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Wonderful thread. Very thought provoking answers. I realize that I did most of what many of you wrote, but I think my answers would be different. I guess we all think someone else did it better.
If I could go back to 20 years old I think I would worry less about the future and live every minute for what it is to you--the present. You can't change the past and you have no way of knowing what is going to happen in the future. Look for the good in each day and if it is not a good day, do what you can to make it a good day for you and those that live around you. Be thankful for everything that happens to you; even the difficult things because they are happening to get you ready for what is coming in your future. In all things give thanks.
Get a government job with guaranteed pension and lifetime healthcare benefits. But 30 years ago, no one would have believed that the private sector would decline as bad as it has.
1) Be very careful who you marry. This will set the tone for your whole adult life
2) Always have a savings account with money in it for emergencies. And needing new shoes or an new Iphone is NOT an emergency.
3) Surround yourself with positive people who will encourage and support you and return the favour. You will have friends that last a lifetime.
4) Try to remember that life is short so set out to have adventures and enjoy the journey.
I'm sure I was told some of these things, I just wish I had of listened.
Very good advice, I am on my third marriage,and still not got it right,now I am too old to do anything about it...... The moral to this story is keep your money ,business, sepperate, at lest part of it. You will never know when they will turn on you!
I like the one about surrounding yourself with positive people. Also, intelligent people. That doesn't necessarily mean book smart, it means surround yourself with people who use their brains to figure out problems. It will keep your brain sharp, and you'll pick up plenty of common sense and solutions to life's problems without even trying.
--When you have empty times in your life, fill them by learning basic skills. Learn to cook a few simple things. Learn how to do a few basic repairs. It keeps you from doing something dumb you'll later regret, and later when life gets busy again a situation will arise where you'll be glad you learned that skill.
--Don't bother trying to predict how you will feel when you are 60-70-80-90. People love to do that when they're 20 but it's pointless. Accept the fact that you will continue changing as you grow, and some of the changes you make may surprise you. In addition, you really can't understand how it feels to have an aging body until you go through it.
Choose a healthier life style, get in the habit of enough exercise and try to avoid injuring or abusing your knees.
I worked in a high noise environment and didn't use ear protection often enough. Now I have tinnitus - ringing in both ears - and if I live to be 100 I will NEVER again enjoy so much at 10 seconds of complete silence even though I now live in a quiet rural area.
See if you can manage to live on 90% of your take home pay most of the time and sock the rest away for the future. If saving 10% is too hard right now try 5% and work your way up.
Cultivate friendships with people who make you laugh - a lot.
i don't think there is a point in your imagining what life might be like for you when you reach "retirement age", because 40-50 years from now retirement and aging will look entirely differently than it looks now,
when i was in my twenties, 45 years ago, seventy was considered to be fairly old and reaching 80 was an achievement. people who lived to retire, usually at 65, perhaps lived ten or twelve years. moving to florida in retirement, with endless golf and tennis, was a goal for many who could afford it. today there are retirement communities, assisted living, over 55 communities, and many people work well beyond traditional retirement age, since longevity has been extended.
so, who knows what it may look like when you reach retirement, if there is such a thing then?
catsy girl
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