"It's completely disabling..."

This comes under 'looking after your body' I suppose, but it's a specific one that is still little known:

Wrecking your ears with excessive noise exposure. Even if you don't care about losing your hearing, you don't want catastrophic tinnitus. It's completely disabling. And nobody tells you that you can get it years or decades after the noise exposure. I just thought, "I'll knock this off before it gets too bad."

Lupercali

Excellent advice.

All those unplugged concerts can catch up with you. Be mindful!

"The heart attack..."

Not eating right and exercising. The heart attack you have at 50 doesn't just magically show up. Cardiovascular disease is from years of buildup.

wpguy69

"It doesn't matter..."

Life is not a race. It doesn't matter, who's getting married, who's moved out from their parents' house, who has a kid. You go at your pace. Don't think you're behind anyone else.

Tedtea

"Someone else being in pain..."

Being in pain or just being miserable is not a competition. Someone else being in pain or miserable while you're in pain or miserable doesn't invalidate anything.

barryc100588

"Pay yourself first."

Not saving enough money.

Pay yourself first. Don't work the rest of your life.

Merv71

It's good to have a healthy savings account.

You don't want to find yourself strapped in the event of an emergency. That's easier said than done, though, for a multitude of reasons. Saving money can feel like an uphill climb.

"As you get money..."

As you get money you tend to take out credit to get nice things. A sudden change in your career can ruin your life for a while. Be careful about buying things you can't pay for outright.

bistro223

"Don't burn out the clutch..."

Treating their body like it's a rental. Look after it. You will be living in this body for many years to come. Don't burn out the clutch by 27 and live with the consequences for 60 more years.

RedPanda1188

100% correct.

Exercise and eat right. You'll thank yourself later.

This is huge.

"It's never too late..."

Sticking to a career they hate because that's what they chose to do when they were 16-18 years old. It's never too late to change your career path and if you're not enjoying it now do you think that will change in another 20-30 years?

puppet1987

"You're going to wind up..."

Not investing. If you are still living with your parents rent-free and working, please - I BEG YOU - open a Roth IRA and just put $20 each paycheck into a simple ETF. Compounding interest will make a gigantic difference in your life.

If you are 18, you probably have around 45 years until retirement. Let's say you only put in $20 each paycheck for your entire life and got a pretty average return on your investment.

You're going to wind up with around $300,000.

No, that's not all the money in the world, but that's just from $20 per paycheck.

If you're in that age group and you have questions about getting started, DM me. I'm not a financial advisor. I have nothing to sell you. But I can at least point you in the right direction and answer a couple of questions. You just need to start doing this.

Tapprunner

"Stop comparing."

Stop comparing. Get off social media or seriously reduce it. Worrying won't get you anywhere. Little steps toward goals count. We are all gonna die in the end so have fun along the way. Try to be honest with yourself even when it's painful. Don't be too nice. Be aware you will change over time and that's not a failing, it's expected. Be willing to do things differently, slower, faster, or not at all - but be you. Cherish the one you love and try to be loving. Don't aim for perfection it doesn't exist. If you've got trauma (most do), go to therapy, not as a punishment as an act of self-interest.

Lastly. You are enough. A special job or loads of money won't make you more. Being broke or vulnerable won't make you less. Life has ebbs and flows. Accept that, and you'll be okay.

Melodic_Restaurant

True words of wisdom.

Less time on social media would be great for everyone.

"Not because I don't believe in love..."

I wouldn't classify it as the worst mistake, but I'd say early marriages. Not because I don't believe in love, but because it's sometimes an impulsive decision that leads to heartbreak. When you're young and in love, you think about here and now. Sometimes you don't even know yourself that well, let alone your partner. Grow together a little, live together for a minute, get to know each other. That would build a much stronger foundation for your family. At least in my opinion.

Of course, there are always some nice exceptions, I know that too.

ABM_Net

Indeed there are.

Someone I care about very much fell into an early marriage and was divorced by the age of 22. It was a lot for them to deal with at the time and they are just now recovering.

"There can be a lot of downsides..."

Don't be afraid to change course. There can be a lot of downsides going through your mind but if you're not happy with how things are going in the classes you are taking imagine what actually being in the field will be like.

HYDingratz

Words of wisdom all around.

Your twenties are a valuable period in your life––in many ways, they shape the person you will become as life deals you experiences and you learn more about yourself along the way.

Those of you out of your twenties? What advice would you share with twenty-somethings? Feel free to share in the comments section below!