Cheers to the last generation that didn’t grow up with trigger warnings, knows how to read a clock with hands, and can still sign their name in cursive. 🥂
If I could sit across from my 20-year-old self – baggy jeans, bad boyfriend, zero clue what’s coming – I’d have a lot to say. I’m not saying Gen X had it all figured out. But there’s value in perspective, so, here’s the real, unfiltered advice I would give my 20-year-old self. Think of it as Gen X life tips 101, without the fluff. If you’re in your 20s right now, consider this a cheat sheet from someone who’s already walked through the fire and lived to tell the tale. 🔥

Key Highlights:

• ✨How Gen X learned to thrive by living below their means
• ✨What emotional resilience really looks like in your 50s
• ✨The surprising power of saying “no” and setting boundaries
• ✨Why listening to your gut still beats overthinking
• ✨The truth about learning patience the hard way

Advice I Would Give my 20 Year Old Self:

🚀Embrace Your Authenticity
One of the biggest pieces of advice I would give my 20-year-old self is to stop trying so damn hard to fit in. I wasted way too much time trying to mold myself into who I thought I should be, instead of just owning who I already was. Gen X wisdom says this loud and clear: your weirdness, your instincts, your honesty – that’s the good stuff. Embracing your authentic self is a course in Gen X life tips 101, that never goes out of style.

🚀Take Risks
If there’s one piece of Gen X wisdom that still hits hard, it’s this: life really does start at the edge of your comfort zone. One major bit of advice I would give my 20-year-old self is to stop playing it so safe. Take the risk. Apply for the job, start the thing, move to the place – whatever lights you up. Yeah, it’ll feel scary. That’s the point. Your 20s are prime time to explore, screw up a little, and grow. That’s one of those Gen X life tips and tricks you’ll be glad you listened to

🚀Invest in Relationships One piece of advice I would give my 20-year-old self that hits harder with every passing year: don’t take your relationships for granted. I wish I’d shown up more for my friendships instead of worrying I’d be a bother. That quiet hesitation cost me people I truly cared about, and now that I’m older, making new friends feels nearly impossible. Everyone seems to have their inner circle already, and I often feel like the outsider. Gen X advice to Gen Z: Don’t assume people know you care – show them. This is Gen X tips and tricks that I learned the hard way.

🚀Travel Often
One solid piece of advice I would give my 20-year-old self: go see the world while you can. Travel as much as your time and budget allow. New places, new cultures change you in ways no book or job ever could. I was lucky enough to travel a fair bit when I could afford it, and honestly, no regrets there. That wanderlust helped shape my worldview and gave me a broader sense of humanity. These days, I’m a little more grounded. But if you’re in your 20s – go. Explore. Take it all in. This is one of those Gen X life tips and tricks worth every mile.

🚀Prioritize Self-Care
If I could shout one thing to my 20-year-old self, it would be this: take care of yourself like your life depends on it, because it does. Your mental, emotional, and physical health are the foundation for everything else. Gen X life tips 101 teaches don’t wait until you’re burned out or broken to start practicing self-care. Do it while it can still shape your future, not just repair your past.

🚀Save and Invest Wisely
Here’s some brutally honest Gen X advice to Gen Z: start saving and investing now, even if it’s just a tiny amount. I always knew this was important, it lived in the back of my mind like a nagging reminder, but when you’re just scraping by, “investing” sounds like a luxury. I get it. My own portfolio shows the impact of putting it off. Still, one huge piece of advice I would give my 20-year-old self is to set something aside regularly, no matter how small. It’s one of those Gen X life tips and tricks that seems boring until you realize it’s the key to choices, not just survival.

🚀Stay Curious
One of the most underrated pieces of advice I would give my 20-year-old self is to treat learning like a lifestyle, not just a phase. Don’t let school be the last place you feed your curiosity. Whether it’s formal education, podcasts, books, or just real-life experience, keep your brain active. Gen X wisdom says this: the world is constantly changing, and if you stop growing, you start slipping behind. Staying curious is one of those Gen X life tips 101 that helps you evolve, adapt, and stay sharp no matter your age.

🚀Fail Forward
If there’s one piece of Gen X advice to Gen Z that I wish someone had drilled into me earlier, it’s this: failure isn’t the end—it’s the teacher. I used to carry my mistakes like baggage for decades, replaying them over and over. But with some emotional maturity, I finally learned to see failure as feedback, not a life sentence. This is key advice I would give my 20-year-old self: stop fearing the fall, and start focusing on how fast you get back up. Stay on the sunny side of the street. Fail, learn, grow. That’s Gen X life tips 101 right there.

🚀Trust Your Intuition
One of the biggest pieces of advice I would give my 20-year-old self is to stop ignoring your gut just to be polite or “reasonable.” Your intuition is there for a reason—it’s ancient, powerful, and often smarter than your logic. Gen X wisdom says this: your inner voice doesn’t lie. Whether it’s a relationship, a job, or just a random situation that feels off – listen to yourself. That gut instinct is your earliest warning system, and Gen X life tips and tricks start with learning to trust it.

