Regardless of what age you are, you always feel like you’re at your peak of wisdom. However, just when you’re convinced you’ve got it all figured out, you look back on your life and wonder what the heck you were thinking. At the time, you truly believed you were making wise decisions. However, in retrospect, it becomes clear that you may have made some choices you’re shaking your head at now.
The big secret to aging is that you never really reach an age when you know what you’re doing. Life can be a series of improvisations, trying your best just to stay afloat. Life will always be full of unknowns, despite how hard you try to control it. The best thing you can do is learn from other people’s mistakes and try to apply them to your own path. Here are some of the most common things that most 40 years claim they wish they knew when they were 20.
Your Credit Card Isn’t “Free Money”
When you’re fresh out of school and receive your first credit card, your first instinct is often to go out and buy something. After all, it’s free money, right? You can pay it back later! Wrong! Your credit card isn’t a magic plaything made to bring you immediate gratification.
Credit is a tool that you need to use wisely in order to build a credit score for yourself. Your score will determine all sorts of things, from whether you can get approved for a home loan to getting financed for a car.
Your credit score will follow you around for years to come, so it’s vital that you spend your credit wisely.
Sunscreen Is Important
When you’re young, you’re not thinking about wrinkles or melanoma. Most people under 30 are laying out in the sun with liters of tanning oil all over without a care in the world.
However, it’s essential to apply sunscreen every single day, even in cloudy weather. Failing to do so could lead to serious skin issues down the road.
There’s No Rush To Have Kids
Kids are great…. one day! There’s no rush to have children right away. Take your time to focus on yourself for a decade or so before turning your attention onto another person. Statistics show that people who wait until their 30’s to have children are much less overwhelmed by parenting. They often have fewer regrets about how they spent their 20’s.
Surround Yourself With Inspiring People
You are who you hang out with. Be selective about who you want to allow into your life. Encircle yourself with people who you admire and want to be like. The more you surround yourself with people who inspire you, the more that you’ll follow suit.
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