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30+ Era, what's the most important thing you learned in your 20's?
- Thread starter SolVanderlyn
- Start date
That self-consciousness is desire (Hegel).
Which I essentially take as licence to discover and produce or realize myself by authentically following my intellectual curiosity, and since that curiosity is intentional or seeks to gain something, thereby bringing my life closer to the form of its own satisfaction, the form of its satisfaction to be revealed or realized by the successive unfolding of this process.
Which I essentially take as licence to discover and produce or realize myself by authentically following my intellectual curiosity, and since that curiosity is intentional or seeks to gain something, thereby bringing my life closer to the form of its own satisfaction, the form of its satisfaction to be revealed or realized by the successive unfolding of this process.
- Stop chasing things and appreciate what you have already.
- Don't get too deep into social media, it's ultimately meaningless.
- Excercise your body as well as your mind.
- Gett off your ass and just start doing the things you wish to do. Focus on the possibilities and not the obstacles.
- Don't get too deep into social media, it's ultimately meaningless.
- Excercise your body as well as your mind.
- Gett off your ass and just start doing the things you wish to do. Focus on the possibilities and not the obstacles.
Wish I learned this one earlier, myself. Many great friendships that ended because I'd rather play video games in my bedroom, hahaha.
Build multiple casinos, go bankrupt, get in bed with the Russian mob, run for President, make taxpayers pay for everything you do while whining about how everyone else is messing up the country
- Be open to new experiences. It took me a while to figure this out, now I'm 31 and enjoying life so much more now that I am open to being more social and doing more things.
- Don't be afraid to travel.
- Save money, and live within your means. Doesn't mean you have to be a hermit and stay inside all the time, but throwing $50-$100 into a savings account every month will go a long way.
- Learn to cook. Can't stress this enough. Home cooked meals usually taste better with fresh ingredients, it's more rewarding, and you can learn a valuable skill.
Don't waste your time collecting things like movies, videogames, figurines, collectibles, memorabilia. I struggle with this one from time to time but possessions accumulate into clutter. Clutter that you probably don't use or get enjoyment from on a daily, weekly, monthly or even yearly basis.
I find I'm at my happiest with a clean home and a home cooked meal, and just down time with my kids. A clean home is hard to maintain with 3 children.
I find I'm at my happiest with a clean home and a home cooked meal, and just down time with my kids. A clean home is hard to maintain with 3 children.
For me it was investing, interest rate on my savings account was terrible so I started looking at better alternatives.
I started out investing in a combination of Shares and Funds then finally into property.
It definitely took some research and wasn't without risk.
Life is very short, stop worrying so much, and focus on what actually matters(it's up to you).
Also, be a minimalist, stop collecting and buying useless shit.
Also, be a minimalist, stop collecting and buying useless shit.
This is a great one! You literally never know how the smallest thing can lead to something massive. And worst case, getting used to just saying yes and putting yourself out there is a skill.
After you have a healthy buffer in savings, the priority is:
1. Contribute to your company 401k up to the company match
2. Max out your IRA
3. Max out the remainder of your 401k
4. Taxable investments
1. Figure out what you want early, then work as hard and often as you can to get to that place professionally and financially. You can then take it easy afterwards, enjoying the fruits of your labor in a career that compensates you well and comes easily / largely stress free. This is because you'll never be as full of energy and as sharp as you are in your 20's. Use every last drop of that energy and ambition now. Drive hard in the paint ages 22 - 29 so that you can chill, vacation, and save lots in your 30's and 40's.
2. Speaking of saving, as others have said, it's important to start early. Even if you can only afford a few % of each check to be diverted into retirement or a regular savings account. Get to saving as early as possible.
3. Don't fuck up your credit. If you can't afford something then don't finance it. Always pay your credit card bills / loans on time. In fact strive to be debt free by 29. One of the best things I ever did for my sanity and general well being was paying off all of my debt just before my 28th birthday. Haven't had so much as a car loan since. I pay my credit card(s) off every week or immediately after a large purchase (for those rewards baby).
4. Don't dwell on what others think. I know it's hard not to want to be trendy or keep up with the Joneses when you're really young, but seriously, fuck what people think. If you can't afford a nice car then proudly drive that old hoopdee. You want to save money and live in a trailer park for a few years, then go live in that cheap trailer and stack your chips.
5. Set aside some time each year to get away for a week. Ideally with a loved one. You don't have to go to <trendy city A> and stay in <five star hotel>. Just escape some place for three to five days. Don't check work email. Don't respond to texts or tweets. Such little escapades go a long, long way in giving perspective on just how little most stuff actually matters at the end of the day.
2. Speaking of saving, as others have said, it's important to start early. Even if you can only afford a few % of each check to be diverted into retirement or a regular savings account. Get to saving as early as possible.
3. Don't fuck up your credit. If you can't afford something then don't finance it. Always pay your credit card bills / loans on time. In fact strive to be debt free by 29. One of the best things I ever did for my sanity and general well being was paying off all of my debt just before my 28th birthday. Haven't had so much as a car loan since. I pay my credit card(s) off every week or immediately after a large purchase (for those rewards baby).
