50 Life Lessons to Share With Your 20-Year-Old Self

a week ago I turned 57 and if I could go back to talk to my 20-year-old self and give him some advice here are the 50

things I would say number one work on your willpower you'll never reach your full potential or outwork your Rivals if

you can't focus for long periods of time this was true when I was younger but it's even more applicable now with so

many distractions fighting for your attention if you can focus and work hard you'll be miles ahead of everyone else

so why not use this video as a test for yourself if you can reach the end without skipping and actually listen to

everything I say on a deep level then you'll be in the minority number two become more of a producer than a

consumer I understand consuming content is key especially if you learn a lot however you should always be trying to

put more out into the world than you're taking otherwise you'll end up robbed of your time and attention number three be

nice to people on the come up because you never know where they're going to be in the future there have been countless

times when I've underestimated someone's potential only to see them achieve incredible success later on by treating

everyone with kindness and support even if you're unsure about their plans you create Good Karma if they strike it big

they're likely remember those who are in their corner and you may benefit from that connection too number four watch

what most people are doing and then do the opposite it took me a few years to find the courage to leave my 9-to-5 job

and start my own business I was comfortable with the routine of receiving a paycheck and accepting life

as it was however when I built a staircase for a wealthy entrepreneur I realized there was another path

available I'm grateful I took that chance I mean I wouldn't be a millionaire now if I continue working

for someone else this is a pretty simple idea because if you do what everyone else does then you're going to get the

same results so reject the idea of being normal and vanilla as the saying goes if you're everyone's cup of tea then you're

a mug number five who you know matters a thousand times more than what you know a great Network beats money in the bank

every time I can't count how many times my connections have helped me out number six never talk behind someone's back if

you have a problem with someone you should address it with them directly or not at all you may think that gossiping

about people when they can't hear you makes you seem cool but it actually makes you seem less trustworthy to those

who are listening as they'll think you're doing the same behind their backs number seven give you yourself

permission to make more mistakes most of My Success has come from my failures I wish I knew this sooner I mean I enjoy

skiing with my son and I remember one year we competed to see who could fool the least I won as Curtis fell over a

lot however he improved tremendously and now he's a much faster skier than me this just proves that failure leads to

Improvement if it's embraced so remember if you never fail then you're probably not trying hard enough number eight make

make reversible decisions quickly I actually picked this one up from Jeff Bezos as he said with a decision that

you can go back on your biggest risk is dragging your feet and not making a decision however when decisions are

irreversible slow them down as the biggest risk here is making the wrong decision so it's worth getting as much

information as possible before taking action number nine focus on one thing at a time the truth is there is no such

thing as multitasking just multi failing so give yourself time to focus on one thing deeply without distractions trust

me you'll achieve far more number 10 don't be the best be the only you can do this by learning seemingly unrelated

skills and combining them together Steve Jobs is well known for mixing his love for calligraphy and design with

technology and creating Apple as we know it today he was the only person doing that at the time this is one of my

golden pieces of advice and after every 10 bits of advice I'm going to drop another one of these number 11 if you

don't like something then change it if you can't change it then change your attitude never complain I used to be a

bit of a complainer but as I've gone through life I've realized that 80% of the time no one cares about your

problems and 20% of them wish they had them in the first place even if your whole world is crumbling complaining

won't do anything positive for you I'm not saying you can't express your feelings however it's important to

remember we all have our own problems and not many people care about fixing yours number 12 work smart not hard as

I've grown old and gray I've seen the birth of lots of revolutionary technology like color TVs the iPhone and

artificial intelligence the crazy thing is a lot of my generation aren't like me and choose to reject it which makes

working smart very difficult but for you techsavvy youngsters working smart and building a business has never been

easier I mean take a look at this for example one of the hottest businesses at the moment is e Commerce as it's

infinitely scalable and provides geographical freedom but building a website requires either a unique skill

set or money to pay somebody else to do it for you but with build your store AI you can get a fully custom Shopify store

built completely for free in less than 2 minutes here's one I made earlier as you can see all I had to do was select the

niche of my store pick some images that worked and then let AI take care of the rest the website even comes with winning

products and ready pages like policies and returns of course this is all fully customizable but it's a great starting

point and perfectly sums up working smart and not hard I'll leave a link in the description below if you're

interested in selling products online and having a free website built for you the link also gives you access to a

special Shopify trial for $1 so you can launch your business risk-free number 13 assume you can learn something from

everyone you meet I'm not afraid to admit that in my 20s I was a little bit arrogant I thought I knew everything but

looking back I now realize how much more I still had to learn I'm very aware that in 10 years time I'll look back at what

