How should you live your life in your 20s & 30s
How should you live your life in your 20s & 30s, a question without a unanimous answer. Some say YOLO, you should do whatever you want, be bold, and try different things. Some suggest a stable life, providing and taking care of your loved ones, and some convince you to pursue your dreams. There is no correct answer, but I believe that there is one way we should live in our 20s and 30s, for most of us.
What kind of life do you want?
Before listening to the suggestions others have, we should ask ourselves, “What kind of life do I want?” Most people have a clear idea of their ideal life. They want to do what they love, maybe start a business, pursue art, sports, or music. Or a life that coincides with their values, love, family, work, or reputation.
However, it is not uncommon for some to be unsure about the life they want to live. I was one of them. Ever since I was a kid, I had no idea what kind of life I wanted. However, I always had a clear idea of the life I didn’t want.
I always knew that I did not want a typical 9-5 job, even to this day. The idea of doing the same thing over and over again, with no goals or growth, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks a month, 12 months a year for 40 years just drives me nuts. In my opinion, people who are able to do this are incredible.
If you are not sure about the life you desire, ask yourself this “What kind of life do I hate?” You might be able to find some directions.
The problem most of us have is not identifying the life we want, but living the life we want. On most occasions what is stopping us is financial situation, sometimes it’s our responsibility to take care of our family, often it is due to lack of inherent talent, and sometimes it’s fear of judgment from others or constraints from our close ones.
The correct answer to how to live your life in your 20s and 30s is undoubtedly living the life you want. But if you can do that, you won’t be reading this post right now. So the real question should be, “How should I live my life right now if I can’t have the life I want” or what I prefer, “How should I live my life right now so I live the life I want later in life”
The dilemma of our lives
“When you’re young, you have time. You have health, but you have no money. When you’re middle-aged, you have money and you have health, but you have no time. When you’re old, you have money and you have time, but you have no health. ”
― Eric Jorgenson, The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness.
This is the dilemma of life. Most people have the majority of their lives controlled and dictated by their circumstances. When we have the energy and time to do what we want, we lack the financial capabilities. When we are financially capable, we don’t have the time. When we finally have the time and money to do what we want, it’s too late. According to Eric Jorgenson, that is just how it is. It seems like you can’t have it all. Unless you have rich parents or got a lottery when you are 21, there seems to be little chance to make it happen.
That is the situation I am in right now. I want to travel, and I want to compete in sports, but I don’t have the money to do that. When I start working, I won’t have time. When I get old, I have limited options to do what I want because of my physical health. It’s a problem that has haunted me for a few years. But I realized that there is a way to change my circumstances. If I can’t reverse my health when I am old, the only option I have is to be financially free during my 20s or 30s, so I can have time, money, health, and live the life I desire.
How to live your life right now to live the life you want later
If you have read this far, you are probably in the same situation. This means that there is only one way to get out of it, which is building a money-making machine.
If you are in your early 20s or younger, I am jealous of you. When I was in my late teens to early 20s, I didn’t think that much about my future, or how I should live my life. It was one of the biggest regrets I have. Spending time playing video games, and watching movies were fun, but if I had spent my time developing my skills and building something, I could be living the life I want right now, and playing as many video games as I want.
You have all the time in the world in your teens or 20s. Additionally, you don’t have many responsibilities, no debts, or a family you have to take care of, and even better if without a partner.
If you are disheartened or sad because of all those things you don’t have, don’t be. Think of it as a blessing, because it means that you can focus on your future, and prepare for them when they come. Think of it as switching the order, instead of enjoying your time right now, and working hard later, you put all your energy into building substantial wealth and enjoying the rest of your life later.
For those who are in their 30s, things are harder for you. Because you are probably working full time, need to spend time with your partner, or take care of your kids, you might have to buy a house and have lots of debts. But it is still possible, and you got to do what you got to do. This is your last chance, it will be too late to start when you go into your 40s.
What should you do now?
Setting five goals
Warren Buffet recommends setting 5 financial goals. I recommend three goals, the priority should be building something that generates passive income. Your daily goal will be doing anything that contributes to that goal, whether it is educating yourself about a particular field, or developing a certain skill, or starting a business. Only do things that contribute to your goals, and ignore the rest. It means learning how to say no.
As Ray Dalio, one of the best investors in the world said, “While you can have virtually anything you want, you can’t have everything you want.” You can have anything you want, but if you want everything, you will end up with nothing. Prioritizing your goals is the only way to be successful. Say no to commitments that don’t align with your goals. Say no to partying with friends every weekend, helping your neighbor to mow their lawn, or taking care of your nephew. Remove all the distractions that can divert your attention, instead standardize them. It includes what shirt to wear every day, what to eat, and which workout to do. Most successful entrepreneurs such as Alex Hormozi, and Iman Gadzhi have standardized routines. They wear the same clothes every day and have similar meals when they are building their businesses. They still keep some routine till today. These trivial things only distract your focus from your goals.
Delay gratification
Learn to resist the temptation and desire to reward yourself. This is very important, if you want to be successful you have to learn how to delay the reward. Only buy things that you need but not what you want. Postpone buying your favorite video games, dress, or enjoying an expensive meal, and focus on your goals first. You want to delay gratification because the more you channel your energy and resources into building your money-making machine, the faster you will reach your goal.
People might have different views on this. There are things you can only do at a certain stage of your life, such as going on that one trip with your friends or meeting with your idol, there might not be a chance in the future, and you will definitely regret it. Apart from that, there will be times when you might be very stressed and just need a break. In these situations, do it. However, most things such as traveling in general and buying expensive branded clothes can wait. But learning some skills and building your empire has to be now, it is now or never. Learn how to postpone the reward, think ahead and what lies ahead, so you won’t regret your decisions.
Final Words
Nobody can give you an answer to how you should live your life. How you should live your life depends on you, it depends on what kind of life you want. However, the problem is most of us don’t have the ability to do that.
I regretted that I didn’t start what I was doing right now earlier. But there was no way that I could because I didn’t understand. However, you do. If you are like me and lost a lot of precious time, the more reasons you have to do it now. Genuinely hope that you won’t regret the decision you make today.
The Millionaire Fastlane is a book teaches you how to break free from the traditional wealth-building approach and create your own money-making machine. It changed my perspectives of life and pointed me to the direction I am today. I highly recommend you to read this book if you are seriously thinking about creating substantial wealth
Million Dollar Weekend is for you if you have a full job time but wish to start a business. It give you step-by-step guide and tactics to start your business using your weekend. From creating business ideas, to executing your business plans. It also talks about how to validate your business ideas before you go all in, to make sure that your limited time and money don’t go to waste. Grab one today and see how it overthrows your “no time” excuse to start a business.
“Unleash your potentials and achieve financial freedom”
