3 Things I Wish I Started in My 20s (I Learned the Hard Way)

In this episode of The Fuck It Shift, Adam Ross shares three things he wishes he started in his 20s—and why learning them later in life came at a cost.

From investing and health to what you feed your mind, Adam breaks down how small, consistent decisions made early can completely change the trajectory of your life. He challenges the belief that you need a high income to build wealth, explaining instead why understanding how to invest—even with less—is what actually creates long-term freedom.

The conversation also dives into the importance of treating your body like an asset, not an afterthought. Adam explains why the habits you build around food, energy, and discipline in your 20s show up later in ways you can’t undo—no matter how much money you make.

He also highlights something most people overlook: what you’re feeding your brain every single day. From social media to conversations, Adam explains how being intentional with your mental input can shape your beliefs, your standards, and ultimately your results.

This episode is a reminder that success isn’t built through short bursts of effort or “grinding”—it’s built through long-term, intentional decisions repeated over time.

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LinkedIn: Adam Ross

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to the Fuck It Chip Podcast. I'm Adam Ross, joined by producer Jay.

SPEAKER_00 0:03

And Jay's going to ask me a question to start the show. Adam, what are three things you wish you would have started at a younger age compared to now?

SPEAKER_01 0:11

Like in terms of uh what advice would I give or what's the habits? What do you is that what you're going with?

SPEAKER_00 0:17

Um anything. So what what what are three things you wish you would have known back when you were younger to start doing uh habits?

SPEAKER_01 0:25

The three things I wish I could get across to somebody younger listening that have so much power in my life and so much force in my life today would be invest. I wish that I really understood the power of investing and why it was so important. You're gonna tell yourself right now, if you're in your 20s, like, I don't have fucking money to invest. It's not about money. You'll never be rich at your job. You'll never like be rich on your income. You have to learn how to focus on what you're spending versus what you can invest and go with a little bit less at 20 to invest, to start kind of that growth, that projection for yourself. Because once you get to a certain level and you really understand that money hates to be saved, loves to be doubled. These are lessons I learned in like my 40s. Had I learned those, or I really understood them in my 20s, and I would have understood how to pay myself first and invest, I wouldn't have had uh a life without disaster. That's not what I'm telling you. But I would have had this understanding of the power of investing because when you start compounding and you start growing your investments on top of investments, there's this peace that comes with understanding of investing and understanding how it works and why it's so powerful. That man, I wish I could give to my 20-something self. I told I used to tell myself all the time, I don't have the money for that. But I go blow 200 bucks on a weekend on nothing. I had money to invest. And I that is one thing I really wish uh you could, you're never gonna be rich on your income. You've got to get that through your head. Number two would be how important your health is. When you get to a certain age, your wealth will never buy you new health. You've got to start early. You really got to pay pay attention to what you're putting into your body, the food you're consuming, what it's doing to your gut health, what how important food is as a fuel system, not for taste. I don't mean you got to eat the same boring shit every day, but I mean a whole month of McDonald's or Burger King is not the right fuel to put in a high-powered machine like you should treat yourself. Your body is a temple, it should only have the very best nutrients and ingredients that you can possibly put in your body because that type is that's also investing. Investing in your body and your body's overall health pays off later. Again, I cannot stress enough, but the richest guy in the world can't buy back time. Can't go back and eat right. And it's such a small decision, an intentional decision that you can make for yourself that adds maybe not even years on your life. No one knows your number, but it at least adds this level, this foundation that you've fed your body and paid attention to what's in it. And when we're on the topic of intentional, for me, if I'm speaking to my younger self, I would encourage you to be super intentional about what you're putting inside your brain or what you're feeding your brain. Especially today, I didn't have YouTube, social media, and all this other garbage and all the news channels. But what are you feeding your brain when we have podcasts or conversations about, you know, do you believe in positive thinking? And do you, well, you spent a life not paying attention to what you're putting inside your brain. Your brain is not a garbage truck. It's not there to just consume whatever's available to you and scrolling and laughing and sending videos to what are what is the message behind it? Just be intentional. Go out of your way to feed your brain in your 20s, powerful knowledge. Be curious about others, about different things, and feed your brain and then look at things and be analytical and say, that's garbage. I'm gonna consume way less of that and way more of the other. Because when you get to 40 or 50 and shit starts changing, life starts throwing curveballs, you think you got a curveball now at 20? Wait till you're 40, wait till you're 50. If you spent an entire lifetime of feeding yourself garbage, garbage in your body, garbage in your brain, how equipped are you gonna be? Then you have no investments. So the three most important things that I think a 20-something year old should really buy into and make it a commitment, part of your standards is investing. Learn everything you can about it. Treat your body like a temple, make sure you're feeding it properly. Don't cut corners. It's easy to make excuses about I don't have the money to eat right. Bullshit, you do. Fast food has way, uh, way higher costs down the road than you'll ever imagine. And then pay attention to what you're putting inside your brain. You only get one. Your belief system can be reprogrammed or unprogrammed, but how powerful would you be at 40 or 50 if you spent the time being intentional about what you're putting inside your head? If you want a big, giant crop of success, have good soil. That goes for your body, your investments, and your head.

