Youth is a precious thing, in that you often can only appreciate it when it’s in the past. In your teenage years and 20s, it’s so easy to feel like you have all thetime in the worldand then, suddenly, you blink and you are thirty five with a mortgage. Like with any skill or investment, most of us probably wish we had started planning a lot earlier.Someone asked“How did you “waste” your 20s?” and netizens shared the things they maybe should have done differently. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to comment your own thoughts and experiences below.This post may includeaffiliate links.
Youth is a precious thing, in that you often can only appreciate it when it’s in the past. In your teenage years and 20s, it’s so easy to feel like you have all thetime in the worldand then, suddenly, you blink and you are thirty five with a mortgage. Like with any skill or investment, most of us probably wish we had started planning a lot earlier.Someone asked“How did you “waste” your 20s?” and netizens shared the things they maybe should have done differently. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to comment your own thoughts and experiences below.
This post may includeaffiliate links.
RELATED:
Caring what people thought of me.
Spent way too much time worrying about the future instead of enjoying the present.
I have stayed for a company that doesn’t value my work and contribution to them, I have wasted a lot of opportunity because of that, I myself have to blame for it too I didn’t have the courage to explore and try something new for my growth and development.
I married my first boyfriend. We were not a good match. I basically k*lled my body and mental health trying to be enough for him. I’m 30 now, about 4 years divorced, wayyy happier and learning what I want in life and learning who I want to be.
Caring for others and always putting them first. I came 3rd or 4th or 5th. Everything suffered. Everyone took advantage.
As a slave to the Jehovah’s Witnesses cult.
Not exactly wasted, but all I did was work, go home, sleep and repeat. Lost 95% of my friends, was a virgin all through my 20’s . Now, 3 years past my 20’s . I have a stable job, own my own house, but I am also one of the most introverted people I know, and that doesn’t help with being single.
In a toxic relationship and not understanding how to invest in myself. I’m still working on the second part.
Got a woman I barely liked pregnant, married her out of obligation and marriage was terrible and only lasted 3 months, worked s**t jobs to provide for my boy, got put on child support, got depressed, got fat, dreams went down the toilet, now I’m fat, old and poor.
Waiting for a guy to propose and not pursuing a PhD.
My job took me around the world in my 20s. I got to travel to some pretty cool places and a lot of not so cool places. I got to hang with locals and see a lot of things tourists never saw. It was a cool experience.The problem was I was a heavy drinker at that point in my life. Instead of using what little free time I had to see and learn about where I was at and see the sites I was focused on drinking and strip clubs. Yes we did go see some things and do cool s**t, but I could’ve done so much more. I passed up on opportunities to see things while I was traveling to spend time in dank, smelly bars or strip clubs where pathetic guys like me were drooling over women.
Falling in love with a narcissist abusive piece of s**t that was my snitch for being involved in his crimes. Spent 4 years of my life in jail. Lost time I’ll never get back.
Being with friends who don’t have a care for their future or their well-being. Choose you company well OP.
Went from going out drinking as much as possible to literally working 330+ days a year. Turns out you only have friends when you’re the fun guy lol.
Staying in my bedroom, playing video game instead of livingStarted when I was 18, i will be 26 in 8 days and im still living like this.
Studying a degree i never used. 4 years at Uni, 2 years doing a masters and a ton of debt.
Drifting from one low-paying dead-end blue-collar job to another.
Trying to believe I’d be a professional musician.
Laziness. Started getting my s**t together at 25, but I still feel perpetually behind at 30.
I lived at a bar and was the worst version of myself.
Currently in 20’s but wasting it because I’m afraid to venture out, kinda introvert here:(.
Alcohol and a Cuban woman. I only regret the alcohol.
Depression. 👍🏻.
I’m in a toxic relationship and having trouble figuring out how to invest in myself. I’m still trying to work on it.
My 20’s were mostly a blur, I get flashbacks of it every once in a while. From what I do remember, it was just saaad.
Did online nsfw stuff instead of therapy lol.
Traveling the world. Had a lot of catchup to do for retirement starting in my 40s.
Continue reading with Bored Panda PremiumUnlimited contentAd-free browsingDark modeSubscribe nowAlready a subscriber?Sign In
Continue reading with Bored Panda Premium
Unlimited contentAd-free browsingDark mode
Unlimited content
Ad-free browsing
Dark mode
Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber?Sign In
To echo another comment, worked too much in the hope that it would set me up for the future. It didn’t. I got a PhD in the humanities, served me right for doing a useless major. So I gave up friends and fun in my 20s, and now I have no career and no friends.
See Also on Bored Panda
Being reckless with my liver and my p*nis.
In a religion that controlled most aspects of my life. Pushed getting married and having kids while in early 20s. I essentially gave away the freedom most people in their 20s have.
Getting into legal trouble. Years wasted dealing with probation officers, s****y lawyers, court hearings, jail time, fines etc. It’s so hard to dig out of once you’re in. Almost like it was designed that way..
Long distance relationships. Not worth it. And I did it twice.
Drinking, smoking weed, then my dad died at 26 and I woke up.
I was a legitimate mid-level dg dealer with a tremendous dg addiction and I dated a stripper from 20-28.
By being over weight. For fit af for my thirtieth and haven’t looked back!!
I married my best friend. Turns out now that I’m 35 he doesn’t love me anymore and wants a divorce. I’m so angry thinking of all my youth I wasted on him!!!
Worked too much. I’ve never had a full week off for vacation. Yeah I have nice and cool material things, but spent what may be the best decade of my life punching a clock for a job I hate.
Basically a combo of bar scene, then Skyrim, then getting fat with beer, and then figuring it out in my 30s.
Skateboarding, d***s and lots and lots Graffitii.
Wasted my 20s being a loser.
I wasted my 20s to the wrong person for years, I am trying to get over it until now.
Chasing women and running slowly when women chased me.
S**t marriage and military service.
I wasted my 20s started during pandemic, i invested my time to my work that stopped my growth and development, work that depleted my confidence and enthusiasm.
I borrowed money from my parents to live in crappy apartments and took longer than I should have to finish university. Got out feeling like I was 4 or 5 years behind everyone. Left with more debt than I would have otherwise had. .
World of Warcraft, an obscure internet message board, and a dead-end job.
Chasing the wrong things !
I went to college, graduated, and now I can’t find a job. I could have been working gaining experience and money this whole time instead of wasting time in college.
Maxed an ironman on oldschool runescape.
Trying to figure out how to become successful.
Modal closeAdd Your Answer!Not your original work?Add sourcePublish
Modal close
Add Your Answer!Not your original work?Add sourcePublish
Not your original work?Add sourcePublish
Not your original work?Add source
Modal closeModal closeOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.UploadUploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermarkChangeSourceTitleUpdateAdd Image
Modal closeOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.UploadUploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermarkChangeSourceTitleUpdateAdd Image
Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
Upload
UploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermark
Error occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.
TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermark
InstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermark
FacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermark
ChangeSourceTitle
Health
