I'm 30 now. I worked very hard in my 20s (50-70 hour weeks on avg) and eventually burned out badly at 29. While I still consider myself ambitious, I now have a completely different view on work and living in general. I'm very careful about how I spend my time and more aware about my mental health than I've ever been.
I don't know if I regret it though. I learned a lot and had cool experiences. Sometimes I think I needed to go through it to appreciate what I have now.
I will say though that I no longer have a huge desire to work at that "hot" startup. I've worked in one, and while it's cool to talk about at parties, it won't magically make you a happier person.
These days I'd much rather spend time after work with loved ones or tinkering on a silly hobby. I'm really glad I've been able to make peace with that. Like some of the people who posted here, I used to guilt trip myself for not spending every waking hour doing something "productive" - I now realize how toxic that mentality was.
TLDR: I worked a lot, learned a lot, and changed from it to hopefully live a more sustainable lifestyle in the future.
I don't know if I regret it though. I learned a lot and had cool experiences. Sometimes I think I needed to go through it to appreciate what I have now.
I will say though that I no longer have a huge desire to work at that "hot" startup. I've worked in one, and while it's cool to talk about at parties, it won't magically make you a happier person.
These days I'd much rather spend time after work with loved ones or tinkering on a silly hobby. I'm really glad I've been able to make peace with that. Like some of the people who posted here, I used to guilt trip myself for not spending every waking hour doing something "productive" - I now realize how toxic that mentality was.
TLDR: I worked a lot, learned a lot, and changed from it to hopefully live a more sustainable lifestyle in the future.