14 Pieces Of Advice Teens Should Hear Before They Turn 20

Don't freak out if your life isn't going exactly how you planned. H/T Quora

1. Learn how to manage your money now.

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"Read books, take courses, and develop self-discipline. This is a skill that nobody will teach you and is essential for all adults to have." —Joshua Osutanya

2. And remain diligent about keeping track of your finances.

"Never looking at your budget and never making a budget are the exact same thing." —Bivas Nag

3. Learn how to cook, even if it's just a few basic dishes.

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"When you have a few simple dinners mastered, you won’t be nearly as tempted to spend three times as much money on ordering takeout and going out to restaurants out of hungry desperation." —Venkatesh Uppalapati

4. Put effort into your own health, both physical and mental.

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"Walk. Run. Lift. Meditate. Stretch. Sleep. Breathe. Prioritize your health and your older self will thank you and your present self will be happier." —Phil Nguyen

5. Find a way to make travel a priority.

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"Travel is the most effective and efficient way to learn about the world and expand your horizons... It doesn’t even have to be an overseas trip! Travel out of your city, state or to a neighboring country by car/train/bus. Get out there and absorb what’s available. People around the world think/speak/act differently and those differences will help expand your view in your future. Diversity is the key to success." —Saul Kropman

6. Spend some time doing something that helps others, whether as a paid job or as a volunteer.

"Take up a servicing job or join community services. Learn to let go of ego and judgment, learn to understand other people’s perspective, learn to communicate with people from all walks of life, learn to love and give, and learn to accept differences. Learn to see yourself in other people." —Isabelle Thye

7. Work on building a new, different relationship with your parents.

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"When you are older, you can connect with your parents in a way you weren’t able to when you were a child. You can really get to know them as individuals, not just as the people who raised you." —Joshua Osutanya

8. Try to put more out into the world than you take back.

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"So many young people are sucked into Instagram or Snapchat or Netflix. They waste hours per day consuming words, images, videos. If you want a great life, however, the secret is to create more for the world than you consume." —Bennett Garner

9. Don't freak out if your life isn't going exactly how you planned.

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"Life will never feel like it’s 'supposed to.' Being a twenty-something can feel like death by unmet expectations. However, you are, right now, at this moment, exactly where you need to be. But you’ll only be able to see that five years and thirty-eight days from today." —Bivas Nag

10. Find your own definition of success and don't be dragged down by others' expectations.

"Achieve your success, not someone else’s. Everyone’s got their own brand of success, and successful people have all gotten there going their own way, and hit their own definition of success. Don’t try to live up to someone else’s vision or follow someone else’s path. You can do it your way and make it work." —Jordan Allen

11. Remember that you're still doing a lot of preparation for your future.

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"Success in your twenties is more about setting the table than enjoying the feast. Success is your twenties is about owning, honing, refining, and defining the unique flavor you bring to the world where your passion, purpose, and career collide." —Bivas Nag

12. Accept that you're going to fail and make mistakes, and choose to learn from them.

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"Regret is pointless and fully optional. Instead of regretting your mistakes, recognize that most are extremely valuable if you come to understand them. Life is not about making as few errors as possible; it’s about learning from as many of them as possible." —Sandeep Bhatt

13. Enjoy the freedom of your youth while you can.

"Do stupid things. Have fun. Be reckless. Go on that trip. Kiss that person. Climb that mountain. Sail that ocean." —Bennett Garner

14. And most importantly, be a friend to yourself first.

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"Believe in yourself and love yourself. You are the only person who will live with yourself all your life. Love yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. You are unique." —Janis Butevics