I'll include: finding joy and happiness every single day. Life will shit on you at times but remember that it's not the shit that is being dumped on you, it's how you clean up the mess and move on.
Saving for retirement is huge. If you work at a company that will match you try and MAX that out!
I started at 21 and now that I’m 37 just started a new job and rolled over my 401k and I have $80k already. Money is your independence don’t be ignorant and don’t give all the power to someone else.
Sunscreen!!!! Covid I worked at a golf course and OH MY CHEMICAL PEELS and CANCER Treatments….saw soo many folks getting treated so lather up!
And NO, is an answer…..no justification needed with it.
A big thing for me was breaking out of the mindset of what working out "should" be like. I'm not a gym rat, never have been and likely never will be.
So I tried a bunch of things and took up stuff that I genuinely enjoyed doing to move my body. I swim 4 times a week, I play sports twice a week in the evenings and then I sprinkle in classes like pilates and spin throughout the month. I usually do a little bit of weight lifting twice a week but not overly so.
Things become sustainable when you enjoy what you do.
did you wear sunscreen even in winter or the days with UV index lower than 3 ? It hardly has sun in where I live rn cuz it's cloudy since winter started.
I dont wear sunscreen when the UV index is 1-2 or it's cloudy.
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Starting my own business and not being a tradwife. Sure this might be a controversial opinion but I love being able to buy myself things I like, instead of having to a boyfriend/husband for things.
Working for things gives a certain gratification feel that I like.
(Yes, I understand not everyone is like this, find what you enjoy and definitely don't do what you don't enjoy doing)
Thanks! I get a lot of controversial opinions and mostly older people consider me "weird" for not wanting to start a family (yet). Honestly don't care too much, like I said, do what you like and like what you do...
Currently no husband or bf. Otherwise finances will be split 50/50 if he works. Stay at home boyfriend is something I'd consider but honestly? I'd love to create something I can work together on with someone.
From someone who started a business after finding a husband, I think you got the order of events correct. I love my husband, but we are so incompatible when it comes to work ethic, so I leave him out of most of my work life (which I love, but keeps me busy). He is supportive of my goals, but sometimes I wonder if it would have been better to have found a partner after I started down this path, so that they could grow into my business with me.
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Yeah, it's easy to ignore in your twenties because the consequences generally come later. But I'm early thirties and you can already start seeing the effects of diet and exercise... Like all my friends who have a very unhealthy lifestyle.. it shows (and I don't mean their physical size but like their hair and skin).
Routine to go to the gym and lift weights. Start early, keep doing it. I have a better metabolism than most girls in their mid 30s. I feel better about myself most days lol.
This is mine too. Lifting heavy helps prevent osteoporosis via stress and remodeling. Additionally, the ability to build muscle mass (and recover quickly) declines as we age. I’m so incredibly grateful for the dedication I put in to the foundation I built during my 20s.
Well I am almost 30. And one thing I was glad to do was cut off my extended family. You don't need them lecturing you about what you should or shouldn't do
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Honestly, having kids. The moment I was a mom (age 26), I had about a hundred epiphanies about how I was treated as a child and how that's informed my every move ever since. I suddenly realized how controlled I was by anxiety and how crappy it was that my parents raised me that way in the first place. Having the mother-daughter relationship I never had, even if I was on the other side of it, put me on the right track to actually experiencing inner peace in my 30s. Getting to give them what they need when they're vulnerable instead of giving them exactly what they don't need almost feels like giving my childhood self a hug.
Came here to say the same! Had my kids at 26 and 27 (they are 18 months apart). My husband and I didn't have a ton of money, but now we are in a really good place and our kids are 12 and 13. I like knowing that when my kids hit 18, we will be in our late 40's with plenty of time to travel, focus more on our careers, and hopefully be able to watch them grow old and have families of their own (or whatever makes them happy!)
I get wanting more stability and waiting until you are older, but I am really glad I did it in my 20's.
I really started not giving a fu<€ about what people thought of my around age 32. I wish i had started sooner. I also wish I had given up social media sooner.
Starting a business. Getting a plan together to pay off my student debt within 10 years. Exercise. Running, yoga, weightlifting. Sunscreen. Learning about proper nutrition from reading big long books.
In my 20s I had some truly awful routines inconsistent sleep, skipped meals, chaotic days. I thought flexibility meant freedom, but for me it actually created a lot of anxiety and overthinking. My brain was constantly on edge because nothing felt anchored. Over time, I learned the hard way that I need basic structure to feel okay. I started building simple routines around sleep, movement, and meals. Not rigid, minute-by-minute schedules, just a general rhythm to my days and weeks. That predictability has been incredibly stabilizing and calming for me, and I’m really grateful I figured that out when I did.
Started before my 20’s eating healthy and exercising daily.
