“Youth is wasted on the young.” We hear this over and over again, but no one understands it until they’re old enough to shake their heads and say it themselves.
If you’re a younger person just starting out in the world – first job, first car, first home, first marriage and kids – you probably feel as though everyone older than you has it all under control and has all of the answers. Trust us; we don’t. But while we do still have a lot of questions, we also have a lot of answers from the wisdom we’ve gained from our screw-ups over the years. Here’s what we wish we could have told ourselves when we were just starting out.
1. Everything Is Temporary
And I mean everything. You’re going through a rough breakup? Just got fired from your job? It’s all transitional. Just because everything is gloomy now doesn’t mean it will be six months from now. By the same token, if everything is fantastic now, it can all take a turn for trouble really fast. When things are good, take the time to be grateful and enjoy them.
2. Embrace Every New Opportunity
Your boss offers you extra on-the-job training at work? You get the chance to volunteer with a local organization to build houses for the poor? You’re offered a promotion into a role that you’re not quite sure you can handle? Take it. Sign up for it. Embrace it. Do it. Every new experience has something we can take away from it. Go out and grab those experiences with both arms – as many of them as you can.
3. Every Relationship Has Problems
They all do. If they don’t now, they will eventually. Those couples you see who have been married for 50 years? Their relationships have gone through hell and back. Relationships take work; that’s what makes them worth it.
4. Don’t “What-If” So Much
There’s a much-cited quote that may or may not have come from Mark Twain, and it goes: “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.” Don’t worry about the future so much. If you can take action on something, do it. Otherwise, stop thinking about it.
5. Stop Collecting Things
Our final tip has to do with all the junk you’re about to surround yourself with. It’s exciting when you get a job and have money coming in. You can finally buy that new car, those kayaks you’ve been wanting, more electronics, cool gadgets, artwork, tools… But wait! You’ll be amazed, over the years, at how much stuff you’ll get rid of every time you move or go through your closets. Instead, save time and money by not accumulating excess stuff to begin with. Cook good food. Travel. Go have experiences. Spend your money on doing instead of acquiring.
Of course, you’re young, know it all, and won’t listen to any of this. But you can’t say we didn’t try!
