I want all your advice on what a 26-year-old girl can do for her future and beauty.

[VividHare]

I need the advice of every woman who is older than me. If you were 26 years old, what would you do for your career, your beauty, your relationships, and your health?

Loads of good advice here that I won't repeat, I don't think anyone has said this...
Don't waste money. When I think back on all the clothing, furniture, skincare and gadgets I thought I needed, only then to get rid of it later, I wish I'd bought less. I should've focused on better quality that would last longer, and far less stuff overall.
I also wish I'd compromised less. Set my boundaries and stuck to them, and been a bit more selfish. Decades of putting other people first means I haven't really done any of the things I'd love to do, and I feel like there's too much on the way now, the habit and expectations are set.
Lastly, learn to rely on yourself first, be happy with your own company.

Honestly what an incredibly rude OP.

All this advice and they didn’t have the manners to return.

Marriage is not essential though! Don't just assume it is OP.

Definitely read and watch Baz Luhrman's Sunscreen Song..so touchingly true. Not just about the SPF or the looks or the dodgy politicians....(all the eternal verities).

But this paragraph too...
"Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't"

As he also says "the race is long"

There's still loads of time to work things out. Keep asking for advice - and act on what you judge to be the most important and useful :)

If you want to get ahead in your career set some goals and focus on them. Don’t take on other people’s work just ‘to be helpful’. Helpful doesn’t get you promoted. Be helpful when there’s something in it for you - greater visibility, leadership role, taking charge of the delivery.

Have a strong story of how you contribute to the bottom line. I’ve wasted too much time helping other people who then get the plaudits and I get a thank you. Thank yous don’t give you pay rises. It’s great to be a team player but not at the expense of sabotaging your career. Every hour you spend doing Sandra’s spreadsheet for her so she can focus on her presentation to the board is an hour not spent doing your own productive work.

Spend 10 minutes a week jotting down what you did last week and what you’ll achieve this week. Over time this will build into a portfolio of achievements and aspirations that will be easy to articulate in job and promotion applications.

Find a partner who values your career as much as their own, particularly if you intend to have children. You want someone who will be an equal parent, who will cook dinner as much as you do (and happily decide what to cook), do their share of household tasks without you having to manage them.

Don’t regularly sleep with someone who doesn’t love you. It will hugely erode your self esteem over time.

Don’t get into debt.

Go to the dentist like clockwork.

Wear sunscreen.

Trust your instincts.

Don't refer to yourself as a girl.

Career - work hard. Forget what others are doing and do everything you can to do the best job YOU can do. Say yes to opportunities and seek them out. Find a mentor or coach. Put additional into your pension if you can or start an additional private one.

Relationship - don't accept a useless partner who won't put equal work into life, home, children etc. Share the driving load - it's a small thing but things like the man always driving us weird powerplay.

Beauty - drink plenty of water and wear sunscreen. Eat well. Exercise regularly. Give yourselves regular facials.

Health - eat balanced and healthy meals. Don't snack regularly. Exercise regularly including a mix of strength and endurance. Avoid becoming overweight. Only drink alcohol rarely and never drink it at home. Don't vape or smoke.

Stop referring to myself as a girl.

Be careful wity money and set up proper savings.

See red flags. You don't owe them a date. Or sex. Have it if yo u want it but not because you think you should.

Fidn a job you enjoy.

Take up any opportunities to learn and study.

Find a volunteering job you love, even if it's just a few weekends a year.

I love Baz Luhrman's Wear Sunscreen too, but just to point out that he didn't write it, it was written by Mary Schmich in the 90's.

Get a retainer for your teeth to wear at night.
I once had lovely straight teeth. Now at 54, not so much.
My dentist told me this, far too late.

Oh god, it's her. Thanks for the tip off.

Focus on you. Nurture your interests and your friendships. Learn new things. Travel. Prioritise your health. Find exercise you enjoy, eat well, move your body, learn to manage stress - whether that's yoga, meditation or a good book and a long bath.

The beauty stuff is really just about doing all of the above, avoiding cigarettes and booze, and wearing sunscreen religiously!

Start to build your pension and ISA. Automate it so that your money goes in every payday and treat this as part of your basic expenditure, not a “nice to have”.

Basic health stuff- Mediterranean diet, keep an eye on your weight, start a yoga practice, lift weights. Regular sleep. Time outside every day. Get off the internet. See your dentist. These are also the best things you can do for beauty (although also don’t over pluck your eyebrows!)

Relationships- invest in your friendships. Don’t date men who are unkind.

Career- god knows, given AI. I wish you luck.

The OP has left the building

She is just a girl - a mere child! She may have had her phone confiscated

A regular on here is becoming a parent to someone else's child or nanny with fanny as it's called. Avoid if possible it seems fraught as you are left doing the parenting. Otherwise avoid all the vices smoking, drugs. Drink in moderation, regular exercise and prioritise yourself.

So so true, I think this is the best advice given yet!
I try and spend so much less now on ‘stuff’ you don’t need it all.

Things i did in my 20's:
Opened and started paying into a personal pension.
Learned to live away from my parents.
Gone teetotal.
Got engaged.
Found my long-term permanent home.

Things i wish I had done in my 20's:
Taken care of my skin and hair.
Gotten a handle on my weight before it went too far.
Got tested for the genetic condition that I found I have in my 30's.
Got married.
Had children

Exercise of you're not already - not to be slim or even super fit, just go keep moving, have some core strength and build habits so you'll be mobile longer.

Stay out of the sun and use SPF

Don't do any facial surgery that involves removing fat you will look much older later.

Start a pension, save money for yourself and don't be reliant on a man.

Don’t call yourself,or think of yourself as a girl. Read up on politics, feminism and philosophy. Learn how to cook. Start a pension. If you can afford it, get some therapy (that’s not just you, that’s everyone) Practice being alone-holidays, theatre, restaurants, at home. Don’t become dependent on make up every day-be comfortable without it. Cultivate women friends. To quote Harry Styles “If he(or she) doesn’t make you happy, put him/her in the bin” Start a pension.

Start a pension
Become financially literate
Avoid needless debt
Lift weights
Wear SPF 50 EVERY SINGLE DAY
Learn to appreciate the small things that make you happy and avoid over consumption of ‘stuff’. Happiness is found in appreciation of the lovely things that happen all the time, you just have to recognise them (hot cups of tea, a gorgeous sunset, Autumn leaves, being greeted by a lovely pet, a comfy bed, a fresh hair do, a nice letter or postcard through the door).

Take out a life insurance policy - the younger you are the cheaper the policy is

Agree, you are a woman at 26, definitely not a girl !
Beauty - get comfortable in your own skin by accepting who you are and enjoying just being young and healthy, I wish I had enjoyed larking about on the beach more instead of worrying what I looked like in a bikini. Being confident is a very attractive quality and being cheerful helps too.
The rest is obvious, don’t smoke or vape, protect your skin in the sun.