10 Things I Wish I Knew In My 20s:
- Debt is easy. Staying out of it is hard—but worth the discipline it takes to stay flush.
- Debt anchors you down. Freedom from debt affords far more fun alternatives.
- Give more, take less. I was a lousy boyfriend for far too long. Being a better one is one of my few life “do over” wishes, along with learning to dance.
- Someone doesn’t always need to be right or wrong. Sometimes it just “is.” And that’s okay.
- Just because my friends were smarter than me at some things, they certainly weren’t smarter than me at all things. I assumed they were. Big mistake.
- Tip well. Nobody likes a cheapskate.
- Moving around is good—you’ll learn a lot—but traveling is even better.
- Foreign travel is extraordinary; but do not judge as you go. Learn and respect, do not judge and criticize.
- People of all races and religions around the world are about 92 percent the same. Build on the 92 percent. Don’t argue about the other eight.
- Getting married is easy. Staying married is hard.
10 Things I Wish I Knew In My 30s:
- Accumulating “stuff” is stupid.
- Judging others is even more stupid. Understanding others is smarter. Understanding creates influence.
- Profanity is the language of youth. There are 455,000+ words in the unabridged English dictionary. Use a few.
- Take less, give more. There are a lot of hurt people navigating life around us. More are rudderless and losing their way. You can be a positive force in the universe or a negative one. This is when to commit to being positive.
- Kids are the only thing in life that adds a dimension – the rest is just “stuff.” How a child will look at the world as an adult is shaped by his or her experiences during their years from birth through 13. Those are the years to pay the price and be a great parent.
- Business maturity is not tied to chronological age; and it has tremendous value in the work place. And never do for a living what a parent or someone else tells you to do. Tell them to buzz off. Do what you want to do. Maturity comes easier that way.
- Cars are depreciating assets. Treat them accordingly. Spend money on stuff that goes up in value, not down. Having no car payment is beautiful.
- Being nice is free. Being a jerk is hurtful. Be nice more and a jerk less.
- Buy what you need, not what you want or can. Your savings account will love you.
- Be emotionally available. Put down the baggage of your emotionally scarring 20s and get back in the game. Love is a requirement of a life well lived.
10 Things I Wish I Knew In My 40s:
- Mortality is very inconvenient. It ruins a lot of weekends.
- Do not waste time. Stop doing things that cause it.
- Live with passion and urgency. Make stuff happen so your obituary will one day read exactly the way you want it to.
- Aging slows metabolism. The stuff we could consume and get away with in previous decades will not treat us that kindly now.
- If the gym is boring, find another way to keep active. Do something. Anything.
- It only costs a nickel more to go first class. Occasionally splurge. Pay cash when you do.
- Preventive maintenance is always cheaper than emergency repair.
- Spend more time planning the back half of your life and career than your annual vacation. Not enough do.
- Don’t be grumpy. Happiness is a choice. Make that choice when you wake up.
- No “stinkin’ thinkin’”, either. You find in life what you look for, so look for the good in others, your job, your boss, and the life you are living. Navigating life with a negative outlook is a pointless way to live.
Top 10 Things I Wish I Knew In My 50s: (To be continued . . . I hope!)