Is it possible to restart?

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I am a few years older than you but had a similar experience growing up. I grew up in a corrupt city in a corrupt state (Sioux Falls, SD) and have been trying to get out but it's like a trap here. I had to deal with a city that expected me to perform like a superstar on the job, in school, etc. with less resources and more headaches and crap than most of the others my age, parents who weren't there for me mentally, schools and colleges that were corrupt and borderline abusive, sleazy and crooked employers, state and local governments that are Third World quality, and a community of people who would jerk you around at any opportunity they got and that's the short version of what happened. I actually got lucky and didn't go through what some people go through in this city/state so I guess I can't complain too much, but I will speak my mind. I was able to graduate with an associates degree but was never really able to find work in my field. I'm unemployed right now and am wanting to at least get some of my math classes out of the way as far as school goes (precalculus in particular) but don't want to invest anymore in this place. I know that what you went through wasn't nice and I had some emotional stirring when I wrote this. I don't blame you for what you went through and I don't think you should beat yourself up for your past.

I will say that sometimes taking action does a lot more for a person even if it is a small action. You said that you work part time. Could there be something in your workplace that might interest you? Forget the politics or your coworkers and their issues; focus on any sort of idea, process or object(s) in your workplace. For example, if you work in a department store, are there any products in the store that catch your interest? Don't share with your coworkers or management; just focus on anything that catches your eye in the environment. This can be the same if you are out shopping or even if you are at home and notice something in your home environment.

Another thing too, don't think that you have to accomplish some socially oriented goal by a certain age or so. The following is a path that I have seen quite a few 'normal' people follow or try to follow (some sarcasm is here and is my own ):

Go to high school (age 14 - 18) and graduate while participating in extracurricular activities (mostly to make someone look more noble and 'mature' than they really are)
Go to college (age 18 - 22), socialize with the stereotypical college crowd, fulfill the expectations of what a fraternity/sorority expects of you and graduate with a Baccalaureate degree. (And make sure you have a car, a credit card, and a Facebook account, LOL)
Rent an apartment (age 22 +) and if you have a roommate(s) (sometimes a social requirement depending on where you live) you'd better act like a stereotypical single person who lives with people of the same sex in the same house. Apply to a company where you can play the politics games (I thought a college degree meant that you actually knew what the hell you were doing) and 'move up the ladder'. Be sure to keep up your appearance on social media. If someone is not dating at this time they are considered 'different'.
Marriage (age 22 +) is needed because it increases your 'social' status. It had better be a traditional marriage (with all the pomp and nonsense that usually comes with one) irregardless of who's getting married.
Buying a house (age 26 +) is pushed on people when they are in their late 20s. Make sure you're married first!
Have kids (age 26 - 40?) because society expects you to be parents to fulfill some ancient procreation expectation.
Continue to climb the corporate ladder at work (you'd better be a stereotypical middle manager by the time you hit 40)
Put your kids through the same hoops that you went through as a teenager (age 40 - 60?)
Retire and become an opinionated grumpy old man/woman/whatever (age 65 - 70)
Get even older, grumpier, opinionated, weird, senile, smelly and eventually pass away after your pension dries up (age 70+)

See how rigid and sterile that life path is? It's stable for many people but how could an independent mind live like that? A lot of people in my age group think this way, surprisingly. It certainly doesn't make someone more 'mature'. 'Mature' often means how well a person pleases the expectations of the older crowd or people who fancy themselves as being older. It says nothing about someone's competence or abilities, character, etc. and certainly doesn't mean that they are morally superior. No one should judge themselves by how they stack up to people who very likely had a much different background or who had much better advantages in life or who were in an environment that favored them more. As for starting over, no one is too old to do that. Don't let the naysayers tell you otherwise.

Now, decades later, I wish I could go back and tell my young self to take library college courses part-time, to exercise more, and to eat healthier, but it's not possible to reboot one's life that way.
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likewise, i did and said numerous things that i later regretted. if i had to go back, i would:

more energy on socializing
more energy on extracurricular activities
more energy on sports
less energy on school
don't be so emotional
unwind more often
think about someone else's perspective
get diagnosed earlier

and et cetera

having said that,

what's done is done. sure, i could've done it better. but could've done it worse too. besides, if i did it better, then what? whooptie do. no guaranteed outcome.

quite frankly, i am just glad that all that theater. drama. theatrics. acting. is. over.

sure, "life" might get worse than it was before, socially, medically, financially, physically. i get that. (fine).

but going back in time?

totally overdoing it

i just really needed to hear this

It is possible to restart-- even in mid-life. The notions that we might just be able to hit those "reset-buttons" of our lives can be tempting.

Yet, it's (far) easier said than done! Finding those reset buttons (there's more than one reset button) is one challenge. Another challenge is to hit those reset buttons just right, and being prepared to troubleshoot those "infinite-loops" of ingrained habits!

In short, to reassess those strengths to get to those weaknesses, surrounding yourself with people who might just be representative of the change(s) desired - learning by osmosis at least. It can be said that technology (plain-old desktop internet access can do) provides a boost! And finally, being mindful of wisdom stemming from Buddhism!

I wouldn’t call it “restarting”. You can be the best possible version of yourself from now on, knowing that’ll still be utterly sh***y compared with what you could have been. Do it anyway, because, by definition, any other option is even worse—duh!

On restarting, change, etc. - that is interrupting those "infinite-loops" of ingrained habits.

Some seek change, other have change thrust upon them! Even adversity can be that thrust.

Regardless, change can be cathartic - let it H-A-P-P-E-N!

Yes.

My entire life was f****d straight into the ground 6 years ago when I was 29 years old. I was $110K in debt, then bankrupt, and couldn't function highly enough to work. I lived in a construction site for 18 months & traded what labour I could for food and shelter. I was suicidally depressed and the whole 9.

Then I figured out what was causing everything and how to treat it via natural medicines, did it, and am now living a Second Life for having done so. I work, play, live, have fun, get laid, have money in the bank, drive a brand new car etc.

So, there you have it.. it's not only possible for people to do; I have done it.