🚀Set Boundaries
One of the strongest pieces of advice I would give my 20-year-old self is to stop feeling guilty for saying no. Boundaries aren’t selfish, they’re essential. It took me way too long to learn that not everyone understands or respects boundaries, especially in relationships. That’s actually part of why I started this blog, to unpack those messy dynamics and share Gen X advice to Gen Z about protecting your peace. Respect your limits. Speak up. You teach people how to treat you by what you allow.

🚀Take Care of Your Health
If there’s one piece of Gen X advice to Gen Z I wish I could shout from the rooftops, it’s this: your body isn’t indestructible. It might feel that way in your 20s, but trust me your future self is already paying attention. Eat like you give a damn about your insides, move your body regularly, and stop glorifying the grind that robs you of sleep. I didn’t always prioritize these things, and now I’m making up for lost time. Your body carries you through every dream, heartbreak, and comeback so treat it like it matters.

🚀Be Present
One piece of gen x advice to gen z I’d pass along is this: life is happening right now, so don’t miss it by living too far ahead in your head. I’ve always been a planner in thinking 20 years down the road, but when I had kids close in age, I realized how hard it is to truly be in the moment even though I wanted to. Learning to slow down and practice mindfulness became life changing for me. Gen X wisdom tells us that being present isn’t just about calm, it’s catching the little moments that really matter before they slip away.

🚀Forgive Yourself
Here’s some real Gen X advice to Gen Z: cut yourself some slack. You’re going to mess up , that’s just part of the ride. The tough part is learning to forgive yourself without letting regret become a permanent roommate. It took me decades to figure this out. Holding onto self-hatred for mistakes only weighs you down, even when you’ve learned from them. Gen X wisdom reminds us that forgiving yourself isn’t forgetting; it’s freeing yourself to keep moving forward with grace.

🚀Practice Empathy:

Make space in your life to understand where others are coming from. Kindness and compassion go further than you think, even when it feels like no one deserves it. I used to be wildly empathetic – crying over roadkill, etc., but life roughs you up a bit, and I built armor out of survival. Still, that tender Gen X kid in me shows up sometimes. And when she does, I let her breathe. If there’s any Gen X advice to Gen Z worth keeping close, it’s this: don’t let the world harden you past the point of feeling.

🚀Invest in Experiences, Not Things:

Stuff breaks, trends fade, but the memories you make are yours forever. Sure, I enjoy nice things, I’m not above a cozy sweater or a great pair of boots, but the trips, the concerts, the random nights that turn into core memories are the real wealth. If there’s any Gen X wisdom I’d pass down, it’s this: the things that shape your soul usually don’t come with a receipt.

🚀Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help:

Life’s heavy sometimes, so don’t carry it all on your own. Ask for help before you’re drowning in it. I used to white-knuckle everything until I hit a wall, then maybe I’d reach out. Don’t do that. Most people want to help, it makes them feel useful and connected. That’s a little Gen X life tip for you: real friends show up, and they remember when you did too. Let them.

🚀Celebrate Your Successes:

Don’t downplay your wins, big or small. Every step forward matters, and recognizing it builds momentum. One piece of advice I would give my 20 year old self is to stop brushing off achievements like they’re no big deal. They are. Celebrating keeps you motivated, focused, and proud of your growth. That’s not ego, It’s Gen X wisdom!

🚀Practice Patience:

Your dreams deserve time to unfold. One piece of advice I’d give my 20 year old self is to slow down and trust the process. As a classic Gen X’er, I’ve learned (the hard way) that impulse decisions often come with a price tag. These days, I take my time, mulling things over instead of diving in headfirst. It’s okay to stand at the edge of the pool for a while. Patience isn’t weakness.

🚀Live Below Your Means:

Just because you can buy something doesn’t mean you should. Avoid the trap of lifestyle inflation, because it sneaks up on you. This is classic Gen X advice to Gen Z that’s stuck with me. Even when I was flat broke, I made it a point to spend less than I earned. Sometimes out of necessity, sometimes because I turned saving into a game of cutting corners wherever I could. It’s not being cheap; it’s building a cushion for your future self.

🚀Practice Self-Reflection:

Make it a habit to check in with yourself and see if you’re still headed where you want to go. As someone in my fifties, I’ve pivoted more times than I can count, and yeah, it gets exhausting. But here’s my Gen X advice to Gen Z: being willing to adjust your path is what keeps you moving forward. Life’s not a straight line, and that’s okay. You’ll be a survivor too. Just like me.

🚀Be Open to Change:

One of the best Gen X life tips and tricks I can pass on is don’t fear change, embrace it. We grew up watching the world shift fast, from analog to digital, from cassette tapes to TikTok. Change isn’t the enemy; it’s the invitation. It’s not always comfortable, but it’s how we grow. If you let it, change will show you just how adaptable, and powerful, you really are.

Wrapping Up the Advice I Would Give My 20 Year Old Self

If I could sit down with my 20-year-old self and share these nuggets of Gen X life tips, I’m pretty sure my journey would’ve been a lot smoother, and a lot less stressful. But hey, we can’t rewind time. What we can do is take these lessons and use them now, steering ourselves toward a future that feels more real, more fulfilling. And by passing these insights along to you, maybe I’m lighting the way a bit for your own path of growth and self-discovery.