More life responsibilities isn't a bad thing. Life is (or should be) made of intentional decisions by the user (you). And the culmination of these intentional decisions can fill your life with meaning, purpose, and fulfillment.

You don't have to take Responsibility A if you don't want to, but you have to live with the consequences of your decision (good or bad). It's a trade off. I want a house. I make that decision for that responsibility. I now own that responsibility knowing the duties that come with home ownership will take a portion of my time and therefore will reduce the availability of time once given to a different responsibility.

Of course, mistakes will be made, but the best part is you can most often correct mistakes in healthy and meaningful ways.

Life is more fulfilling, but with more responsibility comes more things to worry about.

Pretty sure nobody looks forward to getting older except for the young.

People plan towards retirement which is usually just looking forwards to not having to work anymore.

People look forward to having children and grand children.

I don't know anyone who looks forward to getting older except for the young.

By enjoying today, tomorrow will come regardless of whether you want to avoid getting older. Best you can do is prepare for tomorrow, health and finances.

They are first world problems and if you read carefully everyone who has gotten responsibilities chose them and they are very happy for it.

It's just the mind's way of coming up with problems when there aren't any.

It just feels like you gradually "give up" a life that was once yours (less responsibilities) and are "slowly forced" into a life that isn't as much yours (get married, buy a house, have children).

Doesn't "slowly forced" imply lack of agency?

> sense of agency refers to the feeling of control over actions and their consequences.

You're damned if you do (give up control) damned if you don't (walk through life unmarried with no kids in an apartment wondering what could've been)

Without responsibilities your life has no stakes, and no rewards.

Those life responsibilities are not mandatory unavoidable things. They're choices.

Such as: owning property, owning car(s), having children, getting married, getting a mortgage, etc.

You can chose to not do any of those things and basically live like you're 20 when you're 80 (in terms of responsibilities).

As someone who has done all the things you listed, my experience is that the grass is always greener on the other side.

Everyone says "I'm not as quick as I was when I was younger, but I have more experience."

But that's a very sad kind of survivor bias. You were born with your quickness, but you have to earn the experience. Not everyone ends up middle-aged with useful experience. You hear only from the ones who do. And nobody has a time machine.

So look forward to reaping the benefit of experience, but let that be a warning that experience doesn't happen for free. Use your youth to acquire as many lifelong skills as possible. Use those skills in challenging ways to develop judgment. Use your skills and judgment to develop meaningful relationships with people who have chosen similar strategies.

Being able to offer solid skills, judgment, and relationships, rather than the ability to work consecutive 18-hour days, is what you'll have to look forward to.