Life Lessons from a Seventy-Something

Answer by Dee Dees on Quora.

By the time people reach their 70s, they’re beginning to look back at the plans they made and dreams they had that never materialized. We always think we’ll achieve a goal when we finish school, or after we’re married, or after the kids are grown, or after we retire, and then one day we look up — and all those things have happened and we still haven’t realized our dreams.

That being said, the first thing I’d tell young people is “Start now.” Whatever you’re thinking you’d like to do someday — start now. If you want to backpack through Europe, do the research, get a passport, save the money. Take steps that will commit you to follow through. Plan it with a friend. Pay a deposit. You might want to start small by doing a one-week hike in Ireland. Plan something bigger for the next year.

I realize sometimes there are commitments to other people that hold us back from doing what we want. If you’re already married, holding a 9-5 job, parenting kids, you need to work around those responsibilities without leaving yourself in the dust. I’m not advocating being selfish, but I’m encouraging you to do what you can when you can.

It’s been said that at the end of life we regret the things we didn’t do more than those we did do. Be responsible in life, but always look for ways to have fun, enrich your life, and have no regrets.

The second thing I’d advise would be to start early planning for retirement. When you’re 20 or 30, retirement seems very far off, and you think you can start saving “later.” The sooner you start some kind of plan, whether savings, an IRA, or other, the more you will be able to enjoy life in your later years, and the less you will need to worry about how you’ll survive after the paychecks end.

This question originally appeared on Quora: What are some life lessons people in their 70s can share with the younger generations?