Things I did in my 20’s that I am happy I did then: Becomjng a home owner. Still in the same house and the value has tripled. Also getting a masters degree. That has opened so many career doors for me. Finally, jumping on opportunities when I could and when it made sense. I’m well rounded because of it and I often look back and say “wow, I accomplished all these cool things!”
Being grateful for what I already have in life. Building my career and networking. Becoming financially literate. Daily skincare routine + a great sunscreen. Learning to be more gentle with myself.
Healthy lifestyle: excercise, sleeping 8-9 hours, balanced eating. Finding my husband and marrying him. Sunscreen, tho I started in my teens. Having personal style. Trying different hobbies.
Stopped listening to other people’s opinions about what I should and shouldn’t do with my life. I may not have been sure at that age, but I at least knew that they knew far less than me, about me.
Working out, getting into therapy, getting sober. In my 30's now, the biggest one is sobriety. Learning how to socialize, party, relax, mourn, and celebrate without getting drunk did a 30000% increase on my confidence levels. I have had the best New Years, birthdays, holidays, etc of my life in my 30s.
I’m going to be 32 this year and I’m grateful past-me:
Lost 70+lbs through diet and exercise. At 20 years old I was 216lbs at 5’4. I developed a love for exercise and nutrition and have continued with it into my 30s. I have never felt or looked better.
Saved as much money as I could. It allowed me to put a substantial down payment on a house with my partner in 2025 - with a decent amount left over.
Consistently advocating for my health issues both physical + mental and not allowing my concerns and issues to dismissed or minimised by medical professional no matter how seemingly small they may seem.
Getting my ADHD officially diagnosed and seeking treatment and learning more about my neurodivergent brain (via books, podcasts and dedicated ADHD women specific subreddits) after a lifetime of struggling and floundering and being led to believe I’m simply inadequate.
Womaning tf up and finally going to the dentist after years of neglect and getting my teeth and gums sorted out and trying to get my act together in regards to oral health and hygiene and building a good routine that I can actually stick to that works with me and not against me.
Discovering the world of beautiful cosmetically elegant asian beauty sunscreens (Japanese and Korean sunscreens) with their advanced filters and non-eye stinging, non—chalky, non-greasy, no white cast sunscreen and being converted to wearing SPF50+ (a full 1/4 teaspoon for my entire face) every single day regardless of the season and whether I leave my flat.
The importance of having a Fuck You Fund aka emergency savings. Something that you’ve funnelled at least a minimum of 3 - 6 months worth of living expenses (rent, bills, food, travel fare, medicine, phone plan etc) costs into. I’ve had to rebuild it a few times over due to shitty circumstances over the years but it is of the upmost priority.
Proper deep stretches and myofascial release using a lacrosse ball. I follow ones showed to me by my physiotherapist morning and night. They help a lot with mobility, flexibility and strength. When I was still able bodied I would also pair them with a daily walk for a minimum of half an hour to around forty five minutes while listening to a podcast or some music while playing Pokemon Go or Sudoku on my phone (safe looped trails in a well lit park). It’s essential to get some regular movement everyday if you are physically able to do so. It doesn’t need to be anything particularly gruelling.
Focus and invest my time, energy and money on improving my sleep, my sleep quality and duration. For me that looked like talking to my GP to get prescription medication to help me sleep after many long discussions as I suffer from multiple chronic pain conditions that interfere with my ability to fall and especially stay asleep throughout the night. I also have invested into a good body pillow (yes the type typically pregnant people sleep with to take pressure off their joints), a cooling weighted blanket (I overheat & I’m prone to hot flushes), an electric heated throw blanket (to help ease & alleviate some of my chronic pain & so that I don’t have to keep waking up to get a fresh hot water bottle in the middle of the night), weighted sleeping eye masks (so so soothing!), weighted plushie (cute cuddle buddy), reusable soft silicone ear plugs (I’m extremely noise sensitive) & electric tower fan with a timer + remote (for hot flushes + the white noise is nice), magnesium glycinate supplements (recommended by my neurologist to help aid deeper more restful sleep).
Reading 3 pages of a book every single day. It’s intentionality set to be ridiculously small so that it’s exceptionally difficult to fail. Reading is one of my most beloved hobbies I’ve had since I was a wee baby bookworm. However, life with depression, multiple chronic health issues, being disabled, being a caregiver to a mentally ill parent &!just living in the world as it is in 2026 makes it inordinately difficult to do things sometimes (or oftentimes in my case) even the things we love & enjoy can feel so very hard to do for some inexplicable reason. So I like to set stupidly easy goals like read 3 pages of my bookm(physical or virtual doesn’t matter) to read every day. & yes I still don’t manage every single day. However I do manage more days than not this way. & I beat myself up less about it. And it’s still three more pages then I was going to do read with my ambitious read a chapter a day or whatever most people usually aim for. It’s more so about slow & steadier. Small & consistent(ish).
