What I’d Tell My 18-Year Old Self
Ok, so Kevin over at No Debt Plan started the conversation and I think I’ll jump in, ’cause there’s plenty I’d like to tell my 18-year old self!
In no particular order:
Don’t get that credit card until you know how to properly use it!
I messed up my credit so bad that it took me years to clean it up. This is probably one of the reasons I’m so passionate about helping people achieve their financial success AND stay educated about their finances.
Figure out what you want to do now, not what your parents want you to do.
I spent many years under the impression that I would go into law because that’s what my parents wanted me to do. It was ok and I probably wouldn’t have minded the profession, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. It took me many years to learn that my true passion was writing and that’s what I needed to be doing.
Don’t take a break from college!
I went all stubborn on my parents and didn’t finish college right away, even though I graduated high school early. I took several years off and wasted a lot of time. On the upside though, I finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up!
Don’t drink so much at that party…you know which one I’m talking about!
It’s funny that this particular discussion went down today as I was just reminiscing with a friend this evening about a wild party we had when we were younger. It was a good time with good friends, but when you’ve drank so much that you can’t remember how to turn a door handle, that’s too much! Not so much a drinker these days because I remember how stupid I acted that night…*sigh*
Finish that screenplay now.
Outside of my banking and freelance writing I’m an aspiring screenwriter. I’ve got a script that I started in high school and I finally finished a year and a half ago….eight years is too long to be working on a script!
Don’t spend so much money!
Man, the money I blew! One of my biggest weaknesses is movies. Back then I was collecting VHS tapes, now it’s DVDs. Put me near the electronics of any store and I make a beeline for the movies. When I had VHS tapes I believe I had over 700 at one point. Mind you, at that time I was managing a Blockbuster Video so that really didn’t help. Now that I have DVDs….well, let’s just say you probably don’t want to know how many I own. However, before you think that such a collection is completely ridiculous and a waste of time, remember two things. Number one, I want to be a screenwriter. Number two, I watch every single movie I own repeatedly. I get my money’s worth.
Take more chances!
This is one I still grapple with. You’ve got to be willing to go for your dreams because no one else will. Like Henry Ford said, “whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.” The only one in your way is yourself.
Be open to love.
I’ve been hurt. I’ve seen friends go through being hurt. But you can’t close yourself off from love. You have to keep going and keep trying. The fairy tale exists; you just have to find it.
***And if you think that love’s no fairy tale then you haven’t found your soul mate. I FIRMLY believe that!
Don’t work for ****** Bank! You’ll hate it!
Ok, so I won’t actually name this bank, but I will tell you I hated the way they treated their customers. I talked a little about this bank in my post “Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover.”
My list is long and varied on the things that I’d tell my 18-year old self, so I’ll stop here and let Jonathan jump on the band wagon.
Feel free to add your own thoughts on this! And thanks to Kevin for getting us started!
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If you didn’t drink that much at that party then you might now have learned, and could be wasting all your money now on booze.
Just make sure to remember that every choice you have done has had an impact on what you are doing now.
You’re absolutely right, but I was never much of a drinker…bit of a lightweight actually. Even still, if I had to do over again, I think I would have been much more modest at that particular party. I will say that I think the time off from college really helped me figure out what direction I wanted to go in life. Otherwise, I might have just given in and gone to law school. But, truth be told, I don’t think my 18-year old self would have given my 26-year old self the time of day. I was young and I knew it all. So, I probably wouldn’t have listened to any of the above anyway. Hehehe.