If I could travel back into the past, there are certainly several things that I would do differently.  I am not confessing to having a ton of regret.  In my younger years, however, I tended to maintain a very myopic vision.  For example, it was very hard for me to imagine being old one day.  In fact, even now I sometimes see myself in the mirror and think, who the hell is this?

1.  Attend college.  You might be considering a job or career that does not require you to attend college and obtain a degree.   For example, you may dream of one day running a barn, playing professional gold or even breeding or training horses.  You should still give some serious though to attending college in spite of this.  While college is a major investment, you can still make college a reality, even when your parents are unwilling or unable to help you cover your educational costs.  You do have the option of taking out loans, however, you can cut costs by first attending a community college with the goal of transferring to a university after the first two years of your education have been completed.

Getting a degree tends to be much easier to do while you are still young and do not have the responsibilities that are associated with building a family, owning a home and other aspects of adulthood.  you can increase your potential earning considerably by earning a degree and this will also prove to be useful if your other goals do not entirely pan out.  Additionally, you can experience the lifelong love of learning.

2.  Discover your purpose.  You can look within to determine what it is that you really want to do with your life.  There are certain natural abilities and talents that you were born with.  You already have an idea of the different subjects that you struggle in and the ones that you are naturally adept in.  Select a career that allows you to make optimal use of your natural talents in a manner that makes you feel fulfilled or which enables you to help others.  As time passes, your desires and your career are like to evolve.  At the present moment, however, lean towards areas that you feel comfortable in.

3.  Start planning for retirement with your first job.  This is such an important tip one of the very best investments that you will ever make.  If you join on with a company that provides a 401k plan, sign up as soon as you are able to do so.  If a 401k is not provided, make it a point to divert a portion of your check into an IRA.  IRA and 401K especially if you are using the equity option are best investments for young people. If luck is on your side, you will actually live to be old, so planning early is always to your benefit.  Set up contributions that are automatic for your retirement savings so that you can painlessly begin building wealth for yourself.