This one is more personal than usual.

But part of why I make these videos is because I’m trying to speak to my younger self — to give her the advice I needed back then. I can’t go back in time. I can’t undo the past. What I can do is share what I know now, and hope it reaches someone who’s currently living through that same confusing, messy, “what am I even doing with my life?” season.

If you’re younger and you feel lost, this is for you.

And if you’re my age (or older), you’ll probably relate — because honestly, we’re all still figuring it out as we go. We’re just doing it with a little more perspective now.

So here are six things I regret not doing sooner in my 20s — and if I had done them, I would be in a very different place today.

Not in a “woe is me” way. I’m not here to romanticize regret.

I’m here because if you learn this now, you can save yourself years.

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1) Pick something — and stick with it

If I could scream one piece of advice through time to my early 20s, it would be this:

Stop quitting. Stop shutting down. Stop “starting over” every time you feel insecure. Pick something and stay with it.

In my late teens and early 20s, I had things going for me. I had a book deal. I was pursuing modeling. I even had a blog and a YouTube channel way before “content creator” was a real career.

I had a blog called Fit Chick Teen (and if you remember that… I love you). I was learning WordPress the hard way. I was trying to figure out basic coding. I made this low-quality workout video on a digital camera and posted it on YouTube — and it got tens of thousands of views. Then I received a check from Google for like a hundred bucks and I was like… wait, what?

Back then, I didn’t understand the potential. Influencers weren’t really a thing yet. It didn’t feel like a real path.

Then I went through a really weird mental/emotional time. I got too skinny, then gained weight back in an unhealthy way. It affected modeling. I moved to New York, and instead of pushing forward… I shut everything down.

I stopped writing.
I stopped filming.
I stopped promoting my book.
I froze.

And looking back now, I can see how short-sighted I was — because everything I’m doing now is what I could’ve been building then.

So if you’re in your 20s and you’re confused, overwhelmed, or unsure what has “the most potential,” here’s the truth:

You don’t have to know. You just have to choose.

Pick something. Anything. Writing. Fitness. A business. A skill. A craft. A career path.

Because once you commit, you build experience. You build confidence. You build momentum.

And even if that thing isn’t your forever thing — it will lead you to the thing.

But quitting leads you nowhere.

Also, can we stop pretending you “have so much time” that you can do nothing? Yes, you’re young. No, you should not panic. But you should be actively building something, because life moves fast.

You don’t want to wake up six years later and realize you’ve been stuck in the same place because you kept telling yourself you were “just figuring it out.”

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2) Be more confident (even before you feel ready)

I know. Everyone says this.

But the older I get, the more I realize how much confidence changes everything.

When I was younger, I couldn’t see my own value. It’s like I had blinders on. I didn’t see how smart I was, how capable I was, how much potential I had. I tolerated things I shouldn’t have tolerated. I accepted less than I deserved.

And if you’re reading this and thinking:

“But Whitney… how am I supposed to be confident when I’m not in shape yet, I don’t have the job yet, I don’t have the partner yet?”

Here’s the answer:

Yes — it’s easier to be confident when your life looks the way you want it to look.

But you need confidence to get there.

Confidence isn’t pretending you’re perfect.
Confidence is trusting that you can grow.

And I’m telling you right now: you are more beautiful, smart, capable, and worthy than you think you are.

You will look back at photos of yourself someday and wonder why you didn’t see it.

So start acting like you’re valuable now — not after you hit the goal weight, not after you get the dream job, not after someone picks you.

Because the truth is: people who don’t see their worth make decisions from desperation.

And desperate decisions create desperate lives.

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3) Quit the partying and drinking sooner

I’m not saying you can’t have fun.

But I am saying: don’t let “fun” become your lifestyle.

In New York (especially), it’s so easy to get swept into the constant cycle:

dinner → drinks → more drinks → a club → late night chaos → repeat.

At first, it feels exciting. It feels like you’re living the dream.

And then one day you wake up and realize it’s all the same night over and over again.

It’s not moving you forward.
It’s not making you healthier.
It’s not building your future.

