Looking back at My 20s

Turning 30, I look back at my 20s with youthful thoughts and think about how I could have done better if given another chance. Writing this is not to express regret, but rather to draw lessons for the exciting journeys ahead. Below are things I did, or did but not completely, not including countless things I thought about or planned but did not do.

TIP

For me, the 20s are the best time to invest in self-development, maximize experiences, and seek opportunities to build a dream life.

In general, planning your life early is very important as it directly influences how we think and act daily. Long-term plans (5, 10 or more years) don’t need to be overly detailed, as we lack much information to make decisions. But break them down into short-term, detailed plans (<1 year), SMART to strive for the present, achieve the first solid steps, and gradually optimize to open up new opportunities.

This can be divided into three main categories as follows.

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1. Preparing and Searching for Desired Jobs

• Graduate with a degree in your favorite field: If you can choose a major aligned with your passion right after high school, that’s lucky. If you actively seek information from high school, your chances of success increase. To be honest, when choosing a university, I only thought I would study engineering at a good technical school, but luckily, I studied well enough to be “selected”. and that choice hasn’t been too wrong until now.

• Master a programming language earlier: During my university days, no one told me this. Although it is eventually taught, having an early learning plan means you value it more, learn it better, and have more career opportunities even as a student.

• Learn English seriously and early: I started learning English in grade 3, but only knew about certifications like TOEIC, IELTS when entering university. When working, I began to stumble with English communication. As a student, many programs and scholarships are available for those with good English, but not for me. Although I can now work in international environments, I advise 20-somethings to improve conversational English or obtain multi-skill certifications like IELTS.

• Experiencing different learning styles: We could try to learn in many different ways (e.g. books, videos, podcast) to find the most effective method for yourself. Learning is a lifelong career, so a good foundation can take us far.

• Take all opportunities: We often fear that taking on multiple part-time jobs or experiences will affect other work or time management. Utilizing work opportunities, we can increase income, gain exposure to various environments, and enhance time management skills, making us value time much more.

WARNING

When young, I found it easy to lose discipline with too much free time.

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2. Building Plans and Financial Management

• Earn and invest early, especially as a student: Earning, spending, and managing finances are crucial throughout life. Starting early gives us more experience and better management later.

• Living Independently: Moving out early fosters independence. This is a time of great “freedom”, but also when you must actively manage your life. Sometimes, it will be tough without support, but it just comes a bit sooner. The older I get, the more I realize the truth in “Independence, Liberty, Happiness”: independence and freedom are essential for happiness.

• Thinking About Your First House: The first house is special, both a home and an asset. Generally, its value increases over time. Thinking about it early motivates work spirit and seizing earning opportunities. Besides financial aspects, the first house has great emotional value. It provides a sense of security for the family and boosts determination at work. When owning a house, you’ll care for it much more than a rented place, understanding housing issues and the home-buying process, which improves future decisions.

The first house is special, both a home and an asset.

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3. Finding Passions and Lifestyle

• Sports: The primary benefit of sports is building a good fitness foundation for later. It also creates necessary excitement to relieve stress and opens many opportunities to socialize and meet new friends. If possible, I wish I had started swimming and running earlier.

• Playing Musical Instruments: Life would be more interesting if I could play an instrument like guitar, ukulele, or piano, to play and sing in my free time. I tried playing guitar, but it requires much time to play well. As we grow older, we have more priorities, so starting early is better.

• Commit Fully to Your Work (Quality > Quantity): It’s easy to do things superficially, just for the experience, leaving time for other things. However, to succeed in life and work, this mindset is crucial. I see this in a few examples:

  • Exploratory Travel vs. Experiential Travel: I believe exploring, immersing in remote areas, and experiencing local culture makes a trip memorable. Simply passing through, strolling, and checking in might not be enough.

  • Finding Your Passion: True passion involves challenging yourself and improving daily by reaching your limits, having a development plan, and a companion. Passion stems from interests, but when we are genuinely passionate something, we want to approach it in interesting ways. It can start as a habit, e.g., daily training, but I can make it more enjoyable by trying a different method, a new route, or simply a different pace.

• Choices Are the Greatest Asset: We are “truly free” when we have many choices. I suggest investing in being wealthy in choices, not just money. This means job options (e.g., not being tied to one place or job) or living places (e.g., not being bound to one location, region, or country). Moreover, never be in a situation with no other choices.

• The Power of Habits: We’ve heard much about the power of habits, but to create the most “power,” maintaining the habit is key. Building a habit for a short time isn’t too hard, but maintaining and scaling it over a longer period (months, a year) isn’t simple. It requires proper motivation and high discipline. In practice, I always try to start slow and steady, ensuring I don’t waste time turning back and can maintain it for a certain period before accelerating with more information.