Also keep in mind that everyone your age is in the same boat this year.

As time went on, I started feeling less excited about everything, personal or work related. I used to be excited about new technologies, but not these days. I feel like I've seen most things before, and it's all just different iterations of the same. I increasingly wish I could go back to my 20s. Now I feel too old to go to festivals, bars and clubs and make new friends that way.

This has been a recent change for me. When I was ~30 I still considered myself young and able to do anything I could do when I was in my 20s. But not anymore now. I feel like my time for everything is running out. Have you been through a similar thing? How did you deal with it?

It's a good question. Why would you? Maybe it's just because it's a vast challenge. There's plenty of time though, don't worry.

Sometimes, people grow apart from the environment they're in - for what I've seen and thought, that's probably when we're open for a larger challenge and with that, some new risk/opportunities.

I'm 35 now, I quit my job & moved abroad, became an independent web developer, met a wonderful woman who's 5 months pregnant with our firstborn, I've been asked (!) to lead the development team of a highly rated startup and have been making more money than any of my peers for the last few years... So you know: things can change. It's not a strict requirement to spend your 20s all serious - even if you don't, you can still be successful.

I felt a little more comfortable doing what I do when I was younger, but mostly because I had tons of energy, no fear, and little to lose. Responsibility has made me move much slower. Plus, I've made mistakes, learned from them, and now fear the thought of new problems.

Also, I used to think about business 24/7. Sleep 4 hours a night. Work because I loved it so much. I couldn't keep up with the new ideas, and I had to implement them ALL or I was a mess!

Now... I need 7 hours of sleep, and I have a little fishing boat parked next to the house. I'd rather be out on the lake with my wife, or the kids, and a pole. These are the moments that make my life feel full. If I don't make the "next big thing"... I'm good.

Edit: There is an important balance to keep the enthusiasm of your 20s for a long time, and keeping a little wisdom of recognizing those situations that want to take advantage of a few years of your life in your 30s and being a little more conscious about it.

I'm 25, and I've been a bit stressed recently about how I've been working in the same company since I was 19 (took a year out and graduated uni when I was 21). I've started to feel like I've been wasting my 20s not taking enough opportunities or not seeking a more exciting job, just settling for one that's relaxing and good enough for now.

Seeing just how tiny my career has been so far, in comparison to retirement age, really made me reflect how things aren't that bad. I've got plenty of time to enjoy a comfy job and make some money before I go off taking crazy risks.

Another advice from a book, which stuck with me: "If you have the desire to do something, do it, because if you wait too long, you will find that the desire has left you long ago."

I have done everything I wanted to do in my 20s. I have a technical/developer background but left my startup career, with no job offer or backup nets, became a SAG actor, and a whole lot more. I even wrote and published a bunch of eBooks on this too.

BEST MOVE EVER.

I now have professional resumes in 3 different industries. Acting, Sales, and Startups. Great diversification. I even joined another startup years later doing something much more fun. The career gap came up, but I just told it like it is. You will find open-minded people who want to work with you.

Now I'm in my early 30s, happily getting ready to settle down. Just follow your heart. It's healthy and normal to yearn for great things. That is because YOU are pure greatness. Those who take action will distinguish themselves from those who don't.

What do I want to do in my thirties? Be a life coach to share my experience to those who find value. Be a great father/life partner. Learn to surf.

People will start looking more at your record than your potential, which is a shift from optimism to criticism in 99.9% of cases. In my case, I had what felt like a meteoric rise in the early part of my career, but technology changed, and my interests changed, and now all of that is irrelevant. So all that success you feel like you missed out on so far, it’s probably not much different either way, but you can’t replay it the same way. Maybe you’re talking about money, and lots of things can reset that too.

That big tech co might take you, but increasingly for niche jobs not on the fast track. You can probably do a startup, but you might have to grind on your own for years while some kid gets his tweet funded. When you were young it seemed like the other way around because you only saw the top 0.01% of timelines ahead of you, and now it’s the same way looking back.

Sound advice is the same, but you’ll keep learning that you should have followed it, and there was still time then, but now it’s too late, at least until now becomes then and there was still time. Maybe it sounds something like this: focus on the routine physical act of doing something you respect and enjoy enough to ignore the outcome, and just keep doing it. Or maybe just save your money. Actually don’t ask me; I don’t even know why I’m writing this.

Okay, I do know why: because every other response is going to be some variant of suggestion to pretend that age doesn’t matter, and that your anxiety is totally unfounded. No. Things change. Opportunity is limited. Some doors are closing on you, and some you’ll learn were never open, but it sure feels good to think it’s all possible, and that’s slipping away. I regard dismissal of someone’s feelings as a nasty thing to do to someone, even if you’re just trying to help them, and even if you are rationally correcting them. You’re not wrong, but you’ll adapt and whether by rationality or necessity, correct your values to align with reality as it evolves.

Moral of the story is succeed while you have the time.

I also improved my social skills, had a long term relationship, taught myself programming, learn how to have investment failures, quit my job, tried a few jobs, understood my family dynamics, faced my emotional issues from childhood, developed an athletic body, earned a black belt, learned proper nutrition, etc.

So were my 20's wasted? Only because I wish I was 20 again and had more fun. But I'm told 30 is pretty good too.

Edit: I also completed an MS degree during this time, but funny, I completely forgot to include it. It wasn't intentional. The truth is that I don't find it as valuable nor much of an accomplishment as it was just falling into a path not chosen consciously.

> Your 20's lay the groundwork for success in the rest of your career.

Can also be said as: While in your 20's, you should start living like you're in your 30's, 40's and 50's, so you can do that and only that for your entire life.

I completely reject that way of thinking.

There are many things we all want to do in our 20's we will not want to do later in life, which is all the more reason to do them in your 20's, lest you never get to do them at all.

As anecdotal evidence, I spent 2 years of my life from 27-29 driving from Alaska to Argentina, because I wanted to. Will I want to sleep in a tent for >500 nights when I'm 50? doubtful. Am I extremely happy that I did? You bet, best experience of my life. Did it "harm" my career? No, I'm working right now as a Software Engineer.

Traveling, meeting new and sometimes weird people, trying drugs, etc. So maybe spending your 20s heads down in the startup world isn't great for everyone.