I currently know and probably think the same even at 57 I'm still learning new things every day so if I were you I'd

just skip the arrogance stage and be open to learning new things even from those younger than you number 14 never

disrespect your elders I know on the surface we might seem boring but us older people have been through a lot

our experience can probably help you avoid many mistakes if you take the time to listen however if you disagree with

something I say you don't have to follow my advice all I ask is that you listen with an open mind and then make your own

decisions number 15 don't be afraid to change embrace it I started a chain of radio control model shops in my 20s and

the goal was to expand all over the world however when the internet was created that all changed suddenly more

and more people were shopping online and shops were suffering I could have just given up however instead I embraced the

change and started the e-commerce side of my business and started making more than ever before there's a famous quote

that sums this up quite well and it goes like this once a new technology rolls over you if you're not part of the

steamroller you're part of the road number 16 live in the moment not on your phone make the most of every moment you

don't need to capture everything for social media focus on what's happening right in front of you especially when

it's something you might never experience again I didn't realize how many last times I went through without

knowing it whether it's hanging out with your friends that Weekly bowling night or a yearly tradition one day it will be

the final time and you probably won't even see it coming number 17 always pay the bill this one's for the guys yeah it

might sound a bit old school but it's part of being a gentleman paying the bill is just a small gesture that shows

you care and no it's not simping unless you're always doing it and getting nothing back number 18 say no if you

genuinely aren't ready it's okay to admit when you need more time or aren't quite prepared to take something on sure

people love to say fake it till you make it but if you can't close that knowledge Gap in time it's smarter to turn it down

rather than risk being in over your head number 19 present yourself in the way you wish to be perceived it's important

to think about how you want to come across to others and then make a conscious effort to present yourself in

that way this includes how you dress how you speak what you post on social media and even how you carry yourself think of

it like building your own video game character from the ground up number 20 mentally prepare yourself for your loved

ones dying I know this isn't the nicest thing to talk about but you do need to think about it when something like this

happens it can send shock waves throughout our lives and if you aren't ready to withstand this then you're just

crumble thinking this way also helps you to Value every moment you spend with your loved ones as nothing is forever

number 21 never take rejection personally whether it's a job interview or something else try to see things from

their point of view use the feedback to improve the next time taking rejection personally just hold you back from

growing and getting better number 22 don't be embarrassed to take a nap now and again I know this one may sound

silly but when I was younger I thought naps were for kids and old people but I've met so many millionaires that swear

by having short power naps throughout the day so don't be ashamed or embarrassed about taking a nap as it can

actually help you be more productive in the long run number 23 learn from those who disagree with you too many people

are trapped in a bubble on social media and they can't face their beliefs being challenged remember you can learn

something from everyone so just because you don't agree on a couple of things it doesn't mean you shouldn't listen to

their opinions number 24 never be late punch you ity is a sign of respect for other people's time and shows that

you're reliable and trustworthy early is on time on time is late and light is unforgivable number 25 be motivated by

something greater than money this comes from your values having strong values means that no one can buy you no matter

how much they offer these values are principles you refuse to compromise under any circumstances one of mine is

prioritizing my family if something isn't in their best interest then then I won't do it under any circumstances so

figure out what you're passionate about and make a stand this will allow you to command more respect from others number

