More life-changing tips I'd share with my 16-year-old self (6-10)
Continuing on from the first article, these points focus on the money-experience matrix that we all face—especially as we begin to earn for ourselves!
Welcome back!
Now, the last article covered some key points that all young people could leverage as they enter the adult world; milestones in their lives in which could throw up multiple challenges and opportunities.
Without further a do, let me continue from where I left off.
Keep that inquisitive mind of yours open and soak this all up and you’ll have some great tips to use moving forward! If you’re a note-taker, do that. If you learn through drawing, maybe create an image based on each of these points. Treat this article how you need to get the most out of it.
Now, let’s get started…
Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash
#6: I Wish I Knew the Real Importance of Experience
One day, you may find yourself trawling the internet job sites in search of a new career or a higher income.
Firstly, it’s one of the most disheartening processes I’ve ever faced, and it took a long time to get used to rejection when it comes to job hunting.
Secondly, I’ve also realized a fundamental flaw that is inevitable in today’s world, and I’m going to call it the Numbers-Letters Conundrum.
Essentially, ‘numbers’ refers to grades. Many job roles state you must have relevant grades to meet their initial requirements. These grades won’t guarantee you anything as there is still another factor to consider. The letters are the experiences, often presented in written words; the moments that have led to profound lessons and success that cannot be distinguished by a figure or character.
As a young person, I had little of each and was never really sure what value each of them afforded me as a new person on the job-hunting scene.
I’ve come to learn that experience is the most valuable component of this equation. Ultimately, an applicant needs experience to justify their suitability for the job. However, the job they are applying for would give them that experience—I see grades or qualifications as tickboxes in the process, enabling a person to begin having these conversations.
Looking at this collectively, and judging by my experience joining a media company, my exposure to work paid dividends far greater than my grades—which merely became obsolete after 21 years of age.
#7: I Wish I Knew that Money Does Not Equal Fulfillment
Money, money, money.
It’s the result of our hard work and forms the fabric of society, yet it doesn’t necessarily hold much real value.
Essentially it looks like this:
Work = Money = Things
When I think about money, I often ponder where it came from and why we add a meaningless step between providing our effort and being subsidized with goods.
We no longer have to barter for goods, which, if still a custom today, could have had much greater implications for individuals in the modern world. In the UK, we know that if a coffee costs £3.50, then we pay £3.50 to get the coffee. The value comes in the form of an exchange that is predictable, and you know it will meet your needs, which ultimately puts a ceiling on the level of fulfillment you get from your coffee.
(It’s likely that all you will receive in the long term is an addiction to caffeine!)
Now, picture this, going for coffee somewhere that you can have it for free (or discounted). The caveat: you make it yourself. You have to put the effort into being shown how to use the machine, engage with the staff, and attempt to make your own coffee.
It may not come out how you expected. You might not end up with a beautifully crafted flat white with a perfect heart shape on top (that you’ll later cover with a disposable plastic lid). Would you care? I know I wouldn’t. The difference between a flat white and a cappuccino is negligible for most people, but the interaction and experience are most certainly not.
This simple exchange is lost because of money. We pay our way and stay in our lane in order to live a life of comfort, not knowing what fulfilling and enlightening experiences may come from a little bit of discomfort.
#8: I Wish I Knew that Money Is Not for the Keeping
Money flows.
If you’re interested in business at all, or the economy, you’ll know that everything revolves around money, but only as a means of acquiring something for a purpose. As an individual, though, it’s difficult not to fall into the trap of saving money without understanding why you’re doing it.
Having saved for a while, then spent it, then rebuilt my savings pot again, I know that those funds were used for particular experiences or life events—no regret attached.
I hope that nobody ever feels regret for spending money on something they really want or have thought long and hard about, but it’s the little things that may not provide value (maybe only immediate value) that really drain their finances.
I think the aforementioned conundrum is why we often feel money is valuable kept in abundance, so that one can purchase whatever they want at any given time (in an ideal scenario). But money really does flow, and leveraging the opportunities that this presents can provide, 1) more wealth, 2) more freedom, 3) more excitement.
The only catch is the risk that people feel when, for example, investing their money in something with the intention of a return or, if you’re really clever, borrowing money to make a sizeable return without having to fork out your own cash.
There will always be risks attached to money, whether you dump a load of it into your savings or put those funds into assets. The important thing that I’ve found is to be clever about where it comes from and where it ends up.
#9: I Wish I Knew About Forward Momentum
This one’s about progress.
I’d implemented this a lot in my life many times before I realized how crucial forward momentum was to my success. From doing admin at a local, yet international, business to digging holes and building gardens as a landscaper to writing every day of the week for corporate media publications, my ability to keep pushing forward made the difference.
The difference between what exactly? Well… there are times where progress feels good and the pool of opportunities and ideas is wide open, but other times it’ll be closed, tight, and seemingly impenetrable. At times like this, it can seem much more beneficial to sit back and relax or, if it’s something challenging, give up and put my energy into something else.
Forward momentum, for me, is the act of seeing a dead end yet still doing ‘something’. You might find that you can't seem to find anything new to learn as part of your studies, but you keep scrolling through blogs, news feeds, and resources to find more insight. As a professional, this describes when you feel uninspired to do more in your job and feel you no longer want to do it, but you have the foresight to see the benefits it brings later in your career.
It’s so easy to give up in the moment. Ironically, I just had to sit for five minutes while I decided whether to continue writing from this point or leave it until tomorrow. Safe to say I didn't!
If you can continue pushing forward or finding things to do or progress in the face of adversity—even the small things like tidying your desk or getting your affairs in order—you become the kind of person that can fill their time wisely.
#10: I Wish I Knew That I Was Here to Learn, Not to Be Taught
It’s difficult not to be led by people. Those people were inspired by someone else and therefore want to pass on their knowledge to the next person.
Their motivations aside, it’s up to you and me whether we decide to take their information as gospel or go in search of the answers we need to the questions we write for ourselves.
I learned this the hard way, over a period of roughly 23 years (I know, and now I'm telling you this to prevent you from doing the same!)
When someone uses that old saying ‘you learn something new every day’, it really is true—or at least, could be. The way I measure my growth is by the number of things that I’ve learned recently, and if I’m not learning anything at all, it becomes a clear sign that I’m stagnant in what I’m doing. Likewise, if I have no goals or motivations, there’s perhaps a thing or two I could learn to reignite that fire!
However, the answers don’t fall in my lap, and I’ve certainly given up asking for concrete answers from people around me. Generally, I will engage in discussions on particular topics through inquisition, but when it comes to, say, figuring out what property I should buy first, people can only give me the facts—most likely already available in your arsenal called Google.
If you find yourself wanting to be told how to do something or letting someone choose what’s right for you, your life is in the hands of someone less informed than you.
End of 6-10: Keep reading
Did you find this useful?
This could well be a load of rubbish that I’m sharing with you, but I can guarantee it will resonate with someone.
Nevertheless, I’d love for you to share your thoughts. If you’re yet to read points 1-5 then you can click HERE to check those out. For now, let me know your thoughts!
Oh! Also, if you didn’t know, there’s more coming. Stick around to find out what the final 5 points are in my last article of this series.