If you could go back in time and tell your younger-self one thing, what would it be?

The best advice I can give is to not worry so much about what other people think and to be patient.

It can be difficult to not compare yourself to your peers, your colleagues, your formal classmates, etc, especially in a world of social media and other outlets where it can seem like everybody is "more successful" in some way. I spent a lot of time very early in my career worrying about how I was being perceived a lot, versus focusing my energy on being the best version of myself and gaining confidence through experience. That's not to say that you shouldn't be concerned with acting professional, but it can take a lot of energy trying to meet all the same benchmarks as your peers or worrying about being at a certain place in your life early in your career. That energy can be better spent trying new things, stepping outside of your comfort zone, and forming meaningful relationships inside and outside of work.

Patience is also so important early on in your career. It's easy to forget that the most successful people often put decades in before they got to the level they're at today, and to get impatient. The most successful people have grown into their confidence because they've taken some risks, experienced various roles and setbacks, and have learned from their mistakes. You'll learn so much from your first few jobs, but will never stop learning and evolving as a person and a career person. remaining patient and focusing on both short and long term goals can help you achieve your dreams!

I would have reached out to professionals at an earlier age for mentorship. I also would have paid attention to how much living costs are necessary for a realistic life style. I also would have taken college classes in high school. Good Luck

Start saving early even in college if you can. I wish I would have had some savings to be able to live in the area where I had the best opportunities however some of them were just too expensive just starting out after college. I was able to eventually move to these areas of the country but had I been able to do that earlier in my career I believe my ability to advance would have been expedited.

Hi,

Great question -- and I love the advice everyone has given you so far!

In my case, I'd tell myself to not let fear of failure/lack of a complete plan stop me from starting down interesting paths -- failure can be an important step on a journey. And if a plan is incomplete... complete it and give that direction a try if it's really promising.

Good luck!

Actually, this is an important and smart question. If I could speak to my younger self, I would tell her not to care what anyone says or thinks about her, but to just follow her heart and do what she wants to do, as long as it's legal and morally intact. I would elaborate and tell her that this goes for her work life as well as her personal life. In short, I would tell her that she needs to respect herself and like herself, and that what everybody else thinks about her is totally irrelevant, and I KNOW that this is true and wish that I had lived my earlier life that way!!

Great question! A few things that come to mind:

1) Take a business and / or economics class in college. Regardless of what direction you go, I think it will be helpful to have broader business context.

2) In any new job, try to meet with as many of your coworkers and peers to understand what they do and how you can help them. Go out for coffee, go for a walk or set up 1:1s. Building great relationships at work is really important and it might give you ideas about where to take your career next. Getting to know your team members will make your job more rewarding and help you be more productive.

3) Related to above, in any new job, when you're done with a task, ask your manager "How else can I help?" This shows you're ready and willing to take on more projects.

Open a ROTH IRA and put in the annual maximum ($5,500). If you do this, and if stocks rose an annual rate of 9% (which has been the average for the last 100 years), you'd have over a million in 30 years. If you withdraw starting at 59 1/2, all that money is yours tax-free.

$5,500 per year is the equivalent of $475 per month. If you do this, you don't have to worry about "saving up" or even buying a house. With other assets you might have, like a 401k, you can retire in your 50s. Even if early retirement isn't what you're seeking, the money you'd have will make you comfortable and secure.

I would definitely tell myself to take high school more seriously. The grades you get along with extracurricular activities are looked at closely by colleges. I would tell myself to be as diverse in my high school experiences as possible to create a more broad knowledge base. Bottom line: High school matters. Do your best.

Do internships! Get that experience early -- it means everything to people who will be assessing your qualifications for hiring later. It may mean doing writing for little or money, but it'll pay dividends later because bylines are everything. Just make sure you transition from free/cheap writing to paid writing as soon as you can.

Hi, the one thing that I regret and wish I could go back and do is get a College Education. I cannot tell you how important it is to be educated in order to secure a financial future and not have to accept low paying employment. My daughter is college educated and at 27 years old she is making more money than I have in working for the last 40 years.

I would certainly have spent the extra time needed to better my grades in both high school and college. I would also have pursued a Masters Degree in my field while I’m my 20’s.

I would have become more involved not only in extracurricular activities at both levels of schooling but also helped those who are less fortunate and volunteer as much as I could.

Bottom line is to work hard, do your very best, be honest/ethical/moral and enjoy what you do!!

Travel abroad, meet new people and cultures.

Be curious and don't everything for granted.

Save some money and retire early.

This is a smart question, and there are many great answers already. Several things.
- Focus on your credit score when you're young and keep it up. Start saving as soon as you can (even small amounts add up fast!).
- Be patient with others. Be insightful and put yourself in their shoes. Also ignore the negative from others. If you are "purposefully naive" and focus soley on bettering yourself & your loved ones, life will be bliss.
- Don't let a relationship take you down (this isn't for me but for many younger people I see). A relationship should only better the two of you. Yes there will be down times, but the majority should be fullfilling.
- Enjoy life! I know that's very cliche, but the older you get the more you realize how short life really is. Just overall make the best of it and be a good person.

Take care!

Be curious and learn as much as you can in the areas you are most interested in!