SPEAKER_00 6:11

I know this isn't a show about specific investments, but if somebody was interested in their 20s about starting to invest their money, not going into what they should invest in, but can you give kind of an overall on how they should start doing the research on what investments might fit best for their situation, why or why not, um, where to look, where to go, who to talk to, also who not to talk to.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

Well, who not talk to is is kind of dangerous because you know, a lot of people sign up with investment advisors and they put their money in mutual funds. I don't hate it. It's just you have to understand where what moves the needle for you. So the best advice I could give is the advice I got. If you're into Starbucks, you're into soccer, you're into something that you really are passionate about and you know a lot about, it's probably where you should start looking at investing. What are you investing in uh, you know, cheese for when you don't like cheese? It doesn't make sense. Because someone told you it was a good investment, someone was trying to sell you something. So find out what you're really into. What are you passionate about? What brands do you love? Maybe start there instead of these broad shotgun uh investment strategies. Something you align with, believe in, and you really love the brand and the messaging and what they do, and they're on the stock exchange or they're start there because you have a connection with that brand. You understand more about that sport, that brand, that food, that manufacturer than maybe the average person, and start there. You're not gonna don't go chasing rainbows. Investing is about being prudent and taking it, and that's another message is like taking time. There is no the get rich quick scheme, is the get spend it fast scheme because you didn't earn it, you don't know what it feels like. You hit something and then all of a sudden it goes down and you lost it. You need to be intentional. If you inligned, I bought Roblox stock because my kids play it and I'm spending money on it, not because I love Roblox, I just thought I know a lot about it. I'm inundated with it every day. I watched my 20-something year old son as a child play it, and now my other children are playing it. I'm gonna invest in it because I understand it's in my household every single day.

SPEAKER_00 8:41

Same question on the health side. If somebody in their early 20s wants to kind of turn their life around on that side, I mean, they can go on Instagram and YouTube, and there's a million and one fitness influencers, um, which I'm sure some are just, I don't know, there for the paycheck, have no idea what they're talking about. Right. What advice would you give them on how to seek out the best advice?

SPEAKER_01 9:03

Well, that when I was a trainer, a personal trainer, I used to tell people all the time here's the problem. There's so many options that it's paralysis through analysis, or you take a little bit of everybody's and you make it this big giant mess, and nothing works for you. Here's the secret to nutrition: it is done over time, not in a week. You can pick a style of somebody that speaks to you that you connect with and follow that particular style. I don't care who you choose, but choose one and stick to that style. It is a journey. Nutrition is a journey. It is not a quick get fix and it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle. So you need to align yourself with a lifestyle person that you follow that you believe that you want to achieve and that you can align yourself with because you'll take that information and that data because you're a believer. Because nutrition is all about consistency. It has nothing else to do with get rich, lose 10 pounds in 30 days, and make a bunch of money. None of that will work for you. You'll go up and down like everybody else. It is about following it on an clear, long-term line. I'm giving you advice from what I wish I knew in 20 to get to 50. If I known at 20, I just had to make a conscious effort to eat right six out of the seven days. I'd be further ahead today than I am now. Don't be late for me and do it like I did at 38 and gave up 18, 20 years and then had to start doing it. I'm lucky I got I did it at that point. Start early and nutrition journey is a long-term play, just like investing.

SPEAKER_00 10:55

I think we'll wrap it here. The world wants to know. What would you tell younger Adam?

SPEAKER_01 11:01

Well, I think this whole show was about the three things I sure wish I told myself. I can say that it's for you at 20, but I sure wish I had I had paid attention to it now. And the wisdom that I get from people older than me or in my circle that are passing it down, these are great lessons that I'm taking myself. So I think I really wish that I would have not talked myself out of not having the money to invest. I used that scarcity mindset and didn't realize that scarcity mindset controls you. Without getting conspiracy theorists, they want, they, the world loves scarcity mindset. Money's value is based on scarcity. Fitness is based on scarcity because a lot of people won't do the hard shit to get the body. Success is like it's a secret. Nobody wants to share it. The internet's exploded with the social media's exploded with people sharing ways to get to be successful, to get rich. The problem is they're not all true. But here's what I'll tell you it if you can get one thing out of this entire podcast, you have to be okay with putting the work in every single day on a long-term play so that you at 50, 40, 60, 70, have this payoff. Life is about the long game. And at 20, you're thinking about the quick wins. How can you level up? How can you get here? I listen to my son's friends about, yeah, man, I just want to put in the grind. Grind doesn't equal success. Long-term intentional moves done in sequence is what success is about. Not grinding for 60 days on something and suddenly you're rich. It doesn't work. And then you get frustrated. You have to learn how to play the long intentional game and make choices intentionally. What you feed your body, what you feed your brain, and how you understand how that all correlates and works together. Till next time. See you later, buddy.