26 be fueled by Vision not fear fearful people worry about losing what they have and can never see far enough ahead to

build something for the future number 27 stand up to bullies I stayed stuck in a job way too long letting my manager push

me around before I finally quit and started my own business trust me you can't let anyone whether it's a man or a

woman bully you most of the time if you stand up for yourself once that's all it takes bullies can seriously mess with

your confidence and that's the last thing you need when you're young and trying to find your own way number 28

use your unfair advantages everyone has certain strengths or circumstances that can give them an edge and it's important

to identify and use them an unfair Advantage is something that sets you apart whether it's a specific skill a

connection or your life situ situation it's not about cheating it's about recognizing what you're naturally good

at or the opportunities you have that others might not and using those to your advantage to get ahead number 29 skip

the flashy car it's a waste in your 20s by used but reliable I've seen so many young people coming to money quickly

only to blow it on things like luxury cars and designer gear sure it's easy to have short-term success and Splurge but

what's far more impressive is consistently Building Wealth over time that's what true Legends do number 30

prioritize your reputation it's one of the few things that lives on after you die I've had the unfortunate experience

of attending many funerals in my time and the person is always remembered for their character in other words their

reputation not their achievements number 31 don't compare yourself to your friends we all have our own path to walk

as long as you're improving on what you've done before then you're going in the right direction if you do this for

enough years then you'll look back and be shocked at how far you've come it's all about taking those baby steps and

not getting distracted by what everyone else is doing number 32 don't let a bad day turn into a bad week it takes less

than 5 seconds for someone to ruin your day and if you're not careful that can spiral into a whole week of negativity

it's important to let it go so you don't miss out on all the good opportunities that that week still has to offer number

33 always pay off your credit card I had to mention this one because it's so important if you don't pay off your

credit card in full each month you're just wasting money and hurting your credit score be smart about it make

paying it off a habit and it'll stick with you for life number 34 any job is better than no job being out of work can

really take its toll on you mentally so if the only position available is washing cars for $10 an hour go for it

it's not just about the pay it's about getting out there interacting with others and boosting your self-esteem

that comes comes from showing up for a job who knows you might make some mates I still have a friend I met during my

car washing days 47 years ago number 35 never buy an investment without doing your own research I've seen so many

people lose money on poor Investments and usually it's because they didn't take the time to look into it make sure

you do your homework even if you think you might miss out on something big if someone is pressuring you to invest

that's often a red flag number 36 being a great store Storyteller can get you anything you want knowing how to tell a

good story is such a gamech Cher whether you're just hanging out with friends or trying to impress a future business

partner a great story grabs attention makes your point stick and helps you connect with people in a more real way

plus it's just a fun way to get your ideas across and leave an impression no matter the situation number 37 don't

live your life for others don't let haters dictate your choices or make you shy away from doing what you truly want

if friends or family are pushing you into a career you're not passionate about take a moment to think about your

situation you don't want to end up in a job you despise for the rest of your life focus on building and living your

dream life instead number 38 have a solid paycheck routine firstly use 50% to pay for your needs this is your food

rent and electricity secondly save 20% in a high interest savings account this is your emergency fund thirdly use 30%

to pay off any highin debt this is your credit cards and car finance fourth once you've paid off your debts use 25% to

invest in a rough IRA or a stocks and shares Isa this is to grow your wealth fifth put 5% towards some risky plays

like starting your own business this is your chance to make some fast money number 39 it's not the end of the world

if you don't have everything figured out everyone is winging it to some degree and it took me over 20 years to realize

this most people are just navigating life as best they can I used to think I was at a disadvantage for not attending

business school or even University but as I've met more people over the years I've learned that we're all just doing

our best learning and failing every day you'll never reach the point where you know everything so it's best to start as

soon as you can and just figure it out as you go number 40 retirement might feel like it will never come but it will

start investing for it now I know a lot of you YouTubers are saying investing your money is not worth the time as

you'll only get 8% per year however they aren't looking at the bigger picture of course it's important to make money

quickly but it's equally as important to let some of it grow passively for your retirement number 41 the quality of your

questions will shape your future success I receive a lot of DMS and while I try to respond to as many as possible I

often have to sift through them to find the valuable ones I assume this is the same for most most successful people for

instance if your message starts with hi I know you're busy but can I ask a question you've already missed your

chance another common one is hi can we have a chat that won't get you far either instead take some time to think

about your question and craft it thoughtfully when you do that you're much more likely to receive a meaningful

answer remember the quality of your question will directly impact the value of the response you get number 42 make

sure to enjoy the journey not just focus on the destination as a saying I've lived by happiness is a journey not a

