Can you recall the dumbest thing you did in your twenties? I’ll go first. I wasted too many years drinking and partying instead of planning and saving for my future. Addiction is a terrible thing. After someone asked an online forum for their dumbest mistakes, here are their responses.
1. Didn’t Practice Good Dental Hygeine
One user admits their biggest mistake is not taking care of their teeth. Numerous others confess to neglecting their dental care. Between impossible costs keeping people from going to the dentist and depression preventing others from brushing their teeth, this is the number-one voted confession.
2. Went to Italy and Forgot to Eat Pizza
What? Is this real life? This user explains, ” I still can’t believe that happened. I had pasta there, gelato, took some amazing photos, explored a lot, and when I came back, I was like, I missed something? Then I’m like, oh my gosh! I forgot to eat pizza in Italy!”
3. Not Building Routine and Good Habits
One man shares that his biggest mistake was not building good habits like exercise and healthy eating with structure and routine. “Your body likes routines, and my routine of gaming for 15 hours a day was not one I should have cultivated.”
4. Committed to Climbing the Corporate Ladder
One user states, “Assumed climbing the corporate ladder is the way to do life.” Another adds, “I learned you couldn’t climb the corporate ladder in my 20s because they broke out all the bottom rungs. It’s also not about how well you work or how much you know, but who you know and social connections that determine how far you’ll get.”
5. Took Powerlifting Too Seriously
“I took powerlifting way too seriously,” one admits. “I spent seven years in gyms, for hours every day, skipping every social occasion and holiday. I didn’t get as strong as I wanted to. I just got all sorts of physical issues to deal with for the rest of my life now.” Countless others joined the conversation to sympathize with their own joint, knee, elbow, and other pains.
6. Didn’t Contribute to Matching a 401k
Someone says their worst and most costly regret is deciding against contributing to their company’s matching 401k. “It cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
“This can’t be stressed enough. If your company is matching 401k contributions, the single best thing you can do is contribute up to their match. That is an instant 100% return on your investment.”
7. Didn’t Get Mental Help
“Not getting help for my depression sooner. I spent the entire first half of my 20s in the darkest place I can imagine, and all I needed to feel better was some meds once a day,” a user shares. A few others add they waited too long to get help and regretted not going sooner after receiving their diagnoses.
8. Entertained a Substance Addiction
I didn’t get taken down by heroin until my early thirties. However, many people went through it in their twenties. “I was hopelessly addicted to heroin,” states one. “That led to lots of shenanigans. Robbing summer rentals in the winter was probably the worst of it. I was eventually caught and served time—fourteen years clean and living an extremely normal life now.”
9. Married the Wrong Person
Oof. I can relate to this user who said he married the wrong person. As someone married at twenty, I’d encourage anyone considering it to wait. Don’t let other people or society pressure you into something you may not be ready for. Marrying the wrong person is an expensive mistake often accompanied by pain and regrets.
10. Credit Card Debt and Bad Credit Score
A common theme in the forum is taking out credit cards and running excessive debt that destroys their credit scores. One elaborates, “Ran up $11k worth of credit card debt over about 18 months when I was 25-26. I didn’t become debt free until I was 33, and never had an 800(excellent) credit score until 36.”
11. Drinking and Driving
An unfortunate number of people confess to drinking and driving in their twenties. Some were caught, and more were not. However, they all agree it was wreckless and their biggest mistake in their twenties. Did you make any of the mistakes on this list, or have one to add of your own?
This thread inspired this post.
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This article was published and syndicated by Sober Healing.
Elizabeth Ervin is the owner of Sober Healing. She is a freelance writer passionate about opioid recovery and has celebrated breaking free since 09-27-2013. She advocates for mental health awareness and encourages others to embrace healing, recovery, and spirituality.