A common byproduct of this is that we often want to go back in time and tell our younger selves what the right thing to do might be. Cognizant of this, LinkedIn took to its Twitter profile to ask its followers what advice they might want to give their 20 year old selves. It is a question that is asked many times, but LinkedIn’s unique user base of professionals ended up creating a thread that turned out to be quite eye opening, and many young people can potentially gain a lot from going through it and avoiding some of the mistakes that adults might have made.
One thing that a lot of the comments seemed to touch on was that you should try your best to not be all that afraid of something like failure. Failure is a natural part of life, and when you try something or the other for the first time there is a pretty decent chance that you would end up failing at it no matter how hard you try. People often try to avoid doing things due to them being afraid of failing, but doing so will only ever end up resulting in you limiting your chances to find success. It is important to avoid the fear of failure and try new things even if they make you worried that such a thing might occur.
Another user said that they would tell their younger self to be more confident. Self deprecation can be useful in small quantities, but at a certain point you will simply be selling yourself short. Projecting confidence can allow you to take advantage of a lot more opportunities.
A really notable addition to this thread came when a user said that they would tell their younger self to pay more attention to their family. Obtaining success and fame is all well and good, but our families are the ones that we start doing these things for in the first place, so it is always important to keep them in mind. Younger people can gain a lot from going through this thread.
Never forget your loved ones. All the fame and fortune in the World can't replace them.
— Nikolaj Opstrup (@nopstrup) July 12, 2021
You’re on the right path! You always have been.
— Justice P. Sikakane, Sr. 🇨🇦 (@JusticeSikakane) July 12, 2021
Don’t lose focus. Don’t allow yourself to be pushed out of position.
Triple down on being you! Turns out it works in your favor down the road.
Enjoy the ride. Things will get interesting and fun soon enough. You’ll get your shot!
Learn how to negotiate things like:
— DA Ledger (@tagicledger) July 12, 2021
- 💰your compensation & benefits: salary, stock, bonuses
- 📝 the work you do: learn that new tool or project
- 👑 your title: used to not care about this, but it’s a signal to external recruiters
-🔥how much work to take on: don’t burn out
Establish boundaries and create balance right away. There’s no point in working 60+ hours a week. It’s exhausting and can impact you mentally and physically.
— Dionne Rashay (@dionnerashay) July 12, 2021
Don't spend so much time planning and researching the perfect career path - you don't know what "work" is yet anyway. Aggressively explore all options that seem interesting, learn, iterate, and you'll arrive to the "perfect path" much faster.
— Max Korpinen (@MaxKorpinen) July 12, 2021
Read next: How to Find Success as a Freelancer (infographic)
