Over the years, I've been asked for advice by my younger friends, and me being a person who rarely shuts up, I oblige. Here's my list of 21 things I would tell my 21 year old self, if I could go back and do so:
(NOTE - This is not about judging anyone, or making anyone feel bad. This is just advice I'd give any 21 year old. I doubt they'd listen anyway. Many of these things I've learned first hand, others by observation. Somethings I learned by trial and error, some things I just lucked out on. The first three are financial.)
1) Start investing in your retirement early. Not a lot, but some. Even $20 every paycheck, when you're 25, will pay back nicely over 40 years. Here's a simplistic online program to show you the benefit - https://web.extension.illinois.edu/money/saving_twentyperweek.cfm
2) Do not over extend yourself on credit early in your life (before you are 30). I know people today who have a gorgeous house, a few nice cars, a kick caboose boat, and all the gadgets anyone could ever want, but they also have a massive debt load. If you can't afford it, you getting it usually ends with a long term bill.
3) Try your best to pay off your credit cards every month. I know these first three might not seem glamorous, but trust me, they're HUGE. I've had times when paying off my credit cards was hard, real hard, but I stuck with it. Not having credit card debt is a major stress relief. If you can't pay it off one month, do your best to extremely limit the amount you put on the card the next month.
4) Travel. Most people have two real windows in their life to travel, wherever they want to, whenever they want to: their young 20's, and the time after their kids leave the house. If you want to go someplace, especially someplace that's not kid friendly, go early!
5) Make sure you do something you like, because you'll be doing it for a long time. I could walk away from radio and find another job, but it'll never fulfill me like doing the morning show does. I was lucky enough to stumble into the career field of my dreams when I was in the military (Armed Forces Radio - Nuremberg). After my first on-air shift, there was never another option.
Yes, monetary concepts should be applied, but even if your major is not something easy to make a buck with (I'm looking at you non-teaching historians and artists) make sure you're always doing what you love in some capacity.
6) Don't be afraid to have your heart broken.
7) Try things you've never thought of trying before. I wouldn't know I love sushi and hate line dancing if I hadn't tried them.
8) Eat healthy, and find some sort of exercise you like to do. It doesn't have to be triathlons, but it should be something.
9) Drinking is fun at times, but social drinking can become stress relief drinking, can become crutch drinking WAY too quickly and easily.
10) Don't buy something in an attempt to impress someone who's not worthy of your attention, or because you feel a need to keep up with the Jones'. Competitive consumerism is killing this country.
11) Live in different places . Live in the city and in the country. Live overseas for awhile (THAT will open your eyes). Live in different parts of the country and don't just mope about because where you're living is not your dream locale. Find things to do wherever you end up. There's always free things to do in every community.
12) Put down the freaking phone!
13) Online friends exist online. Real world friend exist in the real world. There is a MASSIVE difference. Don't confuse one for the other. By the way, that misunderstanding goes in both directions.
14) Never stop learning. I personally think you should always be striving to finish up your college degree, but even when you have your degree in hand, keep exploring knowledge.
15) Don't be afraid of aging. You are not going to be 25 forever, and only a fool tries to be.
16) Compliment people.
17) Say "please," "thank you" and "pardon me."
18) Don't regret your life. You made it. Either embrace it, or ask yourself what you have to do to change it.
19) You're always going to be your biggest advocate and cheerleader.
20) Don't ever be afraid to do something by yourself, or doing something that's goofy.
21) Embrace it. The main thing I have learned is how quickly life goes by. A freaking blink of an eye. My son turned 14 yesterday. I remember holding him in the hospital the day he was born. It doesn't seem possible it's been 14 years. Remember every laugh, every kiss, every love, every cry. Call your friends and family, even the ones you haven't talked to in awhile. Take a lot of photos and videos, but never forget to live in the moment.
The other life advice I'd add is to make sure you only use your home owners insurance when there's a real big problem. You probably get one, maybe two claims against your home owners policy in your life, so wasting it on a freezer full of Sam's Club bargain buys after the power goes out is a foolish thing to do. Also, make sure you have all your life paperwork in place (will, power of attorney, health care directive, estate and trust executor) before you have kids. Since that advice doesn't apply to 21 year olds only, I left them off the list. You're welcome!
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