Keeping track of fun things in lists. So I’ve been keeping lists since around 2016 (some a little earlier, some a little later) of things like ‘Movies I Watches In 20’ or ‘Best Beauty Discoveries in 20’ or ‘New Snacks I Tried in 20’. I do with all sorts of things from all the new ice cream flavours I’ve tried, podcasts I’ve listened to, best fanfiction of the year, books I read, theatre shows I’ve seen, bakeries I’ve visited, crafty projects I attempted, best puzzles I completed, songs I discovered, anime I watched etc. For some of them you already have things like Letterboxd (to track movies), AniList and MyAnimeList (for anime & manga), MyDramaList (for Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese & Japanese dramas). I need more of these kind of sites because I’m low keys obsessed but I mostly have a dedicated folder on my phones notes app for the year where I keep all the lists and at the end of the year I make a big ‘Best Discoveries of 2025’ or what have you it’ll include everything from lip balm, to technology to yarn to recipes etc. It’s a running joke amongst certain friends that they look forward to reading my yearly newsletter round-up lol. I e-mail a copy to myself & it’s fun looking back & seeing a glimpses of what I was into &all the things I enjoyed hobby & interest wise and seeing your taste evolve and change but also how it stayed the same. I also keep a ‘Things I Leaned In 20_’ which initially started out as practical thing (& to help with my abysmal memory) but has become pretty humorous too.
Those are more of my lighthearted silly fun ones but they’re also the two I’ve been doing the longest & also the two that bring me the greatest sense of joy when I look back over the years, they’re also the two that make me feel like I’ve “lived” as dramatic as that may sound lol as I genuinely find them nourishing for the soul :)
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I joined the Board of my community league, which honestly taught me so much more skills for my future career than any education did. I learned how to understand legal documents (and write them), how to plan events, and sort out budgeting. These are all fall back skills I still rely on today and have become super valuable assets I offer in my job that most folks in the same career path don't have the capacity for.
Saving money. Not caring what others think. Working out for my health not to look good naked (although that’s still a bonus!). Detaching from things and people that make me feel empty or bad.
Admittedly I used to tan all the time, like a good solid 10 years. I started covering up late 20s and using SPF. I still do like the look of a bit of a tan but if I really want one, there are creams and such for that now thankfully.
Seriously; make (and make out with) as many mistakes as possible while you’re still willing to make mistakes!!, it gives you experience to base your adult decisions on, and makes better stories to tell at the (boring) parties when you are no longer in your 20’s!!
sunscreen since i was 18. retinol since 24-25-ish. i've eaten whole foods and reduced any processed foods since having IBS at 23. working out for the last decade +. i'm 30 and get clocked for 17-23 on the daily.
also working my ass off to grow my career. financial independence is nice. i have my mom to thank for always saying to be strong on my own cause she grew up financially dependent on my dad.
Stopped binge drinking on a regular basis (learned how to still go out dancing but have a soda water as my drink in between every real drink).
Became a morning person (by force - this was hard but served me well when I had kids).
Saved well, budgeted, didn’t overspend regularly.
In my early 20’s I was overweight but more importantly I was badly out of shape. I got short of breath doing basic tasks, I was embarrassed going on hikes, etc. with friends, and I generally felt like crap all the time. I realized the earlier I started, the easier it would be to stick with it and maintain as I aged. So at around 25 I made a change and I lost the weight over about 2 years. Now I’m 31 and I was absolutely right.
I am not obsessive about anything, but I learned about how to eat properly and do exercise I enjoy, and it’s helped me maintain a healthy body size and level of fitness. There’s this idea that to be fit you have to sacrifice everything else, but it’s just not true. Looking aesthetically super lean requires a lot out of you, but being a healthy weight, with average muscle mass, and decent cardiovascular health can be done in your spare time (and integrated into your hobbies).
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Taking care of my skin: Wearing sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, wearing a hat outside and no tanning beds. I use to work 2 jobs paying off student loans, was always inside during the summer. I’m 41yrs and don’t look my age at all.
Exercise 100 percent. From what I’ve seen, it’s much harder to start consistently working out later in life (although some people do). Starting when you’re young which is what I did in my early 20s and I still actively work out 4-5 times a week, has saved my mental health so much and also kept my body on the healthier side
Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for the thoughtful answers I didn’t expect this many great perspectives. Really appreciated reading through them.
Setting dating boundaries. No more pushy guys wanting sex. If they try to turn my no into a yes even once, we’re done. And absolutely no sex if I’m not on birth control. If I can’t afford birth control, I can’t afford sex.
Thinking about the long-term. No one wants to think about retirement and “old age,” at 25, but once I decided to and actually planned, it was pretty easy to see the progress. Now, at 45, I am so glad I do it then because I cannot WAIT to retire lol
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Comfortable doing everything solo. Solo travel, solo hikes, take myself out on solo dates, solo music festivals. Being able to enjoy alone time is such a blessing.
