Even though I’m not technically a Millennial, I can think of quite a few things that I probably should have done differently when I was younger.
But you live and you learn, right?
Darn right!
But today we’re gonna hear what Millennials have to say about this.
Take a look!
1. It’s important.
“Looking after my teeth.
This has cost me dearly.”
2. You do you.
“I wish I’d cared about a lot of things less much sooner, if that makes any sense.
Like, I wish I cared less what people thought of my pants, my jacket, my interests, at a younger age. I wish I cared less about impressing people I didn’t need to impress, or not embarrassing people when I should have known that was their problem, not mine.
I wish I’d learned sooner it didn’t matter if I was cool or if I liked and hated the right things.
I wish I understood the value of kindness sooner, how rewarding letting yourself be vulnerable was, the power of honesty, all of the stuff that I feel makes my life better now.”
3. Really hard.
“Making true friendships.
It gets too hard after college.
Reminds me of Stand by me : “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12. Jesus, does anyone?””
4. A bunch of stuff.
“Things I wish I’d done:
Gotten out of relationships that weren’t going anywhere as soon as I knew
Sought assistance for ADHD sooner and more thoroughly. Once you’re out of school the support kind of disappears and the tools for school aren’t the same ones you need for the workplace.
Taking music lessons earlier into adulthood.
Taking better care of my teeth.
Taking better care of the rest of my body.
Been more careful with money. I had enough and saved some so I didn’t pay attention. The truth is that when you first start your career is the time to stash that money away. You need less and you want less when you’re young. You’re willing to put up with smaller digs, single beds, and more roommates with furniture you got off the curb. Save all of that money.
On the more frivolous side, I wished I’d had enough confidence to try out more fashion and take risks so I didn’t end up in my late 30’s looking like an advertisement for seniors’ clothing with no clue how to dress.”
5. Watch your back!
“Taking better care of my back, figuring out what I wanted to do with my life, getting out of the house more, finding friends like me, I have a lot of regrets these are the ones that I literally think about every day.”
6. Good investment.
“Buying a house.
I always assumed you needed 20% to buy one and purposely waited thinking the market was inflated back in like 2015. I had the money and could’ve bought had I known you could do as little as 3 or even 5% down.
I could’ve had a house in my area that would be worth double if not more than it was in 2015. Instead I will probably never be able to afford a house where I want to live.”
7. This is common.
“Appreciating my parents.
I was always embarrassed as a teen when my Mom or Dad wanted to take me to the movies because wHaT iF mY sChOoL fRiEnDs SeE mE. I always ate dinner in my room to watch TV or spent so much time at home on the computer…sighed when my parents wanted to watch a movie. Stayed on the phone or with my earbuds in any moment I could instead of just hanging out with them.
Now I’m 29 with a steady job and living 4 and 1/2 hours away, and I don’t get to see them often. I miss them, and I will never live with them again. I’m grappling with the fact that my parents will never stop getting older and they are not in fact immortals who will be with me forever.
I wish I could go back in time when I got to see them every day for years, and I wish I could just truly live in and enjoy all of that time with them. I also wish I could knock my younger self in the head for ever being embarrassed to be seen with them in public and tell myself how much of an idiot I was being.
Basically I wish I didn’t take them for granted. I make a strong effort now to enjoy as much time with them as I can and never take them for granted again.”
8. Don’t settle!
“I regret settling for s**t jobs for so long.
I found a great one 3 years ago and it’s made my quality of life exponentially better.”
9. The opportunity is gone.
“I had a chance to backpack across Europe for 3 months with a buddy and decided to do the responsible thing and start college without delay.
Now there is no chance I will ever be able to do it.”
10. Live a little.
“Honestly, having fun and not giving a s**t.
As soon as I started dating I was searching for a long-term partner. As soon as I started working I was searching for a career.
I was so careful in my youth, thinking that what I did mattered so much. Only now do I understand how much freedom I truly had then.”
11. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
“Letting go and not sweating the small stuff took me so long to learn.
So much time in consideration and consternation over things that I should have let go.
It’s not really something that can be taught though. Even if you have loved ones and friends in your life that give you good sound advice.
You just have to think about what you care about. Maybe it’s needed in some fashion.
Perhaps it’s the only way to learn.”
12. Not worth it.
“I regret going to college without a plan.
I wish I would have taken time to grow up first instead of wasting time and money on something that didn’t pan out.
I wish I knew my strengths and interests earlier in life so that I could have perused them better.”
Do you have any regrets like this?
If so, share them with us in the comments.
Thanks in advance!
