11 things I wish I knew in my 20s

We as humans have been evolving from the time we are born. And life has taught us a lot of things along the way. As I sit in my 30s I wish I had access to platforms like Medium, that has so many wonderful writers who have mastered different ways to do things. Here is a set of things I wish I could have done in my 20s

1. Not go to college — today the world has changed so much that everyone is able to gain knowledge sitting in their rooms. I remember how we used to go to college just to find out that there is no class today. And then we used to do the next best thing. Go to a movie or hang around till evening. Innumerable days are wasted like this. Today, I would have just enrolled myself in some good online courses, taught myself some skills and got into the industry, and gained experience and money. I would have had 10 years of experience today.
2. Comparing myself to the privileged — parents always teach us not to compare ourselves with others. Whenever we wanted something, we were asked to look at people who are lesser privileged than us and forget what we wanted. Does that really help us succeed in life? But when it comes to getting marks in exams it is always — “look that kid scored 90%. Why can’t you do that”. One should always compare. A parent should say —” if you want something find a way to get it and not cry over it”. This would ignite the power to get into the industry asap so that one could achieve his dreams.
3. Learn about Financial Literacy — The money which we get as allowance is only enough to spend on something. Has any parent ever said that you can take this allowance but try and save 10% of it before spending? We start making our first penny after 25 years of being born. For some they are still waiting. Had I invested in any kind of financial instruments I would have had a decent bank balance to start off when I enter the industry. Even though this would be small, it could at least pay for my new shoes or suit for my interviews.
4. Find a partner who understands you — We try so hard to find a person in college just so that we can look cool. We go into a relationship with the mindset that this will never last. That is a 0% ROI. What if we can find someone who is equally motivated as you to become something in life. Of course, for that, you have to make yourself impressive enough to attract the opposite talent. So put in that effort to attract the best partner and not just anyone who is ready to fall for you.
5. Travel like a maniac — What differentiates a human from an animal is the ability to think. And with this, he can create a lot of wonderful experiences. I can bet there will be a lot of people who have been living in their cities for over a decade and still haven't seen 20% of it. Life is to travel, and see beautiful places, meet new people, learn new languages and understand different cultures. One day when you will be on your death bed, the only thing that will come running to you are your memories. A man who has a lot of experience will be a person with a lot to talk about too.
6. Plan life, don’t let it happen — You can never plan too much of your life. If you look around, you will only be able to find people who wanted to do something but couldn’t, due to n number of reasons/excuses. Plan every day of your life. I wish I had a phone and apps that allowed me to track everything that had to be done. I would have written all the annoying things that had to be done and let them remind me and kept my mind clutter-free to enjoy more things. From school to finances to family — every single thing can be planned. I often hear new parents saying how will I provide education to my children, school donations are so high. And I ask them did the donations become so high after their child was born? And now since you didn’t plan enough your children will have to settle for less.
7. Age isn’t a reflection of intellect — If someone tells you to respect them because they are elder than you, then please walk away. You don’t have to talk back or listen to them. Do your own research and understand if things are right or wrong and then decide. We are surrounded by a lot of rules that society has put on us so that it can work in a certain fashion.
8. Don’t risk your life if you have dependents — If you have a family to look after then please don’t be irresponsible in living your life. Don’t drink, smoke, drive dangerously, get into politics, etc because you might be the only hope for a family. If you are addicted then please buy insurance in your name so that tomorrow, if you are not there, at least your family, doesn’t have to beg on the streets.
9. Respect your partner — Please understand your partner is someone who has agreed to spend his/her life with you. It is usually the case that post-marriage, the husbands tend to get busy in life and the wife is left home all alone doing homely chores. When you guys fell in love, this is not what she was doing. She was studying and wanted to have a career too. She left everything so that her husband can follow his career/passion. Be nice to her and take her out or spend time with her or listen to her problems on a daily basis as a sign of respect for her sacrifice.
10. Make good friends — When it comes to friends, more isn’t the merrier. You will have a lot of friends but only a handful will be available when you are in trouble. So spend time finding such people and spending more time with them. “You become like the company you keep”. If you have friends whose only aim is to wear fancy dresses and chit-chat you become one too. If you have people who are dedicated and well-planned you follow along too. Make a list of friends who are successful in their lives and who aren’t. Society will tell you this is “wrong or evil” but this is how life goes. It is harsh and only the best succeed.
11. Practice minimalism — Minimalism is a concept of having things that are important to you. Don’t buy stuff and hoard it. When you are done with a material possession pass it on to someone who might need it. Start a yard sale every once a while and declutter things from life. Why do you need so many distractions on your table? Learn to live with less and leave a lesser footprint on the planet. Your junk in the cupboard could be useful to someone today.

The point is every human being gets one life. You can either wait for tomorrow to come or get out of bed and plan the life of your dreams and execute it. Please bookmark this and visit this again next year on the same day and see if any of the above points brought a change in your life.