5 things I wish I’d known at 21

Summary

The author reflects on personal growth and lessons learned over 12 years, sharing insights on self-acceptance, career choices, health, and diet that they wish they had known at age 21.

Abstract

As the author approaches 33, they contemplate the wisdom gained since their early twenties, emphasizing the importance of appreciating one's body, having confidence in one's abilities, finding enjoyable exercise, protecting the skin with sunscreen, and embracing a more plant-based diet. They recount their journey through job dissatisfaction, body image issues, and dietary habits, highlighting the value of self-assurance, initiative, and openness to change. The author encourages readers to consider what advice they would give to their younger selves and invites discussion on the insights shared.

Opinions

The author regrets not recognizing their physical attractiveness at 21, focusing instead on perceived flaws.
They believe that job satisfaction is more important than societal expectations of what a "good job" should be.
The author suggests that exercise can be enjoyable when it's engaging and aligns with personal interests, as seen with their positive experience with Body Combat.
They advocate for daily sunscreen use to prevent skin aging, acknowledging the importance of finding products that work well with makeup.
The author wishes they had explored vegetarian options earlier in life, noting the health and financial benefits of a plant-based diet.
They express a desire to have been more selective about their career path and proactive in pursuing it, rather than being discouraged by rejections.
The author values the body they have now and anticipates they may look back with similar nostalgia in the future.
They encourage embracing new experiences, whether in exercise, diet, or career, to enrich one's life and well-being.

Reflecting on the past 12 years as I turn 33.

This year I will turn 33, and having had a lot of time to reflect on my aging during the pandemic, I have considered things I would like to tell my 21-year-old self. None of us was perfect at 21, barely adults we took our first blinking steps into the world. Here is what I wish I had known.

Appreciate your body

I look back at photos of myself at 21 and cannot believe how good I looked. I do not mean to be vain, but my hair was a full bright natural blonde, my stomach flat, my legs slim and my eyes shone. Of course, I did not know this at the time. I lamented that my hair was flat, poked my stomach with disdain, and wished for a thigh gap like the girls in the magazines. I am no longer 21 and while in good shape, this is due to time in the gym and careful moderation of chocolate and cake. I wish I could tell myself at 21 how great she looked, but instead, I appreciate the body I have now, in the knowledge that I may well look back with envy in another 10 years’ time.

Have faith in your abilities

After leaving university I struggled to get a job for a few months, and even when I did find work it was doing market research, then working in a card shop, and finally a pharmacy. I don’t look back on these jobs with regret. It was honest work and it paid the bills, but I was lacking job satisfaction and pride in my work. My confidence took a serious knock. I had fallen for the lie that if I went to university and studied hard I would get a “good job”. I looked for graduate roles consistently, in fields that didn’t interest me, to prove that the student debt was worthwhile, and faced rejection after rejection as I slogged through interview after interview. In the end what got me my start in my career was sitting a free online exam, specific to the field I wanted to move into. It took around a week to study and take the exam, squeezing in long evening cram sessions around my day job. It was well worth it, the employer was impressed I’d taken the initiative I got two separate job offers for two departments. I’m still working with the same company six years later and loving my role I wish I had been more selective about what I wanted to do and then started taking steps to get there, rather than letting the rejection wear me down.

Exercise does not have to be miserable

Like many people, my first experience of exercise was in my school PE classes. As if high school were not miserable enough we were forced to stand around a muddy field hitting a ball (and each other) with hockey sticks, or we ran around a field in the rain. While not particularly unfit, I was not an athletic person, and would always be the last to finish these runs, coming in behind even the chronic smokers. I tried running again in university with a friend and again was unable to keep up. Running made me feel sick, and I quickly gave up. It wasn’t until my late 20s trying to get in shape for my wedding, that I discovered boxercise at a local gym, which then led me to Body Combat. Body Combat became my religion. I went to the class at 10 am every Sunday and kicked, punched, and sang. I only stopped because the instructor moved away, but by that point, I’d realized that I could enjoy exercise, I just needed something to focus on other than the pain in my muscles. The choreographed classes and fun music took my mind away from the work and made exercising fun. I just wish I’d known years ago!

Wear sunscreen

The simple fact is that sun exposure causes aging, and is one of the worse things you can do for your skin. I’m very pale, so I knew I had to wear sunscreen when it was sunny, or I was on holiday, or else I burned. And it hurt! I didn’t start wearing sunscreen every day until my late 20s and even then that was only in the form of a moisturizer with SPF, which was only SPF 15, and probably not even giving me that coverage. Now I use an SPF 30 every day and SPF 50 in the sun. Fortunately, the formulas are a lot better now, so I can use an SPF that doesn’t cause my makeup to slide off my face. I just hope I’ve started early enough to avoid major damage to my skin.

You don’t have to eat meat in every meal

I grew up in the North West of England, where “meat and two veg” was the cornerstone of mealtimes. When I was older I took this strategy into my meal planning and would usually pick a meat before deciding what to eat with it. A few years ago I started doing one vegetarian day a week, mostly just to change things up a little, and make myself try new things. That has grown over time and now I eat mostly vegetarian food at home. It’s made me a little bit creative with my meal planning and encouraged me to try things I never usually would. My diet is also much healthier and more varied, along with ultimately being cheaper! I wish I’d ventured outside of my foodie comfort zone much earlier and explored the world of plant-based dishes while still at university. I could have saved myself some extra money to try Body Combat classes much sooner!

Overall I have no real regrets I’d want to share with 21 year old me, I’d just like to get myself on the right track a little sooner! What would you tell your younger self? What do you think of my list? Let me know in the comments, and subscribe for more articles like this one.