Most people don't live long enough to spend the money they saved for retirement. So, save some of it, but not all of it.

You still 10 years more or less before every bone and muscle starts to hurt a little.
Start yoga now before it's too late!

Yesterday is history & tomorrow’s a mystery...live your best life today !

Your 30s can be the most dangerous time of your life. Your body still has the explosive force of a 20-something, but your joints are starting to get worked in. I once threw my back out, from sneezing while sitting in a weird position.

So much of getting older is your mind saying “ya, I got this, and your body saying, no actually…..”

Quit trying to make everyone like you, hell, you probably don’t like everyone.

Stop spending so much time on the internet asking about life, Instead, go live it, love it, and learn along the way from your own personal experiences

Life is all about the people you surround yourself with and not about things.

This might be the best advice I’ve ever seen

Agreed. I learned this one at around 13.

1) Use Condoms
2) Use Condoms
3) Use Condoms

They’re cheap, and in many cases, free. Some things don’t wash off or go away with penicillin. You thought the COVID cotton swab was bad? HAH!

This is also my form of parable. Don’t trust what people tell you. Don’t rely on spray and pray. Protect yourself. The real rule number one-always be watching out for number one, and you’re number one.

Bruh....lol....

I met my wife through a MMORPG.... when there was only 3 real MMORPGs on the market: Ultima Online, Everquest, and Asheron's Call. Oh, and she was married at the time too.

I've seen some shi....

If you aren’t already hitched, wait until you find someone that is happy with you as you are.

Think about how many more pinballs you can afford throughout your life if you don’t have kids.

Be grateful, regardless
The only constant is change
It's ok to not know everything
Money is a tool, nothing more, nothing less

None of the above are easy, in fact seem impossible at times to get your head around....gets easier as you get older

All I have...

As evidenced by this thread: Ask an old guy for advice and you’ll never hear the end of it.

Signed,

My kids

I heard alot in my early years....didn't listen until into my 40s very well....

I'm 38 now, I opened a Bar/Arcade about 10 years ago when I was 28. I had been collecting games since my early 20s. My only advice would be to to enjoy these years while you can, life is short,spend as much time with family as you can. That and keep playing pinball.

Do what you feel like doing while you still feel like doing it. Then lie about your name.

Money does buy happiness and your freedom from the bullshit system. Earn, save, and invest your money to earn your freedom ASAP.

How true.

Happy Birthday, Life is to short you have to enjoy every day. It goes by so fast if you blink you might miss something. Family , friends and pinball are a must for all that’s going on in this crazy world, well in my opinion lol. Enjoy the little things.

Here are some ideas that have helped me over the last 20 years...

It's about progress, not perfection.

Focus on solutions, not problems. Acceptance is the key.

There are only 2 things you can actually control- your attitude and your actions. Trying to control anything else is exhausting and futile.

Mood follows action.

Help others.

Keep your side of the street clean and you'll always be free. You are not responsible for other people's feelings and if you're truly honest about your part...you'll be free.

Be kind, be honest, work hard and do what you say you will do.

I’m 55. Best shape of my life. I’m a mechanic, been wrenching for 30 years.

Love your woman.

Love your kids, but be the Dad.

Regret nothing. I’ve done some bad shit, they deserved all of it. Today I’d be in jail. Did what I had to to survive.
Shit gets deep keep moving.

Well done, ruralcollector. No better way to suck up to a butch of oldies than by asking for open ended advice and then pretending to listen!

Advice I could give (and I will give it) basically boils down to, time will pass. What passes with it is up to you. Around 30 you start thinking about how old you'll be at certain milestones of things you might start now. Like, if you dropped out of school at 20, you might think if you go back to school, part time while working, you'll be 40 when you graduate. You don't want to be taking classes at 40, or that's too old, so you don't do it.

Well, you're gonna be 40 in 10 ten years anyway (or dead). So you can be 40 with that degree (or whatever long-term project you decide to start now) or without. Not doing the thing isn't going to stop time.

So if you ever catch yourself thinking, "but if I start that now, I'll be X old when I finish," realize you're going to be X old whether you do the thing or not. So you might as well do it.

More specifically, there're basically 3 key to success.
1. Know what you want. Write it down, your dreams and goals. Not just in your mind, recorded somewhere.
2. Practice is everything. You want to be good at a thing, then do the thing A LOT. Learn from others' experience and mistakes, but there's no replacement for doing the thing yourself. Put in the reps, put in the time.
3. No one knows what to expect from you. You have to tell them, and then SHOW them. Forget dressing for the job you want, do the job you want.