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I was a competitive runner in college and basically forced running and marathon training to define me until I was about 25. By 26 I admitted to myself and those around me that I was burnt out and didn’t love it at all, and I started running and exercising just for health and enjoyment. I got into other activities and learned so much about newer things that actually brought me joy
It sounds like such a silly thing but I consider it letting go of a need to be defined by something or clinging to something as an identity. Particularly, something that consumed me and often impacted my mental health in a negative way. Now at 30 and pregnant, I feel a more at terms with the fact that my body is changing for now, and that besides being healthy there are no strict goals or standards that I have to hold myself to. I feel like I can teach my kid how to be disciplined, but also to be kind balanced and kind to yourself. I wasn’t in that same headspace when I was a hardcore runner in my teens and 20s (just my personal experience with it).
Drinking mostly water (aside from morning coffee and herbal tea). I haven't had dental insurance and not drinking sugary drinks probably did some heavy lifting for my dental health over the years. Wish I could say saving for retirement like all the other comments, but my life's been a revolving door of trauma and living on the poverty line lol. Also thankful I went vegan at 18 (38 now). My peers have a ton of health issues already, but I can't even manage to use up cold/flu medicine or tums before they expire every 2 years. 🤷♀️
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Working out at the gym, investing my savings, looking into buying real estate in my 30s and planning it, living and working abroad, meditating and exploring self growth
Not out of my 20s YET, but I’m 29 and I read it gets considerably harder to lose weight in your 30s so I decided to get my butt in gear. I’m 95 days into my weight loss and 30lbs down. 30 more to go. I’m going to go into my 30s the healthiest I’ve been in my adult life.
Biggest thing I learned too late is to live NOW. At 18 I was working hard towards graduating college. At 22 I was working hard towards finding my first job. At 25 I was comfortable, but then covid hit and I realized - I NEVER LIVED. I always said, "When this phase is over, I'll have more time/ more money to enjoy life, just hustle now."
Grinding is hard, but don't forget to live in the moment. One day you'll wake up on your 30th birthday with your first forehead line and realize you'll never have a completely flawless face again. Or you'll be a mom and realize you'll never have the luxury of not having to worry about the safety of a human beyond yourself.
Saving for my retirement and becoming more financially literate
Wearing sunscreen
Establishing a routine with exercise that was fun and sustainable
Protecting my time and not being as afraid to say no to plans
all of this.
I'll include: finding joy and happiness every single day. Life will shit on you at times but remember that it's not the shit that is being dumped on you, it's how you clean up the mess and move on.
Exactly all of these things.
Saving for retirement is huge. If you work at a company that will match you try and MAX that out!
I started at 21 and now that I’m 37 just started a new job and rolled over my 401k and I have $80k already. Money is your independence don’t be ignorant and don’t give all the power to someone else.
Sunscreen!!!! Covid I worked at a golf course and OH MY CHEMICAL PEELS and CANCER Treatments….saw soo many folks getting treated so lather up!
And NO, is an answer…..no justification needed with it.
This is such a good list.
Couldn't have said it better.
How did you make exercise and fun sustainable for you? Especially in the off days
A big thing for me was breaking out of the mindset of what working out "should" be like. I'm not a gym rat, never have been and likely never will be.
So I tried a bunch of things and took up stuff that I genuinely enjoyed doing to move my body. I swim 4 times a week, I play sports twice a week in the evenings and then I sprinkle in classes like pilates and spin throughout the month. I usually do a little bit of weight lifting twice a week but not overly so.
Things become sustainable when you enjoy what you do.
did you wear sunscreen even in winter or the days with UV index lower than 3 ? It hardly has sun in where I live rn cuz it's cloudy since winter started.
I dont wear sunscreen when the UV index is 1-2 or it's cloudy.
I wear it every day. It’s a part of my routine.
Every day. Sunscreen is the most important anti-aging step in your skincare routine.
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Starting my own business and not being a tradwife. Sure this might be a controversial opinion but I love being able to buy myself things I like, instead of having to a boyfriend/husband for things.
Working for things gives a certain gratification feel that I like.
(Yes, I understand not everyone is like this, find what you enjoy and definitely don't do what you don't enjoy doing)
Honestly? That’s a massive W.
Thanks! I get a lot of controversial opinions and mostly older people consider me "weird" for not wanting to start a family (yet). Honestly don't care too much, like I said, do what you like and like what you do...
Do you also have a husband? How do you split finances?
Currently no husband or bf. Otherwise finances will be split 50/50 if he works. Stay at home boyfriend is something I'd consider but honestly? I'd love to create something I can work together on with someone.
Love this! What do you do for work?
