Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share Which Things Everyone Should Do In Their 20s To Avoid Regret Later In Life

People Share Which Things Everyone Should Do In Their 20s To Avoid Regret Later In Life
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
Make us preferred on Google
Life in your 20s can be described with an infinite array of words: chaotic, euphoric, aimless, confused, busy, energetic, just to name a few.

Truly, it is a decade defined by improvisation.

Throughout those years, a person sits in a very peculiar sweet spot. On one hand, you are finally a full-blown adult, and you enjoy the freedoms and autonomy offered by that fact.

But you're also the most inexperienced version of adult that could possibly exist. And so you are rather clueless about the best way to live and be.

Anyone that age could use some wisdom and mentorship--someone who navigated that madhouse of a decade and recognized their successes and failures.

ReddBolt5 asked, "What should one do in their 20s to avoid regrets in 30s and 40s?"

Life is Malleable

"Always know that change is an option. Many people, myself included, start down a path and think that since I committed to that path, it's the only path for me. Don't get caught in that thought process."

"If a choice (career, location, relationship, etc) doesn't feel right down the road, know you can make a new one. It may be uncomfortable at first, but you can make it through (and likely for the better)."

-- ap_riv

Stay Above Water

"Don't get into credit card debt!" -- 8Gly8

"This sh** will ef up your life as much, if not more, than smoking or drinking or crappy eating etc."

"You can be taught how credit cards work, and it can still be hard to wrap your brain around, until it's too late." -- Go_Cart_Mozart

Knowledge is Power

"Learn how to budget. Even if it's just a simple excel or google sheets file with one column of income, and one of expenses."

"When you see everything you buy in a month next to each other, you realize where you can save money pretty well."

-- Raze321

Take Care of That Outer Layer

"Sunscreen" -- greatredwoodofawhore

"long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists." -- radiogrill

"And don't go to tanning beds" -- raketheleavespls

In Their Prime

"Go see your favorite musical acts when they are young, together, and /or alive. and not selling out to fu** you price arena tours." -- classicsat

"I'll take this one further and say to just go see as much live music as possible."

"I don't regret any of the concerts I've been to in my life, but there are a bunch I regret NOT going to." -- ghettomagicrooster

YOU are the Only Constant

"Learn how to be independently happy" -- PGMG17

"I wish someone could have screamed this in my face with a megaphone whenever I was about to do something codependently stupid in my 20s and early 30s, lol." -- sulesko

Pragmatic Love

"Make sure that if you have a relationship with someone you actually nail down the long term goals and agree on them... Like kids? How exactly will that work? Marriage?"

"Find your deal breakers and take them seriously... From 20-30 the time really flies and you don't want to miss it."

-- stagnant_malignancy

Go Where You're Good

"When choosing your job/profession/career, ignore the horrible life advice to 'follow your passion.' Instead, you should follow your aptitude."

"Identify what you are good at, find a way to use it to bring value to others, work like crazy to do that."

"The happiness/meaning/life-satisfaction will come as a result of being able to build a good life for yourself and those you care about."

-- Stoic_Scientest

Before Leaping Gets Harder

"If you yearn for adventure, go now. You are young, your body is strong, and your obligations are few. Go now."

"It's so much easier to drop everything in your life for a 6-month hiking trip and then slide back into regular life when you're 25 than when you're 35." -- LowCalPal

" Travel. Experience the world. Spend your money on making memories. Hike the Appalachian Trail. Don't be afraid to do things scare you. Sky dive."

"I am grateful for everything I have but I wish I would have realized that there was another option to the regular old 9-to-5. I'm 43 now and physically limited due to an auto accident."

"You never know what life has in store so enjoy it to the fullest while you can." -- babyhaby

Zoom Out

"Invest in yourself by making healthy choices both physically and financially" -- Kaste90

"Included in this: learn to cook." -- raketheleavespls

"So hard to do since people have a hard time showing any empathy for their future self." -- 5yn3rgy

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Ellen Pompeo
Dominik Bindl/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival

Ellen Pompeo Sparks Representation Debate After Being Cast As Woman With Hearing Loss In New TV Series

Actor Ellen Pompeo has sparked a debate about representation after announcing her next television gig.

Pompeo, best known for her long-running stint as the titular Dr. Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy, is set to star in a new medical drama in development at Hulu playing a character with hearing loss.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

It Looks Like Trump's Tacky Monument To Himself In DC May Become A Reality—And People Are Truly Disgusted

Critics pounced on President Donald Trump's latest vanity project after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced that excavation will begin for an enormous arch that will bear Trump's name.

Trump has given significant attention to White House renovations and other pet projects around Washington, D.C., since returning to office. Trump's White House renovations have already cost nearly $1 billion, according to one analysis.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kevin Dillon, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Debi Mazar, Doug Ellin, Jerry Ferrara, Rex Lee and Jeremy Piven posing on a red carpet event in front of an "Entourage" step and repeat.
Gregg DeGuire / Contributor/Getty Images

'Entourage' Creator Speaks Out After Debi Mazar Claims Set Became 'Toxic' After Birth Of Her 2nd Child

Loosely inspired by the early days of Mark Wahlberg's rise to fame in Hollywood, Entourage, which Wahlberg executive-produced, was one of the most successful original series ever produced by HBO.

Premiering in 2004, Entourage went on to run eight seasons, and win six Emmy awards, even spawning a film, which premiered on HBO in 2015.

Keep ReadingShow less
Evan Rachel Wood reflects on being recast in Practical Magic 2 after originating the role of Kylie Owens.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images; Courtesy of Warner Bros.

'Practical Magic' Star Evan Rachel Wood Reveals Nobody From Original Film Reached Out To Her Before Her Role Was Re-Cast For Sequel

When Practical Magic 2 was announced last year, fans were ready to head back to the Owens family home—but apparently, not everyone from the original cast got the invitation.

The sequel picks up 25 years after the 1998 cult classic, with Joey King and Maisie Williams taking over as Kylie and Antonia Owens, the daughters of Sandra Bullock’s Sally. The recasting hasn’t exactly worked its magic on everyone, with fans complaining about Evan Rachel Wood and Alexandra Artrip being replaced in the roles they originated.

Keep ReadingShow less
Davis Mallory and Rachel Vaughan
@davismallory/Instagram

'The Challenge' Star Debuts New Girlfriend A Year After Announcing He's 'No Longer Gay' Thanks To 'God'

A former MTV star has revealed that he is "no longer gay" thanks to "God."

Davis Mallory, who starred on MTV's The Real World and The Challenge, recently went Instagram-official with his girlfriend Rachel Vaughan.

Keep ReadingShow less