I would maybe network more? LinkedIn etc didn't exist and I didn't have any professionals or technical people in my family and friends so I would try and polite

I would maybe network more? LinkedIn etc didn't exist and I didn't have any professionals or technical people in my family and friends so I would try and politely approach people on LinkedIn who are doing what I wanted to be doing and asking them for a call/advice/informational interview. And chuck more money into my pension sooner. And save harder.