I’m 26 and just recently started taking investing seriously on my own, and I’m feeling a mix of excitement and regret that I’m trying to process.
I do have a 401k through work, so it’s not like I had zero exposure to investing. But if I’m being honest, I never really felt like I was investing for myself. I just contributed, picked a default option, and didn’t think about it much.
Over the past couple of weeks, I finally built a real budget, automated my savings, opened a Roth IRA, and started consistently investing outside of my job. For the first time, I actually feel in control of my money instead of just letting things happen. That part feels really good.
At the same time, I keep catching myself looking backward. I see certain stocks or ETFs with massive long-term returns and my brain immediately goes to “I had money back then, why didn’t I invest on my own?” I know logically that hindsight is 20/20 and that I couldn’t have known what would take off, but emotionally it still feels like FOMO mixed with being hard on myself for not starting sooner.
I guess I’m posting because I want to hear from people who’ve been through this phase. Did you feel regret or second-guessing when you started taking investing seriously outside of a 401k? How did you stop comparing where you are now to what could have been and just focus on building forward?
I’m committed to staying consistent and playing the long game. I just don’t want hindsight regret to mess with something positive I’m finally building.