What advice I would give my younger self
It’s Sagittarius season. For me, this means a time to celebrate my birthday and a time to reflect on lessons learned thus far. This year, I reflected on what advice I would give my younger self, specifically, my younger-early-20s self. So here it goes. Hope it’s helpful to someone.
Good job saving and NOT having any credit card debt (i.e. paying off your credit cards every month - make sure to thank dad for this habit). And excellent job paying off your $10K undergrad student loan in 9 months. You are definitely not a fan of debt. However, you are missing ONE key piece to your financial foundation. INVESTING. Spend some time learning about investing, particularly index funds, ETFs, Target Funds, and REITs. Trust me - it’s NOT as complicated as the media makes it seem. There are plenty of books, blogs, and online resources to learn from but use your critical thinking. Last but not least, make sure to include real estate investing in your learning.
Google “FIRE Movement.” FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. “Leaders” and members of this community might have a different experience than yours. Don’t let that distract you from the overall message: Live Below Your Means. Increase your Income. Invest and Save. There are plenty of people living on a FRACTION of their (high) income. Again, it’s easy to say “well, that’s easy for them.” But your income will increase as you progress in your career. The key is to live on a FRACTION of your income. You will encounter “nay-sayers” who think it’s impossible to live like this. Their comments are a reflection of their limitations; not yours.
Losing weight has been a struggle. It’s time to realize that there is a difference between being skinny, being fit, and being healthy. My advice is to focus on getting strong - that’s right, embrace weightlifting. Search for a local CrossFit gym and commit to it for at least ONE year. Yeah, I said it. The lesson here is that there are NO shortcuts to lasting results. It’s all about consistency. This is the time to establish habits that will compound with time. Yes, just like money, good and bad habits compound with time.
You are a hard worker. You can roll up your sleeves, walk into any situation, and lead a team toward the completion of a project. Your ability to deliver on a project and push through in a crisis makes you bounce around without a clear direction. Moving around consulting projects is great exposure but allocate time to find a thread that connects each experience. Embrace and optimize your consulting projects abroad - these are fantastic and unique opportunities. Hire a career coach who can help you reflect on your professional experience, goals, and gaps.
Nobody wants to hear this but you will experience heartbreak. You will recover! To do so, lean into the things that make you - YOU! Activities like travel, meeting new people (e.g. Couchsurfing), dance (Sensazao), giving back to your community, physical challenges (e.g. races), and creating memories with your friends and family. Also, pray. Prayer is powerful. I know you think you no longer have the spark you had before, but trust me the spark was and will ALWAYS be within you. No one can take that spark away from you. You will love again - more deeply than you could imagine or hope for.
Last but not least, don’t be afraid to leave your 20s behind. Trust me your 30s are much better!