Last week, I turned 28 years old! I cannot believe that I am already 28 as I often think I am still in my early 20s. It’s so easy to forget how old I am getting as my students keep me feeling young. But as soon as I talk with my student assistants, teacher’s aides, or get a reminder about my bills, I am brought back to reality.
Something I like to do on my birthday every year is to sit and reflect on my year and think about my goals for the next year. I like to always think about how I can continue to grow and be the person I want to be. However, as I do this, I realize that I should have started learning these skills and making these changes earlier in my life.
So here I am, making this list in hopes that a late teen or early 20-something comes across it and learns from my mistakes. Here are 10 things I wish I learned before turning 28.
- How to actually save and manage my money.
Yes, we all grow up hearing that we should save our money, save our pay checks and not spend so frivolously. But we don’t always get solid advice on how to do that (or how to save money while trying to start businesses). How do we know if we are indeed spending beyond our means? How are we supposed to continue to save when we have all of these bills? How do we know how much to put aside for groceries every month? I still don’t know how to do this. I’ve gone through all the other pins, I’ve seen IG reels, and I’ve gotten some advice from others, but I still struggle and I’m starting to worry because I need to save up for my wedding. If you have any guides, visuals, etc. for saving, please send them my way! Also, if you can share with me the differences in the different types of savings accounts, I would also appreciate that!
2. How to save for retirement.
Now, I know you might be thinking, “I’m so young, I have a lot of time to save for retirement!” The truth is, it’s never too early to start but you’ll suffer if you start too late. I should have started as soon as I finished college and got my first full time job. But I had the mindset that I had a lot of time. Now that both of my parents are retired, I see why you need to start early. Yes, a lot of companies and employers will pay monthly for their retirees, but it is definitely hard to live off of (depending on where you worked and where you are living).
3. How to do my taxes
I am very fortunate that my mom does my taxes every year. However, since I started a business and I am doing some affiliate marketing on the side, I know that it will complicate things. I wish I learned how to do my own taxes earlier and I wish I paid more attention to all of the forms and terminology used for my taxes. I am so reliant on my mom and now that I am taking steps to be my own person and adult on my own, I need to learn these things!
4. How to run my own business and all that goes into it
I started a side hustle in 2022 as a body sculptor. I learned very little on how to do the business part of it and was making things work as I went with some help and guidance from a mentor. However, now that I am dipping my toes into other ventures, I wish I learned how to properly run a business on my own and make it successful. There were so many times that I wish I had more guidance with my body sculpting business and I often found myself in the red or struggling to pull in more clients.
I wish I learned how to better manage finances, how to advertise, pull in clients and build an audience without being pushy, how to manage a beautiful website (I’m still trying to make this website better looking), and how to do taxes and the other paperwork. If I had started earlier, I feel I could just learn to refine and manage since I had the basics down.
5. How to do basic car and house maintenance
Just as I am reliant on my mom for things like my taxes, I also rely heavily on my brother and father for things like car maintenance and fixing things around the house (and sometimes even my classroom). I don’t know how to change the oil in my car, how to build a shelf on the wall, or how to install a toilet. I am always willing to learn, but sometimes it is easier to just ask my more capable brother or father.
As I plan my future, I know I can’t keep calling on my dad or brother for everything. I also can’t always rely on my fiance. I need to learn to do basic things. I have taken the first step by learning how to change my wiper blades and tires on my car and I know how to fill my tires with air. But there is still so much I need to learn.
6. A foreign language
Being a teacher, I have had many students come through my room with families that speak languages other than English at home. Being multi-lingual can really help a teacher in the classroom to better help their students but also be able to communicate with the families better. I have been having a hard time assessing my current students because I don’t speak the same languages as them. Yes, at 2 years old, I am aware that they are still developing their home language, but being able to bridge that gap by having the same language as them, would be super helpful.
I have been picking up phrases and words here and there in multiple languages, but I wish I had become fluent in at least one other language before I hit 28.
7. Time management
I feel I am okay at this skill, however, I do still see room for improvement. Having ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), I know I struggle with managing my time and staying on task. That combined with having this need to always be busy or to do something (maybe a creative personality?), I know I need to work extra hard. I wish I had learned how to manage my time better so that I could finish more of my projects sooner, go to bed earlier, and leave the house at a better time so I wouldn’t always be running late.
I wake up very early, earlier than I really need to on most days. But I still always find myself rushing out of the house because I am going to be late for work. If I had learned how to manage my time and routines better and more efficiently, I think my life would be a lot more productive. This is actually one of my goals for this next year: to manage my time better and not rush to work.
8. How to tap into my intuition
I know, some of you might think this sounds silly. But I really do wish I had learned earlier on how to listen to my intuition, my spiritual guides, earlier. My mother has a strong intuition and I learned that I do too (when I actually listen). Looking back, I noticed that my intuition would guide me on certain paths and sometimes I listened, other times I didn’t. I don’t necessarily regret all of the times I didn’t listen as some led to some really meaningful lessons. Other lessons, I do regret it as I missed out on some life changing opportunities. But as they say, “What’s meant to be, will be. What’s meant to be yours, is already yours and will find you.”
9. How to cook family favorite meals
I know how to cook some things and I do really well with following recipes (unless it’s bread. I still haven’t managed to make bread successfully). But I wish I learned how to cook my dad’s shoyu chicken or my mom’s thanksgiving stuffing and cornbread. There’s so many dishes that go back into my childhood that I would love to be able to make and know by heart so that I can make it for my kids one day. Now, when I try to learn how to make those recipes, it always ends with them doing it for me. I wish I had paid more attention when I was younger and started making those dishes with them earlier.
10. My family history
I know very little about my family history. I had to research my dad’s side for a pageant I did, but I know I didn’t get all of the information. We all did those “Where is your family from?” projects when we were in elementary school, but as you grow up, you realize that there is so much more to a family than where they came from. I wish I could hear the family stories, know a little more about each member, and understand their life choices.
My family history has always been a hard thing for me to learn about because of family drama. There’s a lot of distancing between family members, even some law suits, and it resulted in my family drifting apart. I never truly got to learn about cultural practices and significance either which created a hole in my life and identity. I won’t be able to pass along some of these traditions to my own children because I don’t fully understand them.
There’s so many other things I wish I had learned earlier but I am trying to remember that it’s never too late to learn new skills. If I couldn’t do it earlier, I should start now.
What are some things you wished you learned earlier?