I work in Amsterdam, you know the Red Lights? I rent out these rooms to the working ladies, if that makes sense.
I make sure they are safe, the rooms are functional.. etc...
From someone who started a business after finding a husband, I think you got the order of events correct. I love my husband, but we are so incompatible when it comes to work ethic, so I leave him out of most of my work life (which I love, but keeps me busy). He is supportive of my goals, but sometimes I wonder if it would have been better to have found a partner after I started down this path, so that they could grow into my business with me.
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Healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise and eating predominantly healthy.
That’s such a good one, I wish I learned this earlier too.
Yeah, it's easy to ignore in your twenties because the consequences generally come later. But I'm early thirties and you can already start seeing the effects of diet and exercise... Like all my friends who have a very unhealthy lifestyle.. it shows (and I don't mean their physical size but like their hair and skin).
Routine to go to the gym and lift weights. Start early, keep doing it. I have a better metabolism than most girls in their mid 30s. I feel better about myself most days lol.
This is mine too. Lifting heavy helps prevent osteoporosis via stress and remodeling. Additionally, the ability to build muscle mass (and recover quickly) declines as we age. I’m so incredibly grateful for the dedication I put in to the foundation I built during my 20s.
Health is wealth.
Work out regularly and save towards a deposit to buy a house.
Retinol
Well I am almost 30. And one thing I was glad to do was cut off my extended family. You don't need them lecturing you about what you should or shouldn't do
Sunscreen, exercise, and picking myself up after making mistakes. Learning from the mistakes, and just keep moving forward.
Journaling. I’ve had an online journal going since 2002.
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Investing
Working out regularly so that it's just part of my routine now like eating and sleeping.
Self-employment WFH since I was 21. When a debilitating diagnosis came out the blue at 38, I at least didn't have to worry about my job.
Saving money always, no exceptions.
Forging my own path young despite no guidance or mentors.
Deconstructing from Christianity
Having kids
Therapy
Learning to exercise. Although I lived in a city where I didn’t need a car and walked a lot, working out was a game changer.
Honestly, having kids. The moment I was a mom (age 26), I had about a hundred epiphanies about how I was treated as a child and how that's informed my every move ever since. I suddenly realized how controlled I was by anxiety and how crappy it was that my parents raised me that way in the first place. Having the mother-daughter relationship I never had, even if I was on the other side of it, put me on the right track to actually experiencing inner peace in my 30s. Getting to give them what they need when they're vulnerable instead of giving them exactly what they don't need almost feels like giving my childhood self a hug.
Came here to say the same! Had my kids at 26 and 27 (they are 18 months apart). My husband and I didn't have a ton of money, but now we are in a really good place and our kids are 12 and 13. I like knowing that when my kids hit 18, we will be in our late 40's with plenty of time to travel, focus more on our careers, and hopefully be able to watch them grow old and have families of their own (or whatever makes them happy!)
I get wanting more stability and waiting until you are older, but I am really glad I did it in my 20's.
Walking.
Lowering stress and gaining other health benefits has been life changing!
I really started not giving a fu<€ about what people thought of my around age 32. I wish i had started sooner. I also wish I had given up social media sooner.
To do lists, saving $ and spending time in nature.
Exercising regularly/ staying active. I’m 44 and more mobile and flexible than the majority of my peers.
Saving for retirement, although I wish I had been saving even more!
Saving into a private pension. I didn’t put much money in it my 20s but it definitely game me a head start.
Wearing sunscreen every day.
Moisturise my face once or twice a day!
full body moisturise atleast every other day.
I established regular saving habits early on, I save regularly in my ISA.
Save, save and save some more but always remember to enjoy your life.
Spend money on experiences/memories NOT stuff you don’t need.
Different savings accounts for different things. I have a holiday savings, emergency fund and so on :)
Save for a house deposit. If you’re in the UK get a lifetime isa the government contributes.
Always have Atleast 2/3 months worth of living expenses. 6 months if you’re able to!
Started applying sunscreen daily at 25. I’m now 50 and am SO GRATEFUL to past me.
I wish I did more retirement savings. Life is more expensive than I expected at 25 🙃
Lifting heavy weights.
Investing in the stock market.
Dating my husband
Starting a business. Getting a plan together to pay off my student debt within 10 years. Exercise. Running, yoga, weightlifting. Sunscreen. Learning about proper nutrition from reading big long books.
I started daily moisturizer with sunscreen when I was 25. I still have smooth skin in my 60’s.
Making high quality embryos/ egg harvesting
Exercise and develop a love for physical movement.
Investing
In stocks? Real estate?
