25 men reveal things they regret not doing in their 20s that work as advice for the current youth
Your prime years give you the freedom to do literally anything. Here are 25 things men regret not doing in their 20s to help you decide which course to take.
Youth is a time to celebrate, go all out and enjoy every part of life. It is in these prime years that one gets the most memorable experiences of life. Often, this age is the one to try new things and find your true identity. While some prefer partying and concerts, others prefer learning skills or securing a professional future. Everyone has their priorities at one's prime age. Many choose to spend these years making friends, traveling, partying and even exploring different peculiarities of life.
No one knows how to live life perfectly and there will always be some regret. It could be not learning how to cook or invest, not spending enough time with their loved ones or something else entirely. The r/AskMen forum on Reddit had an interesting conversation about things that men regret not doing in their 20s. Since life experiences are sometimes the best lessons, perhaps the responses of these men could serve as valuable insights to the youngsters of today. Here's what 25 men had to share about the things they regret not doing in their 20s:
1. 'Say cheese' as often as you can
"Not taking enough photos. One’s youth is truly beautiful!" - u/BLAU3WEISS3R
2. Setting the foundation
"Picking a career and sticking with it. But that's easier said than done. I feel like luckiest people in the world are the ones who know what they want when they're young." - u/Killingstar
3. Get yourself checked
"I ignored injuries and after 8 months what might have been a recoverable herniated disc exploded. I have permanent nerve damage numbness in my arms. It’s gotten back to 75% now.
Go to the doctor! I used to literally tell myself ,'I’m invincible.'" - u/AsTallAsAGiraffe
4. Prioritize education
"I spent almost all of my 20s unemployed, but I wish I had been studying something during that time." - u/TaboritskyTime
5. Take risks
"Taking the risk and leaving the country to start a new life on a different continent."- u/HomelessEuropean
6. Be on the lookout for your soulmate
"Finding a wife. The task only grows harder every day that passes as there are fewer and fewer good women left. 'Don't worry, someday it will just happen when you least expect it,' is terrible advice." - u/username_6916
7. Choose wisely!
"Probably could have been a bit more sensible with my money, putting some aside in savings and in a pension. I'm nearly 40 and am making up for lost time now I make decent money." - u/MarthaFarcuss
8. Get musical knowledge
"Learning an instrument. I mean really learning ." - u/goldbeater
9. Take wisdom from elders
"Learning what the elders knew before they passed away." - u/HerbDaLine
10. Find friends to hold you down!
"Not investing in maintaining friendships and proactively trying to meet more friends." - u/Bravesfan043
11. Invest
"Investing more. I invested what I thought was a good amount, but, looking back I probably could have doubled the amount I was putting away given the lack of financial responsibilities I had, especially in my early 20s."- u/Equal_Win
12. Getting a degree that works for you
"Not leaving my hometown for college, not getting a degree in something useful"- u/Kyrosiv
13. Developing good habits early on
"It baffles me the amount of time I wasted in my 20s. Now I understand that every single achievement in life comes at the cost of having good habits, discipline, and grit." - u/Big-bodybuilder3154
14. Exploring and living
"Moving somewhere fun after college for a few years and working seasonal or fun jobs. For me, I wish I would’ve moved to the mountains and lived cheap, worked in a bike or ski shop, and just had fun." - u/MNmostlynice
15. Working out
"Working out, started now late 40s and I've just realised how much I enjoy lifting weights. I regret not doing this 20 years ago when I was stronger and had so much more free time with no wife or kids." - u/slightly_OCD
16. Focus on yourself, not others
"Not giving a f*ck about people who wouldn’t bat an eyelid if I died tomorrow." - u/SparkyHK23
17. Be spontaneous
"Getting together a couple thousand bucks and just driving a direction for a couple weeks, then driving back." - u/SecondTalon
18. Start something on your own
"Becoming self-employed. I was a company man for three decades. Looking back, this was a poor choice." - u/koopz_ay
19. Seek Therapy
"Therapy. You don't have to just live, avoid your trauma. Stuff can get better, I wish I knew. I could live a more full life."- u/Safe-catepillar7521
20. Routines
"Routines... I regret not setting more consistent routines." - u/NameIdeas
21. Getting in shape with football
"Playing football at a club. My body shape could look much better and just simply would be proud to close my twenties with a long sporting history." - u/Notrixus
22. Quality over quantity
"Save more money and invest in quality friendship over quantity."- u/Croustiti
23. Get more involved
"Getting involved in more activities. I spent way too much time not interacting with enough people. My world was much too small."- u/ekimlive
24. Drawing experience
"Living the college dorm life... I envy the kids who get to enjoy that campus life" - u/WorkSleepRepeater
25. Build your identity
"Focus more on developing an identity."- u/cannabis_rex
Share on Facebook