4. Don't dwell on what others think. I know it's hard not to want to be trendy or keep up with the Joneses when you're really young, but seriously, fuck what people think. If you can't afford a nice car then proudly drive that old hoopdee. You want to save money and live in a trailer park for a few years, then go live in that cheap trailer and stack your chips.
5. Set aside some time each year to get away for a week. Ideally with a loved one. You don't have to go to <trendy city A> and stay in <five star hotel>. Just escape some place for three to five days. Don't check work email. Don't respond to texts or tweets. Such little escapades go a long, long way in giving perspective on just how little most stuff actually matters at the end of the day.
At 30, I now make close to six figures and roughly 5x what I was making at my first gig out of college; in that time I changed jobs multiple times, was fired once, worked myself to the bone on a contract gig that was not renewed, and took a chance on an internal promotion to get where I am now. I can safely say my own hard-work was nowhere near as important as the combination of perserverence, luck, timing, location, and networking that got me here.
My current title sounds made up, and I am doing something I had never even heard of when I was in college and trying to imagine what my future would look like. I have no idea what I will do next, but I know what I'm good at, I definitely know what I'm bad at, and I can appreciate the difference between what I can change and what I can't. IMO thats what my 20s were for.
Advice:
My current title sounds made up, and I am doing something I had never even heard of when I was in college and trying to imagine what my future would look like. I have no idea what I will do next, but I know what I'm good at, I definitely know what I'm bad at, and I can appreciate the difference between what I can change and what I can't. IMO thats what my 20s were for.
Advice:
- If I had been exceptional at my first job out of school, and decided to stick around a rise through the ranks at the same company, or in the same role, I would have not only capped out my salary growth a long time ago, but would never have come close to living even half of the adventure my life has turned into
- If I had never failed and then somehow found the courage to own my mistakes and turn them into learning opportunities, I would probably still be stuck feeling hung up on failure and too anxious/afraid to move forward. Owning my own failures, and really internalizing their lessons, has been rocket fuel for my own sense of life satisfaction, professional identity, and my ability to grow as a human --- but the key was failing in the first place
- No matter how much of this was about work and money, when I look back at my 20s almost none of my fond memories have anything to do with work or money. Broke or less broke, what I do remember are all of the relationships I invested in, the adventures I went on, the days off I took when I "shouldn't" have, the projects I took on for my own sense of satisfaction, and the times I stopped whatever I was doing to just look around, sit still, and appreciate being alive.
Read books.
Don't overuse credit cards.
Appreciate the friends who reach out to you.
Do your best to love yourself.
These are hard, some harder than others, but probably the biggest take aways for me in my 20s.
Don't overuse credit cards.
Appreciate the friends who reach out to you.
Do your best to love yourself.
These are hard, some harder than others, but probably the biggest take aways for me in my 20s.
This is a big one. Collecting can be an addiction that can cost thousands. It's especially bad that companies that sell the stuff market it as an "investment". An extremely small percentage of collectables sell for more than retail price. It's just a huge money drain.
You say that like you can only have fun in your 20s. Retirement can be extremely fun if you save for it.
My advice: Don't settle for anything. That includes jobs and relationships. The 20s are still a time to experiment so getting locked into a track because it's "good enough" is bad news.
Also, make sure your regrets are "I should have done that thing I was scared to try!" It's better to try and fail than be paralyzed into inaction picturing the worst case scenario.
I actually disagree with this. My metabolism was still fast during my 20s so I could eat what I wanted without gaining weight. Yeah, that's not the be all, end all of health, but, if I could do it again, I would still eat what I wanted in my 20s; I would just make sure I appreciated it more.
Also, make sure your regrets are "I should have done that thing I was scared to try!" It's better to try and fail than be paralyzed into inaction picturing the worst case scenario.
I actually disagree with this. My metabolism was still fast during my 20s so I could eat what I wanted without gaining weight. Yeah, that's not the be all, end all of health, but, if I could do it again, I would still eat what I wanted in my 20s; I would just make sure I appreciated it more.
Don't be afraid to take risks, you can still recover from them relatively easily in your 20s.
Spend responsibly but do things you enjoy while you don't have other responsibilities.
Don't worry about relationships, it'll happen when it happens.
Exercise and eat well.
Spend responsibly but do things you enjoy while you don't have other responsibilities.
Don't worry about relationships, it'll happen when it happens.
Exercise and eat well.
20's are fun but extremely tough. Life gets significantly better in your 30's. Always keep that in mind.
That I should have started putting some money into an investment fund every month, rather than having it languish in savings accounts with non-existent rates, once interest rates were slashed in the wake of the 2008 crash.
Plenty of low-risk funds to choose from delivering ~5% returns a year.
Plenty of low-risk funds to choose from delivering ~5% returns a year.
I'm 29 and this thread is so goddamn helpful. Time to drink some water, hit the gym, and invest in stocks
Furthermore;
1) Don't base your identity around that which you consume.
2) Don't linger in a social scene just because they like the same things you do.
Don't give up on education - ever no matter what anyone says
Don't chase girls if you don't have a good career/job
Don't chase girls if you don't have a good career/job
Don't hang around people who don't support you, especially family. Sucks to say but keeping minimal contact with my family after moving out did wonders for me as a person. I'm not very successful but fuck if its not 20x what it would have been if I stuck around.