Corollary to that last one, in the corporate world, whatever your job, the job description boils down to "make your boss look good." The particulars will vary. If you're on sales, selling a lot probably makes your boss look good. For a programmer that might mean turning out lots of good code. But if there's ever a question of priorities, or particularly in working with other groups or managers, think about what reflects well on the boss.

Also in the business world, no one really care who does what as long as it gets done. Even if you don't want to manage people, there's project management, making user guides, optimizing processes, many ways to help other people get more done. In most businesses and situations, the person who gets the most done gets more recognition than the person who does the most.

This does not mean taking credit for work other people do. That's a quick way to kill your reputation. But if you can inspire or facilitate other people to do their job better, one, you'll usually get more done than you could just yourself, and two, you'll rarely have trouble getting or keeping a job.

About health, as others have said, it is easier to stay in shape than to get in shape. If you're physically active, good. Stay that way. If you were active in high school or college, but not really since then, you might still be in good shape. That's isn't going to last much longer. At the very least, set up a treadmill or stationary bike in front of a screen, and get the blood pumping while you watch whatever you were going to watch anyway. (Or while reading Pinside.)

On The Last Day Of Pompeii
© Michael Peter Smith

On the last day of Pompeii
Thought I heard some poor boy say
Oh wow man if I knew then what I know now
I would've done more been more than I been
Had fun more sinned more mortal sin
Oh wow
If I knew then what I know now
I would've sent back that steak that was so overdone
Grabbed that big break while there was time time time
Made my life into a fantasy
Hot stuff for me to remember remember
And now that I'm a goner
All that lava rushin' 'round the corner
Oh wow I ain't complainin' only thinkin out loud
You know that my life would be different my love would be different
If I knew then what I know now
My life would be different my love would be different
If I knew then what I know now
On the last day of Pompeii
Thought I heard some poor girl say
Oh wow man if I knew then what I know now
I could've taken up the slide trombone
Had a garden and grew my own
Oh wow man
If I knew then what I know now
I knew I should've taken that Mediterranean cruise
Filled up on chocolate cigarettes and booze
Given some perfect stranger the blues
Hot stuff for me, all that stuff, speakin of hot stuff
And when Vesuvio came to call
Arrivaderci I'd've had a ball [I'd've had it all]
Oh wow man
I ain't complainin' only thinkin' out loud
You know that my life would be different my love would be different
If I knew then what I know now
My life would be different my love would be different
If I knew then what I know now
My life would be -- man, my wife would be --
If I knew then what I know now
Ciao
Recorded on: Michael Smith/Love Stories
———
No one on their deathbed wished they'd accumulated more stuff. It’s experiences and relationships.

You are closer to death today than you were yesterday, don’t waste a day.

The two best pieces of advice you will ever receive:

1: Retire when you are young and work when you are old.

2: There IS life outside of pinball.

My 2 cents.

1.This too shall pass.

2.Nothing is permanent in life.

This is the best. I would say shit is going to happen and you just need to embrace it and not freak out about it. Stay positive at all times. Spend the time with those you love the most, help others when you can, pay absolutely no energy or time to anyone negative or that brings you down. Just keep going. Also, if you have a plan, make a plan B and plan C; the universe has a way of having its own plan. Just enjoy the moment!

Depending on your situation at 30.

1) Time to prioritize better habits. By 40, it becomes imperative.
2) Being married, having kids, being a home owner will make you realize that you have to fight the fights, stand your ground, you are planted where you are. Single life affords the option of walking away. No longer.
3) Tend to the relationship with your parents they are getting older and help them when they need it.

It'll be like next week you are 40, then 50, etc. Live life like there's never a tomorrow. You could be in a car wreck anytime that will take your life. My biggest advice is just be nice to people.

Stop drinking and smoking tobacco and save that money for pinball.
Work out to help lift pinball machines, especially your knees and core areas. (Focusing on your arms won't save you)
Cultivate your friendships by inviting people over for pinball.
Don't work OT to pay off your house faster. Spend more time playing pinball with your family instead.

Beware ending up with a 'fuck trophy'. That really will ruin the rest of your days!

Don't get sucked into the "I must have the newest car/phone/XXX" - that thinking will keep you broke. Be satisfied with your 10yo car etc.

Avoid cults like the 'cult' of Apple - you are just feeding the man, it isn't helping you one tiny bit.

Time will fly by, but always remember that by age 50 to never trust a fart again.

