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    21 Things People Do When They're Younger That Makes A Significant Impact On Your Life Once You Turn 40

    By Michele Bird,

    2024-09-04

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0qJfPz_0vKEidFh00

    They always say hindsight is 20/20 and it couldn't be more true. When you grow up, you learn all sorts of life lessons and continue to do so well into adulthood.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1IgIIe_0vKEidFh00
    Rbkomar / Getty Images

    Reddit user Additional-You3342 asked, " What is something people in their 20s might not realize will significantly impact them as they reach their 40s ?" A ton of people got real and chimed in with their thoughts. Here are some of the most impactful things they shared:

    1. "Life is short and your time is incredibly valuable. Spend it well."

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1JvySJ_0vKEidFh00

    u/deeplycuriouss

    © Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

    2. "Sleep is really important and you can't get away with not sleeping for one day."

    u/Bella_Asian

    3. "When you marry a person, you marry into their family. If they have a terrible person in their family, and they do not set boundaries with them, that's a red flag. Family is complicated, but there are lots of stories about horrible in-laws causing divorces."

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    u/timesuck897

    © 20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection

    4. "Skipping the work needed to sustain relationships. Friends in your 20s come easily. Friends in your 40s and up take the effort of a part-time job."

    u/Snugglebutt85

    5. "Benefits of fitness. My father started exercising regularly in his 40s. Nothing extreme, just consistent. He is now 87 years old and still in great shape. All of his doctors agree that the reason he is in such good health is because he started exercising regularly."

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    u/Lucky7088

    Valerii Apetroaiei / Getty Images

    6. "The character of the person they choose to have a long-term relationship with, or even marry. The single most important decision someone will ever make."

    u/SueYouBlues

    7. "Laying around in the sun with no protection on."

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    u/Elephant_in_a_Castle

    Javi Sanz / Getty Images

    8. "I think a lot of people in their 20s underestimate how important their health choices are. It's easy to think you're invincible, but those late nights, bad eating habits, and lack of exercise can catch up to you. Taking care of your body now can make a huge difference in your 40s."

    u/RelevantFoot7196

    9. "Your hearing. Loud noise over time is bad and not fixable."

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    u/Zzastard

    Abraham Gonzalez Fernandez / Getty Images

    10. "How long it takes to get good at something. For example, if you want to become a good writer, you will have to spend hundreds of hours writing bad, mediocre, and decent text first. And the same applies to painting, musical instruments, or any skill. As you age and gather responsibilities, your available energy and time for such activities will generally only decrease. It is very easy to keep delaying this strenuous and sometimes painful process of getting good, and you end up without hobbies and non-career related skills in your 40s. And that might be enough for some, but it might not be for you."

    u/Fimbulwinter91

    11. "Don't just stretch. Activate and use your muscles! That's a lot of what yoga is as well. Use them or lose them, that's how injuries happen."

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    u/LazyStreet

    The Good Brigade / Getty Images

    12. "How you treat people. We are all people and deserve kindness and empathy to an extent. In your 20s, it's usually not in the forefront of your mind."

    u/Mamaofthreecrazies

    13. "That tiny dream you have of doing that thing for a job? Go after that."

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    u/Own-Load-7041

    Skynesher / Getty Images

    14. "Stop slouching. Trust me."

    u/sarasan

    15. "More than anything, start saving as early as you can. It's not easy, and I would certainly not blame anyone for having a hard time with it early on. But the moment you start making more consistently is the moment you start saving!"

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    u/chemivally

    Jgi / Getty Images / Tetra images RF

    16. "Emotional trauma you don't deal with literally turns into physical trauma. Stop clenching your jaw. Get that trauma out of your body. Talk to someone. Your bones will thank you for it. My father doesn't have discs between his back bones because he thought he could tough it out."

    u/Shh-poster

    17. "Who you have children with."

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    u/JaneGracious

    © Paramount / Courtesy Everett Collection

    18. "What I'm most surprised about as a 45-year-old is how my life, while good, has no resemblance to the plans I had for it in my 20s. "Man plans; God laughs."

    u/tmroyal

    19. "There is a lot less life than you think. If you are living to work, you're not living at all."

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    u/Eyfordsucks

    Jessica Perez / © Hulu / Courtesy Everett Collection

    20. "The fact that their parents helped them so much. I.e. paid for their college, gifted them their down payment for a house, or called in a favor that got them a good entry-level job."

    u/palbuddy1234

    21. "You are not trapped in your job, career path, hobbies, interests, or friendships. You are young and able to explore and try new things relatively consequence-free. A lot of people in their 20s don't think about this concept. They go to school and work, then wake up in their 30s or 40s and think f--ck, why am I in this position? Take the time to be cognizant of the path you're on, and what is fulfilling, interesting, and important to you. Of course, being physically and mentally healthy are patterns that are good to ingrain when you're young as well, as others have mentioned. Take responsibility for finding your calling and not settling or being complacent in the first hand you're dealt."

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1NOVuQ_0vKEidFh00

    u/eltorodelosninos

    Sarah Shatz / © Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

    What's something from your 20s you didn't realize impacted you until you were older? Share your story in the comments!

    Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

    Expand All
    Comments / 22
    Add a Comment
    Rik............
    28d ago
    Traveling was a good choice.
    rachel kacsur
    09-08
    It's the TEN THOUSAND RULE.For example. a great musician. The 1 hour show that stuns you, took ten thousand and more hours of study and practice to get there. The idea, your so smart does not give you the manual dexterity to be great. It only gives you appreciation as to what goes into the process. Great typically takes 10 to 15 years plus having the talent to get there
    View all comments
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