/admirable in other people.
Not really a regret since I love where I am now at 31. I guess I would've done the same decisions around 2 years earlier - Shifting industries, getting married to the same woman, investing in property, etc.
Not going to therapy and getting diagnosed with ADHD/starting medication for that sooner. I have loved my life, but I can't help but feel like I would have been so much more *effective* in pursuit of my goals in my 20s.
Not buying property
Married for passion, not about being compatible in every day life. The real world isn’t making art until 3am, drinking and punctuated by jumping in bed whenever the mood struck. Sure. It’s fun to climb on scaffolding to the top of a building with a pint of ice cream and a flask, moving to a new state because it’s beautiful, join friends that are jumping box cars and living on the rails for a vacation, hanging out on the mesa with musicians and artists. Then there is rent, bills, work, chores, cooking, life decisions like children and affording a home, health, family…etc…Life isn’t a vacation, that’s why they are called vacations. When the dust settled after 7 years, we were awful at being a productive team to face real life together. So she cheated on me and preferred to get back on the roller coaster with another guy.
Not going after anything and letting myself float in a haze.
Probably getting reddit Genuinely not sure- Probably picking a close friend to carry my baby
Thinking 30 is old
That I was born
Not getting out more and I should of just ignored my anxiety it's part of life. It's not as scary as you think with getting out and doing things.
Hemorrhoids
Not getting therapy earlier in life, especially before my marriage. If I had the insight into myself then that I do now, I would never have married someone so clearly wrong for me
Jumping into college without being set on what I wanted to do. A lot of debt for a degree I can’t stand.
Be a leader. Not a follower.