Venting Wasted the decade.

[BabyYoda]

I'm a grown-up man and this is not something I normally would say, but baby Yoda is CUTE.

Hi there

To answer the question:
Strangely enough, I feel this way. And I'm only 18. Mainly because I can't make myself motivated enough to level up my skills (non video game related) because idk, the path to success doesn't seem for me? I also don't want to face more disappointments than I can handle. Screw big dreams.

 

[k75]

I turned 18 in 2010. For the past 10 years since then I've done absolutely nothing. Literally. I've spent all this time in my room either sleeping or watching tv or generally doing nothing. The past week it's hit me how much I could have achieved and the years that I'll never get back. Time has gone so fast.

does anyone feel like this?

Ok, here's the way I see things. You're 18. Your life is just beginning. Up until now someone else has been in charge of you. You've had a parent, guardian, a teacher, other adults whatever telling you what you can and cannot do. You've had to go to school and to whatever and didn't have a choice in the matter. That's not really living. And it doesn't really count. Not many people achieve very much before they're 18.

What does count is what you do from now on. Obviously there's limitations based on money and resources, but you can choose to do whatever you want now. You're finally in charge of your life. So instead of worrying about what you didn't do before, why not focus on what you can do now?

I realize that probably sounds extremely optimistic, which is funny because I am definitely not that person right now. But I think it's something worth thinking about at least.

 

[mediocre]

Ok, here's the way I see things. You're 18. Your life is just beginning. Up until now someone else has been in charge of you. You've had a parent, guardian, a teacher, other adults whatever telling you what you can and cannot do. You've had to go to school and to whatever and didn't have a choice in the matter. That's not really living. And it doesn't really count. Not many people achieve very much before they're 18.

What does count is what you do from now on. Obviously there's limitations based on money and resources, but you can choose to do whatever you want now. You're finally in charge of your life. So instead of worrying about what you didn't do before, why not focus on what you can do now?

I realize that probably sounds extremely optimistic, which is funny because I am definitely not that person right now. But I think it's something worth thinking about at least.

I'm no longer 18 I'm 27 now. I know a lot of people say that's still young but I am a 27 year old that can barely look after themselves. I need help every single day. If you haven't got your shit together at this age what's the point? But I appreciate your sunny optimism

 

[k75]

I'm no longer 18 I'm 27 now. I know a lot of people say that's still young but I am a 27 year old that can barely look after themselves. I need help every single day. If you haven't got your shit together at this age what's the point? But I appreciate your sunny optimism

Haha I actually meant to direct that to @BabyYoda but misclicked. That's what I get for trying to post at 4am!

I do wish I had some helpful words for you. I understand where you're coming from, though. I got sick with cancer at the beginning of the decade and it pretty much destroyed my life. I didn't manage to do much at all, and I often feel like a failure for it.

 

[DoNotLet2]

Well I'm not partying so free to talk.
Relatable, but I feel like I wasted a decade but I don't know why. It is so weird.

 

[hatelife]

I'm almost 30 and have spent most of my life doing absolutely nothing and wasting away. So I can relate to this so very much... Wasting away wasn't a choice, though. I'm severely mentally ill that it has prevented me from living a fulfilling live and I'm living on disability / food stamps due to it. I'm frozen in time.

same, it was not a choice, it was hell

 

[BabyYoda]

Haha I actually meant to direct that to @BabyYoda but misclicked. That's what I get for trying to post at 4am!

I do wish I had some helpful words for you. I understand where you're coming from, though. I got sick with cancer at the beginning of the decade and it pretty much destroyed my life. I didn't manage to do much at all, and I often feel like a failure for it.

Hey man, thanks lol! I read it

 

[BPD Barbie]

ok, but you're still pretty young. There are still lots of things you could do.....

I'm 29 and I hear this all the time as well. It really isn't about all the time we have left so to speak, it's about all the time we've wasted, all the years we can't get back, all the things we missed out on that being in that age group could have given us etc. People mean well with that comment I'm sure, but it's not what we wanna hear.

 

[jgm63]

I'm 29 and I hear this all the time as well. It really isn't about all the time we have left so to speak, it's about all the time we've wasted, all the years we can't get back, all the things we missed out on that being in that age group could have given us etc. People mean well with that comment I'm sure, but it's not what we wanna hear.

I was just trying to offer some gentle encouragement to try considering an alternative point of view.
It may not work, but it's worth a try at least.
If trying to offer words of encouragement works in 1 out of 1000 cases, then it's still worth it....
If people are still determined to CTB then we try to support their choice of course.
I think this site would be a worse place if we didn't at least try to encourage people to think about their options and consider other points of view.
It might also make the site harder to defend.
Posts such as those help to show that it was the person's own choice, and that they weren't encouraged, which is an important thing.

 

[PeaceisallIwishfor]

Don't feel bad, despite all of anyone's achievements, memories, accomplishments and creations, we all end up six feet under...

 

[UpandDownPrincess]

If it gives you even a smidgen of good feeling, know that many geeks like me believe that the decade does not end until the end of next year. This might but just the year you've been waiting for!

 

[WallsClosingInn]

I turned 18 in 2010. For the past 10 years since then I've done absolutely nothing. Literally. I've spent all this time in my room either sleeping or watching tv or generally doing nothing. The past week it's hit me how much I could have achieved and the years that I'll never get back. Time has gone so fast.

does anyone feel like this?

Feel the same.I'm 31 now,done nothing,accomplished nothing.So much time wasted because of my chronic pain...

 

[mediocre]

Feel the same.I'm 31 now,done nothing,accomplished nothing.So much time wasted because of my chronic pain...

I have constant physical pain too. I'm always on here if you want to talk.

 

[waterbottleman]

I turned 18 in 2010. For the past 10 years since then I've done absolutely nothing. Literally. I've spent all this time in my room either sleeping or watching tv or generally doing nothing. The past week it's hit me how much I could have achieved and the years that I'll never get back. Time has gone so fast.

does anyone feel like this?

Yes, to a certain extent however I'm grateful for some things I've done.

Ive done virtually no socializing at all. I think I have autism but I also think I have schizoid personality disorder. I would like to have a girlfriend but my social anxiety/autism makes this virtually impossible to achieve. However I genuinely have no interest in having any friends. It's not that I'm a misanthrope or dislike people, Im just totally indifferent to being friends with people. I'm fine with having work acquaintances, but I don't really have any interest having friends outside of work.

However I have gotten a college degree, have gotten a few jobs over the years, and I've read a ton of books in the past decade.

So I guess it wasn't all for nothing, however I feel completely isolated from people now due to not socializing at all with people.

I have very narrow interests that I'm obsessed about but there's not a lot of people who share my interests so it's really hard to socialize with people when you have little in common with them. It seems like to me most people my age are interested in sports, video games, social media, and celebrity gossip. I don't play or watch sports, don't play video games, don't have social media, and have no interest in celebrity stuff or pop culture.

So yeah, hard to talk to people my age when I have no idea what they're even talking about.