You come back again......with a full knowledge.

[El Presidente]

OK this was a recent deck discussion...wine and cigar driven 

Yes we would all buy pre-2019 CC cigars,,,,that's a given 

However, in terms of work and aspiration? 

Assuming you had nouse, pre-existing nouse, what would you do differently? what fields of work? attitudes to work/lifestyle etal? 

We couched this discussion on the deck as if you were talking to your 12 year old self. 

[BrightonCorgi]

Gone to vocational school.  Where I grew up, electricians, plumbers, etc  are easily making 1K+ USD a day.  Many 2K+....  To some that is not a lot, but to most that's a very tidy sum. 

It's a heck lot more than guidance councilors who said you'll be nothing if you don't go to college.

[dominattorney]

I'd still do everything the same, so far I haven't screwed anything up real bad yet that wasn't a good learning experience. 

[Ford2112]

I would travel and travel and travel more

[TacoSauce]

[Chibearsv]

Life’s been pretty good. Lots of ups and plenty of downs have all led to a nice place right now. Wouldn’t trade it for anything else. I’m not rich but I don’t need to be. My focus after some bad experiences to be debt free is my key to relative low stress.

[joeypots]

I wouldn’t change much. I’ve been lucky. Luck, imho, is a huge determinant of quality of life.  I envy few people and covet little. I can make a living doing what I want to do but could have been a better student. Do it all over again? I’d take better care of myself and at 20 I'd begin to dollar cost average into a sheltered account holding a simple S&P 500 index fund. The grass may be greener over there but my grass is green enough.

[SirVantes]

1 hour ago, joeypots said:

I wouldn’t change much.

Complete opposite.  If I think about it (again), it will do me in.    

[Islandboy]

6 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

Gone to vocational school.  Where I grew up, electricians, plumbers, etc  are easily making 1K+ USD a day.  Many 2K+....  To some that is not a lot, but to most that's a very tidy sum. 

It's a heck lot more than guidance councilors who said you'll be nothing if you don't go to college.

Yep, I can relate to this, but I did a hybrid version. I went to vocational school at 18 to become a diesel mechanic. Quickly became management material and after spending 15 years in various roles, my employer offered to pay for further education. Going back to college to get a business degree at 30 something, after gathering a bunch of real life experience, has proven highly effective. It would have been all for nothing had I gone to business school at 18.

[KCCubano]

I have been in business/ sales since I got out of college in 87. I love fishing/hunting and outdoors in general. Should have been a Game Warden! 

[Digi]

Can't say I'd change much!  Would liked to have figured out the talk therapy / ADD medication thing before my mid 30's.

I traded having kids for my career in the music industry but it isn't about desiring change as much as it is curiosity of what would have happened.  At the end of the day, my tech gig probably isn't as fun as fronting/touring and studio tracking/mix work but it sure pays a helluva lot better (and lets me raise kids in the best city in the world).

[cnov]

I've had my fair share of cock ups along the way to get to this point but I'm pretty happy with how it's going so far. I wouldn't have fallen into what I'm doing now without my educational faux pas.

I would have definitely enjoyed making it as far as Uni, but I doubt it would have put me on a track anywhere near as fulfilling.

Pretty boring answer, maybe I need a few more beers to get the imagination working.

[Fireball]

Find a way to not have taken out loans for college. My degree paid off big, but, the band I was in began doing short regional tours with a following- I never was able to quit work and go 100%. My loans were co signed for my parents, so potentially not paying them was an unacceptable risk.

But I have a great family and I control my own destiny, so it’s fine.

[cgoodrich]

Had a friend talk me into electronics school for a 2 yr degree. That led to electro-mechanical tech work, then more to mechanics and equipment maintenance. Found out I love mechanical things and thought I would have loved going the route of a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering.

But if I reflect honestly, I’m where I’m at because I went the electronics route. Life is good so there’s no reason to regret. 👍

[GavLew79]

Go into banking. Or Cyber Security. 

[Capn_Jackson]

I’ve made a lot of mistakes, and nearly died a few times because I was an adventurous 20- and 30-something, and it’s amazing I haven’t been arrested a handful of times. Wouldn’t change any of it, because I feel that it led me to where I am. The hard times, and poor decisions, always led to something better and gave me deeper appreciation.

[Chas.Alpha]

Just. Stay. Single. Dating wasn’t so bad…

[cnov]

Turns out my wife had quite the list of suggestions for this.

[Squarehead]

On 9/15/2023 at 11:34 AM, joeypots said:

I wouldn’t change much. I’ve been lucky. Luck, imho, is a huge determinant of quality of life.  I envy few people and covet little. I can make a living doing what I want to do but could have been a better student. Do it all over again? I’d take better care of myself and at 20 I'd begin to dollar cost average into a sheltered account holding a simple S&P 500 index fund. The grass may be greener over there but my grass is green enough.

The grass is not greener on the other side,there's just more B.S.on it

[El Presidente]

Throw the dice early. No fear. 

Move/work in US or Shanghai/Hong Kong in my 20's.

Specialise in gems. I love the niche nature of this industry. For a brief time in the 90's, my good mate/mentor Manu showed me the beauty and depth of this world. I only touched the surface and went in a different direction. There is something intoxicating about pink diamonds, blue sapphires, the purest of green emeralds.. Mind you  I have no regrets 

If I could give any advice to my 12 year old self is to specialise in a field that you love.  It doesn't really matter what the field is as long as you love it.. The end result is you never really "work" a day in your life.