Not trying harder to pursue the career I wanted for myself. Something scientific. Pharmacist, vetinarian, vetinary nurse, lab technician. All of these were careers I either half-heartedly tried to pursue or had my mind and confidence thwarted by those who told me I couldn’t do it. Well, I was never going to do it by listening to them!
I’ve always loved academia and have a great thirst for knowledge but never felt I had the mental aptitude/capacity for it. So when others (mostly teachers I had in tertiary learning) agreed with my thoughts on myself, I would just give up.