destination what that really means is that the ups and downs of a great journey stay with you forever while the

destination is just a brief moment that quickly Fades away think about all those athletes you see getting interviewed

after winning a gold medal or a big race they're always asked how does it feel and almost everyone says it hasn't sunk

in yet I think that's because they feel a bit of emptiness after reaching their goal sure they've accomplished something

amazing but then it's like what's next so save the ride and all the experiences along the way number 43 nothing is ever

free if you're not spending money then you're spending time from an early age I always told my son that nothing in this

world comes without a cost if you want something then you need to earn money to buy it he would often argue with me

about things he saw advertisers free and I'd explain those offers often end up costing you the most that's because if

something isn't costing you money it's likly costing you your time you've probably heard the saying time is money

and it couldn't be more accurate when you're young you tend to think you have all the time in the world but you don't

always value it enough don't waste it because before you know it you'll be 57 reflecting on your Twilight years to

come number 44 stop waiting to be inspired and just get on with it inspiration can be pretty hard to come

by sometimes but sitting around wai waiting for that aha moment can really slow you down instead just start taking

some small steps towards what you want to do you might be surprised once you dive in that motivation can kick in and

make things flow so don't overthink it just get going and see what happens number 45 work hard now for an easier

life later take it easy now and face the consequences life often feels like it's turned upside down when you're young all

you want to do is party travel and have fun but you usually lack the funds to do so then as you get older your priorities

shift towards wanting security stability and enough money to enjoy a comfortable retirement you may eventually achieve

that but it often comes after years of hard work pushing yourself until retirement at 67 and sometimes not

living long enough to enjoy it fully if you put in the effort in your 20s and resist the urge to follow the usual path

you can lay a solid Financial Foundation this way starting in your 30s like life can become a lot easier I did just that

and it's been an amazing journey number 46 tackle the tough tasks in the morning he says when he's filming at 5:00 p.m.

well it's been a long day but I enjoy it I'm a big believer in making to-do lists but I used to approach them all wrong I

thought it was about checking off as many items as possible which often meant I'd do all the easy task first while

this might have looked impressive it left the harder jobs lingering years ago I shifted my strategy to prioritize the

difficult tasks first thing in the morning this way I knocked them out when I was most productive and the best part

is that once those two or three tough jobs are done finishing off the easier ones in the afternoon becomes a breeze

number 47 the name of a university means absolutely nothing seriously don't stress over what uni you go to or rack

up debt just for a fancy name at the end of the day it's what you learn how you apply that really counts employers care

more about skills and experience than the university you may or may not have attended number 48 look after your back

if you slouch you'll have issues in your mid-30s sadly this is a viice that comes from firsthand experience your back is

crucial over time a bad back can severely impact your productivity since it makes it hard to get anything done

it's similar to having too fake but unlike dental pain there's no quick fix to relieve it this generation benefits

greatly from technology and the internet but it also faces issues from hunching over keyboards and lounging on

comfortable sofas prioritize your back Health you'll need it for your entire life you can replace your teeth but you

can't get a new back number 49 don't stress about being different you don't have to fit in honestly I never let the

idea of being weird bother me I embraced it I was a tall skinny gingerhead dyslexic teenager who loved playing with

model aerplane pretty unique right when you accept What Makes You Different you actually gain an

advantage because you become comfortable with who you are while everyone else is busy trying to fit into molds that don't

suit them my dyslexia has become a superpower allowing me to solve problems quickly being skinny keeps me relatively

fit my passion for model planing sparked my first business and being tall helps me stand out and be remembered as for

the ginger hair thank goodness that's gone number 50 choose your partner wisely I wouldn't be a millionaire today

without my supportive wife a lot of people get caught up in dating lots of different options but honestly what

really counts is having a deep connection and being on the same path together when you find someone you think

you could marry make sure you really want to spend your life with them too many people end up with regrets because

they were blinded by that early puppy love a solid partnership can make a huge difference so take your time and choose

someone who you can build a solid future with if you want to know the smartest route to earning $10,000 per month then

I'll leave that video right up there but don't click on it just yet make sure to subscribe if you want to grow your

wealth okay I'll see you over there