In my 20s I had some truly awful routines inconsistent sleep, skipped meals, chaotic days. I thought flexibility meant freedom, but for me it actually created a lot of anxiety and overthinking. My brain was constantly on edge because nothing felt anchored. Over time, I learned the hard way that I need basic structure to feel okay. I started building simple routines around sleep, movement, and meals. Not rigid, minute-by-minute schedules, just a general rhythm to my days and weeks. That predictability has been incredibly stabilizing and calming for me, and I’m really grateful I figured that out when I did.
Started before my 20’s eating healthy and exercising daily.
Things I did in my 20’s that I am happy I did then: Becomjng a home owner. Still in the same house and the value has tripled. Also getting a masters degree. That has opened so many career doors for me. Finally, jumping on opportunities when I could and when it made sense. I’m well rounded because of it and I often look back and say “wow, I accomplished all these cool things!”
Being grateful for what I already have in life. Building my career and networking. Becoming financially literate. Daily skincare routine + a great sunscreen. Learning to be more gentle with myself.
Lifting weights
Healthy lifestyle: excercise, sleeping 8-9 hours, balanced eating. Finding my husband and marrying him. Sunscreen, tho I started in my teens. Having personal style. Trying different hobbies.
Stopped listening to other people’s opinions about what I should and shouldn’t do with my life. I may not have been sure at that age, but I at least knew that they knew far less than me, about me.
Getting a degree, working crappy jobs to start a career and moving to a new country.
Working out, getting into therapy, getting sober. In my 30's now, the biggest one is sobriety. Learning how to socialize, party, relax, mourn, and celebrate without getting drunk did a 30000% increase on my confidence levels. I have had the best New Years, birthdays, holidays, etc of my life in my 30s.
I’m going to be 32 this year and I’m grateful past-me:
Lost 70+lbs through diet and exercise. At 20 years old I was 216lbs at 5’4. I developed a love for exercise and nutrition and have continued with it into my 30s. I have never felt or looked better.
Saved as much money as I could. It allowed me to put a substantial down payment on a house with my partner in 2025 - with a decent amount left over.
Therapy
Travelling the world
Routine, basic skincare, including sunscreen.
Consistently advocating for my health issues both physical + mental and not allowing my concerns and issues to dismissed or minimised by medical professional no matter how seemingly small they may seem.
Getting my ADHD officially diagnosed and seeking treatment and learning more about my neurodivergent brain (via books, podcasts and dedicated ADHD women specific subreddits) after a lifetime of struggling and floundering and being led to believe I’m simply inadequate.
Womaning tf up and finally going to the dentist after years of neglect and getting my teeth and gums sorted out and trying to get my act together in regards to oral health and hygiene and building a good routine that I can actually stick to that works with me and not against me.
Discovering the world of beautiful cosmetically elegant asian beauty sunscreens (Japanese and Korean sunscreens) with their advanced filters and non-eye stinging, non—chalky, non-greasy, no white cast sunscreen and being converted to wearing SPF50+ (a full 1/4 teaspoon for my entire face) every single day regardless of the season and whether I leave my flat.
The importance of having a Fuck You Fund aka emergency savings. Something that you’ve funnelled at least a minimum of 3 - 6 months worth of living expenses (rent, bills, food, travel fare, medicine, phone plan etc) costs into. I’ve had to rebuild it a few times over due to shitty circumstances over the years but it is of the upmost priority.
Proper deep stretches and myofascial release using a lacrosse ball. I follow ones showed to me by my physiotherapist morning and night. They help a lot with mobility, flexibility and strength. When I was still able bodied I would also pair them with a daily walk for a minimum of half an hour to around forty five minutes while listening to a podcast or some music while playing Pokemon Go or Sudoku on my phone (safe looped trails in a well lit park). It’s essential to get some regular movement everyday if you are physically able to do so. It doesn’t need to be anything particularly gruelling.
Focus and invest my time, energy and money on improving my sleep, my sleep quality and duration. For me that looked like talking to my GP to get prescription medication to help me sleep after many long discussions as I suffer from multiple chronic pain conditions that interfere with my ability to fall and especially stay asleep throughout the night. I also have invested into a good body pillow (yes the type typically pregnant people sleep with to take pressure off their joints), a cooling weighted blanket (I overheat & I’m prone to hot flushes), an electric heated throw blanket (to help ease & alleviate some of my chronic pain & so that I don’t have to keep waking up to get a fresh hot water bottle in the middle of the night), weighted sleeping eye masks (so so soothing!), weighted plushie (cute cuddle buddy), reusable soft silicone ear plugs (I’m extremely noise sensitive) & electric tower fan with a timer + remote (for hot flushes + the white noise is nice), magnesium glycinate supplements (recommended by my neurologist to help aid deeper more restful sleep).