And half the people you think are your “friends” are not friends — they’re party friends. You won’t know them later.

If partying is making you miss workouts, skip responsibilities, ignore your goals, or keep you stuck in the same patterns…

cut it back.

You’re not missing out on anything.

You can still go out in your 30s. You’ll enjoy it more because you’ll be less messy and have more money to actually do what you want.

If you’d rather stay home, work on your goals, read, sleep, hit the gym — do it. That’s not “uncool.”

That’s maturity.

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4) Lose the weight and get healthy sooner

This might be the most important one.

I regret not making fitness and health my foundation earlier — because for me, it affects everything.

When you don’t feel good in your body, you don’t show up in your life the same way.

You hesitate.
You shrink.
You procrastinate.
You settle.
You tolerate less.

I wasn’t comfortable in my body in my 20s — and more than anything, I wasn’t proud of my behaviors. I knew I wasn’t living in alignment with who I wanted to be.

And when you don’t take yourself seriously, you don’t take your life seriously.

So if you don’t know what you’re doing in life right now, if your confidence is low, if everything feels messy…

make your health your main focus.

Work your job. Pay your bills. But when you get off?

Go to the gym.
Meal prep.
Go on walks.
Get disciplined.
Build the foundation.

Because when you start living like your healthiest, fittest self…

That’s when your identity shifts.
That’s when your confidence rises.
That’s when your life starts moving.

And yes, it will change your life — especially as a woman.

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5) Start saving and investing immediately

I didn’t understand money when I was younger.

I grew up with a mindset of paycheck-to-paycheck: money comes in, money goes out, and you’re always behind.

But money isn’t just about luxury.

Money is freedom.

Money is the difference between leaving a toxic relationship or staying because you can’t afford rent alone.
Money is the difference between quitting a job you hate or being trapped.
Money is security when life goes sideways.

And here’s what’s wild: when I bartended in NYC, I made good money — but I had nothing to show for it because I didn’t pay attention. I didn’t track. I didn’t save intentionally.

Then one day I started saving my cash tips without changing my lifestyle, and a few months later I had around $10,000.

That’s when it hit me: I wasn’t “bad with money.” I just wasn’t intentional.

So whether you can save $5 a week or $100 a week — start.

And start investing, too. No one taught us this. Especially women. But now there are apps and tools that make it easier than ever.

Even if you’re working a job you hate right now, you can still build a future if you do two things consistently:

work + save/invest + improve yourself.

That combo changes your life over time.

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6) Stop stressing about dating so much

This one is personal, but I know a lot of you will relate.

I spent way too much energy dating and being on apps, and honestly? It wasn’t because I needed a boyfriend.

It was because I felt like something must be wrong with me if I didn’t have one.

And online dating — especially when you’re not in a great mindset — can be brutal. It can distract you, drain you, and make you question your worth.

If I could tell my younger self anything, it would be:

Get off the apps. Stop chasing. Stop forcing it. Focus on you.

I met my fiancé at 29 — not on an app — through my sister and a mutual friend. And when it happened, it was effortless. It made sense instantly.

That’s how you know it’s right.

Also: when you level up, you attract better people.

When you feel desperate, insecure, or unworthy, you attract losers — because your energy is saying “I’ll take what I can get.”

So it’s better to be single and building your life than attached to someone who distracts you from becoming who you’re meant to be.

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The real message

If you take nothing else from this, take this:

There is always time to start again.

No matter how old you are.
No matter how messy your past is.
No matter how far behind you feel.

Start now.

Pick something.
Build confidence through action.
Cut the habits that are keeping you stuck.
Get healthy.
Get your money right.
Stop chasing validation through dating.

And if you’re younger and you feel lost — you are not broken.

You’re just early.

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Want more tough-love guidance?

If you want a step-by-step tough-love guide for weight loss and discipline, check out my book 1 Year, 100 Pounds, the story of how I lost 100 pounds on my own at 14 — and how you can do it too.

And if you want the journaling method I used (and still use), you’ll love my 1 Year New You Guided Weight Loss Journals.

Links are below.

See you next time.