For those 30+: What would you do differently?

[fairdinkum]

Please, no teenagers or twenty-somethings giving 'advice'. You (and me) have a long way to go before we can look back on our twenties with the objectivity and wisdom I am looking for here.

I often think about what I would do differently if I could go back a few years. I reckon I would do a tonne of things differently. For those of you who have survived your twenties, what things do you look back on and say, 'yeah, I wouldn't do it that way again'? Did you know at the time you were doing something silly or did it take until years later to look back and realise? And how much does it bother you now? Are you content or do you still think about it often?

I've read similar threads on other forums and it seems that those who worked heaps/bought houses early regret not 'living' more, while those partied hard/traveled heaps often regret not planting down roots sooner. Those who got into LTRs early seem to regret not playing the field more, while those who were single for a long time regret not settling down with 'the one that got away'. Etc etc.

Thanks in advance to all good contributors. Over to you, bigfooty

 

[krisholio14]

I would ask for a refund up front.

 

[Catsmaninamerica]

Regret not spending more time with my dad. He died when I was in my late 20's. as I've gotten older I've missed him more and more. It actually aches some days.

 

[Meow]

Moved away from Melbourne/Victoria when I had the chance. Got offered a job on Hamilton Island twenty something years ago with good pay and turned it down purely because I had no family/friends in Qld and because my partner at the time didn't want to live there.

Other than that I would have travelled overseas less (would've well and truly paid off the house by now if I'd done otherwise) and never have taken up smoking (only managed to kick the habit in the last 18 months after being a smoker for 30 odd years).

 

[blueboy25]

I am 33 and pretty happy with the way it has gone to be honest. Lived in Europe for a while and have traveled around most of Europe and North America.

One regret was in regards to my football. Played WAFL colts and a couple of reserves games and then went back to my local amateur club to play with my mates. Had a pretty good year personally plus we won the flag. I got asked by 2 other WAFL clubs to come down for the following pre season but decided against it. Looking back I would have loved to have given it a crack.

I do sometimes shake my head at opportunities I had with the fairer sex that I didn't pick up on and it was only afterward that I realised that I was in like flynn.

 

[bunsen burner]

Probably not much.

More of a sliding doors thing. Pretty happy with how things are and have been post 30. I've made plenty of mistakes along the way and have a few regrets, but nothing that keeps me up at night.

If I could make changes with assurances that it doesn't adversely effect my current being then i'm pretty sure i'd have some. And then some more. And then some.

 

[bunsen burner]

It only takes small things to change your life. Imagine where you met your partner. Imagine you didn't go to the pub that night? Imagine you did decide to work overseas for a few years? Imagine someone else got that job instead of you?

You'd be banged up with some other ho' with different looking kids.

 

[Jackfrost]

Nothing. Everything I've done and every decision I've made has taken to the very point in life I find myself in now.

My advice would be to live your life, learn from your mistakes and enjoy the little things in life.

 

[Jackfrost]

Actually I'd go back and give old me the lotto numbers for the week and get old me to put it in an account time stamped for tomorrow

 

[00Stinger]

Not get a gf until late 20's

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Probably biggest regret is not staying in good shape. Over the last 5 or so years I really let myself go, ate a lot of s**t and no regular exercise. Now trying to get into really good shape, and it's true what they say... the older you get, the harder it is. Would have been easier to just keep in shape. You look and feel so much better.

Probably only other thing I can think of is a few times, I can remember not standing up for myself. No major reprecussions or anything, just looking back I remember a few people treating me in a pretty shitty manner, and I have let it slide because it was just easier. Wish now I'd held them to account. But I'm very happy now and not in contact with them anyway, so all good in the end.

 

[neroblack]

I would have worked harder at both cricket and footy between 17-22...had injury problems and kinda gave up because of it, went back to cricket but not the same level, always wonder what could have been!

 

[Northworth]

34 here
married and we are expecting... finally own our own house

if I could go back in time and give myself advice at 21 (regret is too strong) then it would be two things

1. have more confidence with women... just ask them out - the VERY worse that can happen is a no
2. save a bit more to make the deposit for a house a bit easier, a bit earlier

having said that - in both areas I got there in the end... so maybe this advice isn't all that important.

 

[Jackfrost]

1. have more confidence with women... just ask them out - the VERY worse that can happen is a no

But then you wouldn't be with your current partner.

Dunno, my wife is the love of my life and my best friend so I'm glad I missed out on all those other opportunities.

In any case congrats on the coming child. I am expecting my 2nd at any given moment.

 

[Ed_Gein]

I worked really hard and at one point had a lot of dough, i quit my job saying that i wanted to do something else. I went on a holiday for a month and when i came back i stayed unemployed for a year living off what i had saved up. Regret not doing something worthwhile with it like buying an investment property or something.

Also, didn;t bother doing any study after leaving high school, which i regret. Always been pretty skinny and i wish i had of put the effort into putting on some weight, which has always been a bit hard for me. But am going to the gym regularly now and am at an ok range for now, but still looking to put on a few more to get to 83-85kg. 6'0/78kg at the moment.

 

[Norwegian Blue]

Probably biggest regret is not staying in good shape. Over the last 5 or so years I really let myself go, ate a lot of s**t and no regular exercise. Now trying to get into really good shape, and it's true what they say... the older you get, the harder it is. Would have been easier to just keep in shape. You look and feel so much better.

I did something similar when my first kid was born. For the next 5 years, until our second was 3, I was too bloody tired to exercise. I found myself at the age of 35 unable to run 200 metres.

Stick at it, it's not that hard to turn around. Just find something you like whether it's running, swimming, cycling or whatever. The one discipline I've forced on myself is that when I don't feel like exercising, I do anyway.

As for regrets, I've had a few (ha!). Nothing life changing or that keeps me awake at night. At 44, life is good and the mistakes I've made along the way got me here.

 

[Partridge]

Easy one....

1. Earn more money.
2. Learn so I can earn more money.
3. Earn more money.

 

[kickazz]

Take more photos of the good times.

That is all.

 

[Gough]

Listen more, talk less.
And the earlier you realise people love you for who you are and that you don't need to impress these people, the happier you will be.

 

[Shane Hird]

Stay in school longer..go to uni.

Instead of leaving a month into year 11 cause it was all to hard and most of mates had already left school.

#### I was an idiot at 16...

 

[Gough]

Hey kids, want to hear about the 80's?

 

[Norwegian Blue]

Hey kids, want to hear about the 80's?

This was my first computer. 64k RAM.

 

[Poseidon]

Hey kids, want to hear about the 80's?

You drove a dinosaur to school? LOL!

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I hear that in the 80s, if you wanted to speak to a bird, you had to call her house and ask her old man if she was home.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

I partied pretty damn hard, which I don't regret; but I would have liked to have started a business earlier than I did, and travelled earlier than I did.