Reading 3 pages of a book every single day. It’s intentionality set to be ridiculously small so that it’s exceptionally difficult to fail. Reading is one of my most beloved hobbies I’ve had since I was a wee baby bookworm. However, life with depression, multiple chronic health issues, being disabled, being a caregiver to a mentally ill parent &!just living in the world as it is in 2026 makes it inordinately difficult to do things sometimes (or oftentimes in my case) even the things we love & enjoy can feel so very hard to do for some inexplicable reason. So I like to set stupidly easy goals like read 3 pages of my bookm(physical or virtual doesn’t matter) to read every day. & yes I still don’t manage every single day. However I do manage more days than not this way. & I beat myself up less about it. And it’s still three more pages then I was going to do read with my ambitious read a chapter a day or whatever most people usually aim for. It’s more so about slow & steadier. Small & consistent(ish).
Keeping track of fun things in lists. So I’ve been keeping lists since around 2016 (some a little earlier, some a little later) of things like ‘Movies I Watches In 20’ or ‘Best Beauty Discoveries in 20’ or ‘New Snacks I Tried in 20’. I do with all sorts of things from all the new ice cream flavours I’ve tried, podcasts I’ve listened to, best fanfiction of the year, books I read, theatre shows I’ve seen, bakeries I’ve visited, crafty projects I attempted, best puzzles I completed, songs I discovered, anime I watched etc. For some of them you already have things like Letterboxd (to track movies), AniList and MyAnimeList (for anime & manga), MyDramaList (for Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese & Japanese dramas). I need more of these kind of sites because I’m low keys obsessed but I mostly have a dedicated folder on my phones notes app for the year where I keep all the lists and at the end of the year I make a big ‘Best Discoveries of 2025’ or what have you it’ll include everything from lip balm, to technology to yarn to recipes etc. It’s a running joke amongst certain friends that they look forward to reading my yearly newsletter round-up lol. I e-mail a copy to myself & it’s fun looking back & seeing a glimpses of what I was into &all the things I enjoyed hobby & interest wise and seeing your taste evolve and change but also how it stayed the same. I also keep a ‘Things I Leaned In 20_’ which initially started out as practical thing (& to help with my abysmal memory) but has become pretty humorous too.
Edit: all the spelling mistakes
I love all of this, the lists and reading three pages a day are great ideas!
Those are more of my lighthearted silly fun ones but they’re also the two I’ve been doing the longest & also the two that bring me the greatest sense of joy when I look back over the years, they’re also the two that make me feel like I’ve “lived” as dramatic as that may sound lol as I genuinely find them nourishing for the soul :)
Opened a Roth and contribute the max amount each year.
Building credit.
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I joined the Board of my community league, which honestly taught me so much more skills for my future career than any education did. I learned how to understand legal documents (and write them), how to plan events, and sort out budgeting. These are all fall back skills I still rely on today and have become super valuable assets I offer in my job that most folks in the same career path don't have the capacity for.
Saving money. Not caring what others think. Working out for my health not to look good naked (although that’s still a bonus!). Detaching from things and people that make me feel empty or bad.
set boundaries with people who lecture me about diet/weight
stopped smoking weed
decluttering regularly
Saving for my retirement.
Wearing sunscreen. Saving for retirement. Making exercise a part of my daily routine.
Sunscreen every day
Admittedly I used to tan all the time, like a good solid 10 years. I started covering up late 20s and using SPF. I still do like the look of a bit of a tan but if I really want one, there are creams and such for that now thankfully.
I was 29, just a few months shy of 30 so it counts but therapy!!
Botox
Therapy.
a good sleep schedule
Seriously; make (and make out with) as many mistakes as possible while you’re still willing to make mistakes!!, it gives you experience to base your adult decisions on, and makes better stories to tell at the (boring) parties when you are no longer in your 20’s!!
Going to restaurants alone Traveling alone
sunscreen since i was 18. retinol since 24-25-ish. i've eaten whole foods and reduced any processed foods since having IBS at 23. working out for the last decade +. i'm 30 and get clocked for 17-23 on the daily.
also working my ass off to grow my career. financial independence is nice. i have my mom to thank for always saying to be strong on my own cause she grew up financially dependent on my dad.
Good skincare routine, compression socks. I’m almost 53 and almost always pass early to mid 40’s, no spider veins or varicose veins on my legs.
Stopped binge drinking on a regular basis (learned how to still go out dancing but have a soda water as my drink in between every real drink). Became a morning person (by force - this was hard but served me well when I had kids). Saved well, budgeted, didn’t overspend regularly.
Ooooh I lost 100 lbs. I gained some back, but then I lost it again around when I turned 30. I’m now 40 and have mostly maintained my weight!!
Exercising more All my face creams are with spf in them Sunglasses in my bag anytime I'm out Yoga
Exercise.
In my early 20’s I was overweight but more importantly I was badly out of shape. I got short of breath doing basic tasks, I was embarrassed going on hikes, etc. with friends, and I generally felt like crap all the time. I realized the earlier I started, the easier it would be to stick with it and maintain as I aged. So at around 25 I made a change and I lost the weight over about 2 years. Now I’m 31 and I was absolutely right.
