20 Things I Wish I Knew in my 20s

When Sonia asked me to write this blog post, I didn’t know it would take six months to do it. I don’t know how she does it. Anyway, I wrote 20 things I wish I knew in my (early) 20s. I hope you take something from this list that you can apply to your own life.

1. Watch my thoughts
   • I learned that what you constantly think about is what will appear in your life. Just like when you want a certain type of car, you see it everywhere. Well, the same concept applies to all other thoughts in our mind. Meaning, we can choose to think positive or negative thoughts and we will create more of that in our lives. Therefore, focus on what you want instead of focusing on what you don’t want.
2. Invest early
   • I wish I would’ve invested in my early 20s. My biggest advice is to learn about the different investment vehicles: real estate, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, commodities, forex, options and futures contracts, and cryptocurrencies. The sooner you begin, the faster you’ll accumulate wealth. If you are interested in learning more, I highly recommend reading “Investing for Dummies“, “Trading for Dummies“, and “The Millionaire Real Estate Investor“.
3. Time is priceless
   • Do the math on how much free time you have every week and find out how much time you are wasting. In other words, become aware of how you are spending time and make sure it’s how you want to spend it. What motivated me to change on how I spend my time I thought about all the other hardworking people that are currently working towards their dream instead of doing mindless things.
4. Never stop learning
   • Find a way to continue learning. Whether it’s through videos, podcasts, books, audiobooks, etc., find out what works for you, and never stop learning. One way I like to learn is to listen to podcasts while working out because I am doing two things at the same time and both are good for me.
5. Take action & stop making excuses
   • If you say you are going to do something, do it. I’ve learned that the longer you delay something, the less likely it is going to get done. Naturally, we look for the path of least resistance. Train yourself to get out of that loop and stop making excuses.
6. Circle of Five
   • You are the average of the five people closest to you. Be aware of who you are spending time with and ask yourself, “Is this someone I look up to?” This means, you might have to cut certain people out of your life.
7. Say ‘No’
   • This might be hard for a lot of people but it starts with the small stuff. If you genuinely don’t want to say ‘yes’ to something, stop beating around the bush and learn to say ‘no’. Think of the time and mental energy that is being taken away from you by committing to things you don’t want to do.
8. Everyone is afraid
   • Practice facing your fears. One thing that helped me was, realizing everyone is afraid of something and I am not alone.
9. We all suck at first
   • When you start something new, realize you may not be good right away. To become really good at something, it takes a lot of time and a lot of screwing up. Those who put in the time, and the reps, get the results. The point is, don’t be afraid to look like an idiot because sometimes that is the only way to learn.
10. Write it down
    • Write a list of things that must get done for the day by preparing the night before. Also, write down your goals and set dates for each one. Sonia and I started using the Monk Manual this year and we still use it to hold us accountable on our goals, priorities, etc. Figure out a system that works for you and watch your life change.
11. Habits rule everything
    • Habits control your life. If you want to learn more about habits, I highly recommend reading “The Power of Habit” and “Atomic Habits“.
12. Sleep is underrated
    • Your sleep routine and the amount of sleep you get every night is directly correlated to your mood and health. Having said that, sleep is an underrated key to being the best version of yourself.
13. Stop caring what others think
    • Don’t overthink what others think of you because most of the time no one noticed the one thing you were so worried about.
14. Budget
    • You cannot save money if you have no idea where your money is going so set a budget, and track it. Let this become a habit, and trust me, you’ll thank yourself later. To start, begin with a simple Excel spreadsheet, or use free budgeting platforms such as “Mint” or “Personal Capital”.
15. Worrying never solved the problem
    • We spend so much time thinking about outcomes that will most likely never happen. Instead, take action and solve the problem.
16. Don’t half-ass things
    • If you are going to do something, do it with full intent and meaning. Remember – how you do one thing is how you do everything.
17. Do the right thing
    • Doing the right thing can go a long way.
18. Google it
    • If there is something you truly want to know, there’s a high chance you’ll find an answer on Google. Figure it out and stop making excuses.
19. Your partner
    • The person you choose to be with for the rest of your life, will either uplift you or anchor you down. It is important to choose wisely because they will either be your biggest supporter or biggest opponent.
20. Know what makes you happy
    • We all want happiness. Therefore, find out what brings you true happiness, and do more of it. Also, stop thinking you will have true happiness once a certain thing happens. If you cannot find happiness now, you will not find happiness then.

So whether you are 20, 25, 40, or even 60, it’s never too late to change your life. I think the most important thing is to start now because if not now, then when? Don’t live life wondering, ‘What if‘?