Advice you would give to your 20 year old self.

Angus Young

Norm Smith Medallist
Oct 3, 2008
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-Life is hard and the world doesn't owe you anything and you have to work hard. Nothing comes for free.

-Save buy a house as early as you can, but don't live in it. Get someone in renting it and go and live with mum and dad, a mate or rent the cheapest room you can find.
-Always live below your means.

- Evaluate your social circle and adjust accordingly. Cull toxic people. Identify and immediately avoid people with abusive behavior. Observe how they treat others. While you're at it, look in the mirror.

-Exercise regularly....but don't become completely obsessed with it unless it brings you income. When you grow up you will realise no one gives a * about how much you bench or squat and your back, shoulders and knees will thank you for it. Don't waste your money on supplements...The majority of them are bullshit and you're only making someone else rich. Spend that money on healthy, whole foods.

- Take action...try and make things happen. For example if your in a rut, depressed at work or live in a depressing city ...change jobs or location.... without taking risks nothing happens. It may seem scary at the time but the rewards will be great. The more you get out of your comfort zone the more you will learn/grow.

-Let go of extra crap. You can't take it all with you. Storage units usually contain depreciating items. Sell all that extra stuff and move on
And don't waste money on depreciating assets.. e.g cars

- Learn new skill sets... ICT, trades, music, languages etc

- Put everything you can into sport/school/uni/trade...leave nothing to chance

- Understand that making mistakes, failures and setbacks are a good thing. As long as you learn from them and do your best not to repeat.
Be reflective..

- Chase money not women.
Don't be one of those sacks that when single gets all sad and depressed because they think having a women is the answer.

- While you're young work as much as you can and save/invest as much as you can

- Set goals

-Read

- Don't get credit cards

-Experience different cultures

-Always try and find a positive in a negative.

- Questioning the narrative is fine, but the people who think everything is a conspiracy (you know who you are) can't be helped.

- Bar the essentials (food, bills) when u spend money it should be with a mindset that its gona make you more money.

-If you're gona party and use substances be smart about it...moderation.

-Most of all live life on your terms and don't give a * about what anyone else thinks.

If you're young.. you're lucky, the older you get the quicker it goes...You get one life, one shot at it...nothing is guaranteed... make the most of it
 

biggiemediums

Norm Smith Medallist
WCE Wings Guernsey
Jul 20, 2010
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I'm not 40, I'm 30 but my last decade was PACKED full of mistakes.

So to my 20 year old self. Don't listen to anyone who's trying to steer you from your dream career. * them, they played a big part in ruining your life and you let them. Man the * up and tell them to suck a dick.
 

revo333

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 7, 2018
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Work smarter not harder and take advantage of not doing as much work when possible as those opportunities won't come around too often.
 
Sep 15, 2007
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Where i need to be
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Geelong
Dont marry the chick who likes to sunbake. She is going to look like a leather shoe before she is forty. Its the chick with pale skin who is going to remain younger for longer.

take a year to travel before you have kids. Once you have kids it becomes impossible.

gain knowledge. read about ideas and wisdom gained from science.

there is a meaning to life and its the obvious one that everyone refuses to admit. Nihilism leads only to depression.

stop giving a sh*t about what other people think of you.

ps. Im not 40 yet so this list could completely change by then.
 
take a year to travel before you have kids. Once you have kids it becomes impossible.

This is a bit of a myth imo

Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk
 
Agree it’s not impossible but it certainly costs a lot more. With only one child it wasn’t too bad but no way we could have flown business class everywhere with any more kids.
Ive got two kids and have managed to go to America for 4 weeks about 15 months ago and Singapore, KL & Thailand for 3 weeks about 3 years ago coupled with a couple of interstate trips

Not flying business class though
 
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Great8

Brownlow Medallist
Apr 19, 2015
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Ive got two kids and have maged to go to AMerica for 4 weeks about 15 months ago and Singapore, KL & Thailand for 3 weeks about 3 years ago coupled with a couple of interstate trips

Not flying business class though
Our son is now in his 20’s so hasn’t travelled with us for about 3 or 4 years but he flew in business with us on trips to UK nearly every year from the age of about 8 months old. He was actually a very good flyer which was a bonus as I was scared he would be one of those annoying kids that cried the whole trip.
 

Herne Hill Hammer

Cancelled
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Jun 22, 2008
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Geelong
I was 20 in 1988.

Stop drinking (I very rarely drink these days. Haven't had alcohol for at least 3 months at the moment)

Stop smoking (I gave up December 2017)
Just to do some maths on smoking to give you and idea. My wife and I both smoked, she had actually quit for 13 years but took it up again when we were living in an outback WA town for 7 years. Before we quit, she was smoking 3 x packets of Longbeach 40s per week and I was smoking 5 x packets of Peter Jackson 30s per week. I am currently in a Pilbara mining camp and at the canteen last night I looked at the price of smokes. The Longbeach are $68.50 per pack and the Peter Jacksons $55.20 per week that's $481.50 per week, every week of the year, after tax. On average, we paid about 40% tax between us for the year, so if you work that figure out on a pre-tax cost then someone would need to have a job grossing $41,730 per year just for cigarettes.

Are you good enough that you're ever going to make a living from playing footy? If not, find something else to participate in. Do you need an ACL, broken leg, broken ankle, shoulder reco etc interfering with other aspects of your life for nothing.
 
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Sep 3, 2002
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Adelaide
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Port Adelaide
If I'm not passing on lotto numbers then invest in Netflix, Amazon and Microsoft and enjoy those 10 - 100 times gains.

Hit the weights. You'll never be big, but at least you won't leave until near 40 before you become lean and looking reasonable.

Don't try and hide you're going bald once it beings. Shave it off completely (down to razor, not just electric shaver).

Stop worrying what people you don't care about think. Enjoy what you enjoy.
 
Aug 18, 2006
38,708
48,563
Melbourne
AFL Club
Carlton
If I'm not passing on lotto numbers then invest in Netflix, Amazon and Microsoft and enjoy those 10 - 100 times gains.

Hit the weights. You'll never be big, but at least you won't leave until near 40 before you become lean and looking reasonable.

Don't try and hide you're going bald once it beings. Shave it off completely (down to razor, not just electric shaver).

Stop worrying what people you don't care about think. Enjoy what you enjoy.

Yet point 2 and 3 differ to point 4
 

Hawk Dork

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Agree it’s not impossible but it certainly costs a lot more. With only one child it wasn’t too bad but no way we could have flown business class everywhere with any more kids.
So your advice to your 20 year old self is only have 1 kid and fly bussiness class ?
 
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