Here’s What I’d Do if I Went Back 5 Years in Time

Advice to my 5-years-ago, naive self

Usually, when people talk about time travel, they focus on the fun things, the adventures, the intrigue, the “I’d go back in time and kill Hitler” type stuff. But I think time travel is about more than that. I think it’s about learning from our past mistakes.

That’s why if I went back five years in time to my younger self, here are a few things I’d do differently:

I’d be more confident about my decisions

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve regretted not making a certain move or acting fast enough and missed out on some great opportunities.

But the funny thing is, if I look back and think about the chances I was given, I realize that it was always up to me to take that opportunity. The only thing holding me back? Fear.

I’m not saying that fear is a bad thing — you need a little bit of it for self-preservation and to keep your head on straight in some situations. But too much of it can paralyze you and stop you from taking action.

You may be feeling it right now about an idea or project you’ve been thinking about for a while but haven’t started yet. Or maybe it’s showing up when you’re weighing whether to quit your job and strike out on your own.

Whatever it is, here’s what I’d tell myself (and you) if I could go back five years: Just do it! It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t work out — as long as you know you gave it your all, there are no regrets. And at least then you’ll be able to say, “I tried!”

Of course, doing this requires confidence — something my 5-years-ago self didn’t have enough of.

I’d worry less about situations outside my power.

When I started out at my sales job, I tended to stress out about things outside my direct control — whether or not a proposal would win, how a client would respond to a new concept, etc.

And while there’s nothing wrong with stressing over those kinds of things (it doesn’t mean you care any less), those situations were beyond my immediate ability to influence.

What I should have been worrying about was what I could control — my work ethic, my mindset, how hard I was trying to improve every day. I’d be more proactive with scheduling and prioritizing work.

I’d think less of people’s opinion

In the beginning, I was so excited to venture out into the world of business that I found myself listening to people’s opinions more than I should have.

I listened to people who said, “You can’t do that.”

I listened to people who said, “It’s too risky.”

I listened to people who told me it was impossible.

The thing is, the only way you truly know if something is impossible is if you try it out for yourself and see what happens. I’m a firm believer in just trying it and seeing what works and what doesn’t work — because there are some things you’ll never know unless you try.

So if I could go back five years, I would have tried more things and not listened as much as I did.

That’s not to say that listening to other people isn’t important; it really is! But at the same time, it’s your life — take ownership of your choices. You’re responsible for your actions, regardless of whether you made them after listening to someone else or not.

I’d have more fun and be happier

There’s a part of me that wishes I could go back and tell the old me to relax. To have more fun, to be happier, to enjoy life more. And I think these are some things I would have told myself if I had the chance.

I’d have more fun and be happier. I’d start by immediately taking up a guitar, and then I’d spend time every single day of my life practicing it. I’d take some time to enjoy the world around me instead of just working or trying to get better at something.

I’d go rock climbing more often. Maybe I’d even try base jumping (but probably not). I’d spend more time in nature, hiking, kayaking, and enjoying the world around me. And I wouldn’t wait until summer for this — I’d do it year-round.

I wouldn’t spend as much time keeping up with the news. Instead, I’d spend that time watching comedy specials and learning Spanish.

I’d drink less coffee, eat healthier food and exercise more regularly. I wouldn’t drink alcohol at all during the week, but when I did on the weekend, I would stick to fruits or a good glass of wine instead of hard liquor (which makes me sick).

Finally, I’d trust myself more. When I look back at my life, I see that most of the things that worked out well happened because I trusted myself enough to take a risk on something that made me feel nervous or afraid.

The trick is learning what risks are worth taking and which ones should be avoided.

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