When it comes to building a happy life, the secret is to play the long game. Being as intentional about your personal life as you are about your professional life when you’re young offers the best chance at being successful in all areas of life, not just your career.

Despite what the culture teaches, our twenties aren’t years to squander. “Eighty percent of life’s most defining moments take place by age thirty,” writes Meg Jay in The Defining Decade. //

All of this suffering was, and is, avoidable. There’s a completely different way for women to do life, and it begins with this premise: Whom you marry, and how that marriage fares, will have more effect on your happiness and well-being than anything else you do. Nothing else even comes close. //

It is never too late to shift your priorities and change your life. It simply begins with a mindset shift that’s rooted in 4 truths:

Whom you marry is the single greatest decision you’ll ever make.
Career success alone will not make you happy.
The biological differences between men and women are real, and they’re hardwired.
You can “have it all,” just not all at once.
The good news is, no matter where you are in life’s journey, you can embrace these truths and do a U-turn. When you do, you will have begun your journey toward building a better life.