I am not obsessive about anything, but I learned about how to eat properly and do exercise I enjoy, and it’s helped me maintain a healthy body size and level of fitness. There’s this idea that to be fit you have to sacrifice everything else, but it’s just not true. Looking aesthetically super lean requires a lot out of you, but being a healthy weight, with average muscle mass, and decent cardiovascular health can be done in your spare time (and integrated into your hobbies).
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Sleeping more, staying home on the weekends, and wearing sunscreen.
Taking care of my skin: Wearing sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, wearing a hat outside and no tanning beds. I use to work 2 jobs paying off student loans, was always inside during the summer. I’m 41yrs and don’t look my age at all.
Using Tretinoin.
Exercise 100 percent. From what I’ve seen, it’s much harder to start consistently working out later in life (although some people do). Starting when you’re young which is what I did in my early 20s and I still actively work out 4-5 times a week, has saved my mental health so much and also kept my body on the healthier side
Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for the thoughtful answers I didn’t expect this many great perspectives. Really appreciated reading through them.
Setting dating boundaries. No more pushy guys wanting sex. If they try to turn my no into a yes even once, we’re done. And absolutely no sex if I’m not on birth control. If I can’t afford birth control, I can’t afford sex.
Decided to be very picky in who to date and dont accept things I dislike
Thinking about the long-term. No one wants to think about retirement and “old age,” at 25, but once I decided to and actually planned, it was pretty easy to see the progress. Now, at 45, I am so glad I do it then because I cannot WAIT to retire lol
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Comfortable doing everything solo. Solo travel, solo hikes, take myself out on solo dates, solo music festivals. Being able to enjoy alone time is such a blessing.
I’m only 31 but paying a lot into my retirement soon as I started working is making me feel good about retiring early :) and living comfortably
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I was a competitive runner in college and basically forced running and marathon training to define me until I was about 25. By 26 I admitted to myself and those around me that I was burnt out and didn’t love it at all, and I started running and exercising just for health and enjoyment. I got into other activities and learned so much about newer things that actually brought me joy
It sounds like such a silly thing but I consider it letting go of a need to be defined by something or clinging to something as an identity. Particularly, something that consumed me and often impacted my mental health in a negative way. Now at 30 and pregnant, I feel a more at terms with the fact that my body is changing for now, and that besides being healthy there are no strict goals or standards that I have to hold myself to. I feel like I can teach my kid how to be disciplined, but also to be kind balanced and kind to yourself. I wasn’t in that same headspace when I was a hardcore runner in my teens and 20s (just my personal experience with it).
Drinking mostly water (aside from morning coffee and herbal tea). I haven't had dental insurance and not drinking sugary drinks probably did some heavy lifting for my dental health over the years. Wish I could say saving for retirement like all the other comments, but my life's been a revolving door of trauma and living on the poverty line lol. Also thankful I went vegan at 18 (38 now). My peers have a ton of health issues already, but I can't even manage to use up cold/flu medicine or tums before they expire every 2 years. 🤷♀️
Saving up to live and work in France as a teachers assistant for 8 months.
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Therapy. Getting an education. Reconnected with old friends.
Exercising regularly even though I hated it. I'm now 64 and a recent DEXA scan showed I have the bone density of someone in their 20s.
Sobriety
Working out at the gym, investing my savings, looking into buying real estate in my 30s and planning it, living and working abroad, meditating and exploring self growth
Not out of my 20s YET, but I’m 29 and I read it gets considerably harder to lose weight in your 30s so I decided to get my butt in gear. I’m 95 days into my weight loss and 30lbs down. 30 more to go. I’m going to go into my 30s the healthiest I’ve been in my adult life.
Learning about and using nutritional supplements.
I’m glad I did the leg work and moved mountains in order to move abroad. The problems I have now are much better than the ones in my home country.
Sunscreeeeeen.
Therapy even though I didn’t think I needed it, I was wrong and I’m glad I chose to explore it.
Saving for a house
Shade vs sun, sunscreen. Compound interest. Travel, travel travel travel. Not being afraid to lose icky friends and find my true loves in friendship.
What a great question!!
Biggest thing I learned too late is to live NOW. At 18 I was working hard towards graduating college. At 22 I was working hard towards finding my first job. At 25 I was comfortable, but then covid hit and I realized - I NEVER LIVED. I always said, "When this phase is over, I'll have more time/ more money to enjoy life, just hustle now."
Grinding is hard, but don't forget to live in the moment. One day you'll wake up on your 30th birthday with your first forehead line and realize you'll never have a completely flawless face again. Or you'll be a mom and realize you'll never have the luxury of not having to worry about the safety of a human beyond yourself.
Be present NOW. Enjoy NOW. It goes by so fast.