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It echoes much of the things in this thread, but if you're ambitious and looking for advice, it's also got plenty of advice.
I do agree that it's important to enjoy your youth. Don't plan too much for 20 years from now because everything will change a lot.
That morphed into "what would you go back and tell your parents". And interestingly there was one thing that stayed front-of-mind.
I'd like to tell my father to stop smoking. It's so mundane, and certainly he's heard it many times before.
But I could tell him that it would kill him before he got to go to his daughters wedding. That he'd have to give up traveling to early. That he'd become housebound at a "young" age. That emphasima is not a fun way to die.
I realize he wouldn't have listened. I realize he already knew this (his mom died of emphasima, his dad from lung cancer), I realize that advice from some "random stranger" wouldn't matter. I realize that this future is too far away for him to contemplate. And yet....
Dad, you just turned 30. I'm back here to tell you to stop smoking. Please. You'll thank me later. You'll be around to thank me later.
Remember how you fall hard, it hurts, and you run next day? It’s over. Every damage you take will take longer to heal. Some damage persists. Medications and supplements won’t have “for how long” anymore, you’re just taking it. Make a list of bad habits that you know affected you slightly and treat it as multiplied by ten+. Stop doing that. If something goes wrong on its own, research and experiment with things that you thought were useless. They suddenly start making sense as you age. Supplements, exercise, etc. Oh, and your health is now expensive af, budget for it. You have around five years to prepare.
I had the opportunity to do just that. I was asked to address a group of about 30 college age students of about 20 different nationalities. Long story. Asked to introduce themselves you had a nice mixture of want-to-be doctors, architects, future psicologists. At least two, from India wanted your "standard" AI startup. I told them I was going to mention one or two things that I wish I could have heard myself when the…
Invest as much money as you can in a diversified low-fee stock market index fund. Set it up as an automatic payment from your bank account. It gives you the best chance you have of retiring early. Also, start building a bunker and stock it with non-perishable foods and seeds for crops. Because the world is about to go to absolute shit.
Also, get an Arduino starter kit and learn electronics and hardware. Those skills could be handy to have.
If I had to pick one, it’s health related. Remember how you fall hard, it hurts, and you run next day? It’s over. Every damage you take will take longer to heal. Some damage persists. Medications and supplements won’t have “for how long” anymore, you’re just taking it. Make a list of bad habits that you know affected you slightly and treat it as multiplied by ten+. Stop doing that. If something goes wrong on its own,…
Don't believe any recruiter saying you are asking for too much.
Remember people usually tell you what is good for them, no what is good for you.
The protagonist just turned 30.