Best advice you’d give to your younger self? Here are 5 good tips

Growing up is hard. We all make mistakes. And by the time you’ve grown through an experience, you can’t go back and change anything about it. But you can learn from your mistakes — and from the mistakes of others.

So we asked successful people from all walks of life: What advice would you give your younger self if you could? What would you tell your child self? Below are some of the best answers, which we believe can benefit your life and career, right now.

“Approach everything with respect and a clear perspective.”

Rules and regulations exist for a reason, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t ask questions or try to bend things to work in your favor. For example, Jake — a marketing representative from Ohio — took a multitude of accelerated courses in high school to advance his progress toward his college degree early. During the college admissions process, he found that none of his top schools were prepared to take the majority of his Advanced College Credit Program (ACCP) and AP credits.

“I spoke with many representatives with my top schools about their acceptance of credits for courses I already took that would count toward my curriculum hours,” he says of his pre-collegiate experience. “I took time to explain the in-depth, hands-on nature of our coursework, and how I had been identified as a leader in my community because of it. Through the process, I chose my student advisor before I even stepped foot on campus, and learned a lot about the school’s politics. Because I worked to resolve the issue early and often, I entered my college career as a second-semester sophomore.”

Even though rules may be set in place for a reason, approaching a situation with respect (and research-based knowledge to demonstrate your skills) can move mountains for you on your career path. Consider this advice when approaching your next career advancement move, or when negotiating a contract for a client. Though the rules may make sense to some — and certainly exist for one reason or another — perspective can change things. You just need to be willing to approach it correctly.

“You can change your mind at any time.”

Change can be scary. Whether you’re moving to another state, getting married, expanding your family, changing office environments, or simply updating decor or meal plans, change induces adrenaline and can often put you in a state of panic. When decisions seem big and final, things can feel even more stressful. But the reality of it is that you can truly change your mind at any time.

Erin Zimmerman — a film producer currently relocating to Los Angeles — lives by this concept. As someone who chose a school far from home, she built her company from the ground up and is currently preparing to move across the country. She is living proof that this statement holds power.

“I use this to make big decisions that seem final,” she explains. “Most things are not final.”

Did we just hear you breathe a sigh of relief?

Change is actually great for your mental health as well. Adjusting to a different routine or accruing new skills and hobbies can help keep the brain malleable and functioning at an optimized rate.

“Have more fun and go on more adventures.”

Speaking of change, sometimes it can be good to take a break from your headspace. Career paths can be complicated and winding roads. Many people develop a keen work ethic early on to efficiently achieve their goals and hold themselves accountable. But what happens when you are burned out, overwhelmed, or just need a break? Going a million miles a minute for a substantial amount of time can do that to you, and inevitably will.

Elizabeth — a writer and coder from Kansas City — is focusing more on her creative abilities now that she has made space in her life for fun and adventure.

“I was always worrying about work, grades, the future, and being responsible,” she laments. “I would have had more fun along the way had I accepted the adventures and fun as productive activities too!”

Not only can a change in routine and scenery be cleansing for the soul, but there is actually a key part of the brain that encourages humans to seek adventure. It allows you to seek different perspectives and expand your knowledge in a way that sitting at a desk simply cannot. It’s also often far more productive than extra work hours, as outside triggers can inspire new ideas and encourage movement in the body that you otherwise might not get.

Here are some great remote work options for adventurous individuals.

“Don’t apologize.”

Made a mistake that hurt someone directly? There might be a need for an apology. But anything other than that could be cause for a different reaction. Women especially have issues with apologies because of the general discourse around how a woman “should” act and be over the decades. But that doesn’t mean that over-apologizing exists solely in the female population.

“I felt worthless some days, apologizing as much as I did,” explained software developer Jeff Shirk of his early career. “I was taught to be more accommodating than I needed to be. Polite. No one took me seriously, and my ideas were being bowled over in meetings.”

Even though no polite behavior deserves disrespect, it often is. If you’ve found that the impression others have of you isn’t positive because of your constant apologies, try to respond to situations in new ways.

“Excuse me” and “thank you for your patience” are often great replacements for “sorry.” Here are some other great tips to help eliminate the apologies from your vocabulary.

“Stop caring what other people think.”

Perhaps this line goes hand in hand with its predecessor, but it can be a huge testament to your character to approach situations with conviction in your work. Too often, projects don’t see the light of day, ideas don’t come to fruition, and brilliant thoughts are left by the wayside because of the constant weight of comparison. Comparison truly is the thief of joy, and we didn’t need President Theodore Roosevelt addressing it to know that.

If you abandon the expectations you believe other people have for you, and instead, ideate based on your own creative expression, you won’t second guess any piece of your journey. Midwest-based business owner Mikayla Crane expands on this.

“Don’t be afraid. Don’t wait until it’s perfect. And stop caring about what other people think. Just jump.”

As the owner of two successful brands, she knows first-hand the stresses affiliated with trying to make sure something is perfect before you introduce it to the world. But if you want the world to see your brilliance, then you need to believe in it yourself.

Stop relying on outsiders as the sole measure of your worth, in your career or otherwise.

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