The time you spend in your 20s is perhaps the most crucial to your development as a person. Maybe you are just getting started in business and are dreaming of becoming a renowned entrepreneur someday. Or you are just settling down in your dream career.
There is no manual to help guide you through this tumultuous time and you might end up regretting for not having done the right things at the right time.
*8 Things You’ll Regret Having Not Done in Your 20s*
*(1) Not Persevering When Things Get Tough*
Perseverance is the key to conquering.
Life has never and will never be a bed of roses and you need to preserve if you want to go far. Don’t give up simply because your first investment did not materialize as you had planned. Don’t despair simply because you lost your first ever contract.
You need to be a person with a strong heart and mind.
As the old saying goes: “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength in persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles” – Chris Reeve
*(2) Not Taking Risks*
Risks are a part of everyday life. In fact, everything you do is a risk in one way or another. For example when you go to school you risk failing in your exams. When you marry you risk divorce.
When you are alive you risk dying. When you go to sleep, you risk not waking up the next morning. So, appreciate the fact that you have to take risks if you want to succeed in life… and start taking risks at a young age.
There is a quote that goes: “A person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing and dies with nothing” – Leo F.
*(3) Not Saving*
It is important that you make an effort to save even if it is just a small amount of cash once a month. The earlier you start saving the smoother your sunset years will get and the lesser the strain you will undergo when you get older.
Remember, as you grow old, you have more responsibilities to handle – from taking your children to school to paying hefty medical bills due to deteriorating health… so start adding to your kitty right now.
Useful quote: “Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.” – Warren Buffet
*(4) Not Researching Before Investing*
Everybody is telling you to start investing at a young age. Others including me are busy telling you to start taking risks while you are still young. Your parents are busy telling you to buy a plot of land so that you can start a home. Your colleagues are pressuring you to buy your first car.
Well, you know what? You’ve got to always research before investing your time and financial resources. You don’t have to start doing things simply because others are doing them.
You don’t have to buy a car simply because everyone at your workplace is driving one. Always make sober decisions that are based on:
*What is beneficial to you now and in the future
*What you can comfortably afford
Important Tip: You can hardly go wrong if you invest in assets that gain value over time e.g. land and stocks.
*(5) Not Keeping Fit*
Your metabolism rate tends to decline as you grow older and older. Likewise, your body strength and muscular power diminishes with time and that is why you tend to grow fatter in between the ages of 30 and 45.
To ensure that you age gracefully, with minimal health concerns and with the right body-size, start exercising early.
Interesting Point To Note: Eat well, workout hard, live long.
*(6) Not maintaining Quality Connections*
What are connections? A connection is anyone you have gone to school with, worked with… simply anyone who knows you really well.
Now, one mistake you are likely to make is to lose useful connections in your life.
Just because you have gotten a new job does not mean that you burn bridges with former colleagues. Likewise, just because your business is thriving does not mean you forget about those who mentored you all along.
Important Point To Note: Everyone you come across in life is important in one way or another. Even the bad people are good – in that they teach you how to survive against all odds.
*(7) Not Being Disciplined*
The need for discipline does not end when you leave campus. Discipline actually supersedes everything else in life. You need to be disciplined in your business so that you can draw a clear line between business hours and social hours. You need discipline in order to make long-term decisions.
You need discipline to handle clients’ money without being tempted to misappropriate it.
Wise Words: “Discipline is doing what needs to be done even when you don’t feel like it.” – Stephen Luke
*(8) Not Being Sure What You Want To Achieve With Your Life*
Discovering what you really want to do with your life is not an easy task for anyone… nor is it something you can really be trained on. All the same, you need to start pinpointing what you want from your future – and the earlier you start doing this; the better.
For instance, “I want to empower at least 10 youngsters before I hit 50” or “I want to be the man to end the error of jiggers infestation in my village” and so forth. – The earlier you discover your purpose in life, the better.
Important Quote: “There is more to life than just living.” – Ashok Kallarakal
*Final Word*
They say that your 20s are for “defining” and your 30s are for “refining”.
So here is a quick takeaway – No matter where you are today, it is never too late to learn from your past and forge the way forward.
*Written By*: Justine Nyachieo
Business Man & Mentor
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