Advice We Wish We Could Share With Our Younger Selves

The end of the year always brings a sense of reflection with it. And a recent story we ran on time-wasting habits you’ll regret when you’re older got us thinking about the life lessons we gain over time. So, in the name of growth, we thought we’d pull together a list of life tips that people wish they could share with their younger selves.

We chatted with the broader Lifehacker team, and they each shared one piece of advice they wish their younger self could have known. I even threw one in there for you, too.

Here we go.

9 pieces of advice people wish they could share with their younger selves

Take your time:

Slow down! Try not to be so caught up in the stress of things and take in every moment. There are certain events in life that you’ll never get to enjoy again. So… deep breath!

– Skylar, 24

Travel is an education:

Travel the world as soon as you can. It will teach you more than any uni degree ever could.

– Melissa, 40

Be kind to yourself. You’re doing okay:

I saw this TikTok the other week, and it said something along the lines of “Your boss doesn’t hate you. Your friends aren’t mad at you (and if they are, they’re old enough to communicate that). You don’t look ugly, you actually look really nice. It’s not lame to stay in on a Saturday. Your body cannot physically look different tomorrow if you have ice cream tonight. Introducing yourself isn’t weird; it’s normal. You deserve to take up space. Buy the bigger pants, they’re supposed to fit you, not the other way around. You’re not in control of the situation, but rather, how you react to it.” And that in itself contains everything I wish I knew as a younger (teen) version of myself. Life is too short to let the small things rule our lives. We live on a literal floating rock, so stop trying to please people you don’t care about and start living for yourself.

– Tiff, 22

Taking your time is perfectly acceptable:

Enjoy wasting time, don’t rush so much.

– Maya, 33

Be loud!

Be louder. You being told you’re being hysterical or that you need to calm down is just a patriarchy response that truly means “you’re making me uncomfortable”. So keep going, be as loud as you can. Do what you want to do and be the change you wish you had right now.

– Ash, 34

You’ll need to figure out the right path, don’t beat yourself up for that:

Don’t worry so much about getting ‘the right job’ or about pursuing ‘the right sort of project’! The only ‘wrong track’ you can take is the one you never leave, and it’s easier to change your mind than it might seem right now.

– Mateus

Prioritise number one from time to time:

It’s okay to be selfish, especially if you are booking a self care appointment with yourself.

– Vaish, 32

Your memories are everything:

Be kind to yourself. Make memories cause, at the end of the day, that is all you will have.

– Bianca, 56

Ignore the bullshit:

The best advice I can offer is this. The things you’re taught to believe will make you happy won’t. Loads of money, climbing the career ladder, having material possessions and even pairing off with a partner will not bring you joy if you don’t make space for the things that make you smile – like real connections, kindness, and feeling fulfilled by your work or hobbies.

– Steph, 33

Got any words of wisdom you’d like to share with a younger you? Pop them in the comments section below.