Are you thinking smell or liquidity?

I feel like life started at 30. Best advice though is probably seek advice somewhere besides a pinball forum.

Really though there alis some good advice above. Here’s my $0.02:

Stay out of financial constriction. You will be a slave to debt. It sucks. I know from personal experience.

Work out and stay in shape. I’m 54 and on no meds.

Relationship is far more important than stuff. The draw for more stuff though is very strong and part of our nature. Beware but don’t live mike a miser either. Share with others in need.

Relationship with God is key but I might get flagged for this statement as you can’t talk religion on this forum…won’t say any more on this but you’re asking advice so this is on topic.

Anyhow, enjoy it!

Oh yeah…one more. Life is crazy stinking fast. I mean like crazy fast. Don’t waste it.

Lots of good advice so far. The one thing I'd emphasize is if you haven't
already started investing (financially) for the future, do so. Pour as much money in as
you can, especially into a house if you don't already have one.

Other things;
look to the future, not past mistakes
learn from others mistakes
avoid people that take advantage of you but pretend to be friends
do things that make YOU happy, pinball being one

And finally; Life is like a roll of toilet paper,
the closer you get to the end the faster it goes.

Good Luck! BTW, I'm well over twice your age.

some good threads on Metafilter:
https://ask.metafilter.com/327101/Mature-mefites-What-did-you-wish-you-knew-in-your-mid-30s-early-40s
https://ask.metafilter.com/27160/What-would-you-tell-20yearold-you
https://ask.metafilter.com/208309/Give-me-your-wisdom-let-me-see-through-time
https://ask.metafilter.com/340050/A-Decade-In-A-Minute

Been married a long time I learned
Do not say “ if I wanted to do laundry and cook diner I would not have got married”

Do all my own laundry now and even cook now and then

Some random advice in no particular order.
1. Wear face moisturiser with sun block every day. I learned this too late.
2. Money doesn’t always make you happy but it does buy you time. Time to do the things you really want to do in life.
3. Climate change is real and it will affect you much more than us older folks.
4. When guys 10-30 years older than you move into aged care and start dying off there is going to be lots of cheap pinballs around.

HWPO - this is all you need to know

I really appreciated reading this thread, and your initial post that sparked all the replies. I am not "much" older than you, turning 36 on saturday but still felt like chiming in. I lost my wife (she was 31 years old) to brain cancer 3.5 years ago (2018), I was 32 years at that time. It is of course an experience which I dont wish on anyone, but having gone through that and following her through the disease and til she passed, it has really made me rethink my priorities and what I want to do in the time I have in this life.

My main focus since 2018 has been (and this would be my advice to you) to focus on the things I/you enjoy doing, which gives me/you positive energy and joy, and just prioritize it. A job might be important to have an income, but dont get overly attached to a job or an obsession to please a company/boss if you dont REALLY enjoy what you are doing. Jobwise you are expendable. But the moments which makes you lean back and think "life is actually quite good", despite or amidst much turbulence and grief/suffering..hold on that, and the people which makes those moments.

Happy Birthday

My advice is to not ask for advice here lol

I agree w a lot of what was said earlier. Set some goals, and never forget to have some fun too. Life’s to short, try n be a good person, help out your friends/neighbors when you can. Karma is a real thing..and happy belated b day 2 you

The OP in asking for advice at 30 is going to do alright … I wish I’d had his foresight to ask the same question 25 years ago

That said, my 30s were great, my 40s were better and my 50s have been fantastic so far. Be positive, have fun, stay healthy, get your finances in order, maintain an outlet like pinball and marry the right person and you can’t go wrong.

And my one abiding question I ask myself every day - “how many lives am I going to live?”

The answer is obviously only one, so make it count

Basically, the best in life is...

To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.

Two bits of advise my dad gave to me:

Don't believe anything you hear, and only half of what you see.

Better to keep your mouth shut and appear to be a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt.

E

On the day when I left home to make my way in the world, my daddy took me to one side. “Son,” my daddy says to me, “I am sorry I am not able to bankroll you to a very large start, but not having the necessary lettuce to get you rolling, instead I’m going to stake you to some very valuable advice. One of these days in your travels, a guy is going to show you a brand new deck of cards on which the seal is not yet broken. Then this guy is going to offer to bet you that he can make the jack of spades jump out of this brand new deck of cards and squirt cider in your ear. But, son, do not accept this bet, because as sure as you stand there, you’re going to wind up with an ear full of cider.

Diversify your investments