I don’t know how many 20 year olds have a Medium membership, and I don’t mean to rain on your parade, but since I am not writing my own articles, let me selfishly add my own things in case a younger guy reads this.

1. don’t dirty bulk
2. follow whatever popular hair/clothing trend exists, don’t waste time and energy trying to stand out
3. you are not a badass
4. do not give money to anyone, become successful and then give back
5. read as many finance books as you can
6. get fiber in your diet
7. learn to cook
8. if at all possible, live on your own or with a roommate, do not live with parents. after 18 every year you live with your parents you will lose out on a year of maturing.
9. you do not have any real life experience or maturity, you gain these things by doing stuff, not wasting free time with entertainment
10. if you are too insecure/afraid to start a relationship, you are definitely not going to end a bad one
11. if you cannot afford to support a family, you are not ready for a serious relationship
12. you may be smart, but you lack the maturity to follow-through on whatever clever bullshit you think up.
13. do not go into debt
14. don’t worry about the gym, just master bodyweight exercise at home
15. if you are spending too much time with entertainment it means you are escaping from reality and addicted. it will take years to overcome this, so at least don’t take major risks that require a lot of concentration or cost a lot of money (like college, moving across country on your own)
16. read as many difficult books as you can find before you hit 25 and your brain stops developing
17. quit porn because it is warping your sense of what a healthy relationship/partner is
18. learn to be comfortable with boredom
19. keep a log of everything you need to figure out to be an adult (how to do taxes, how to take care of a car, how to pay bills, how to cancel credit cards, how to file mail, healthcare, and whatever else)
20. you take yourself too seriously. you are literally nothing to almost everyone, yes, even your friends. relax, there’s no pressure on you to be as smart and sophisticated as a successful 50 year old. allow yourself to fail magnificently and then get up and try again anyway.