If I could give my younger self three pieces of advice, they’d be these. Here’s what I wish I’d known sooner about money, vision and everyday curiosity.
In my last blog, to celebrate my birthday month, I shared 3 Career Lessons I Wish I Knew in My 20s: Stop Chasing, Start Building. This week, I’m taking a more personal approach, reflecting on three things I wish I’d started doing sooner to build a more intentional, fulfilling and self-directed life. If you’re still in your 20s, you have more time to consider these earlier, and if you’re not, it’s never too late to start.
1. Build Your Financial Literacy
As I shared in my last blog, by my mid-20s, I was a Marketing Manager overseeing big budgets. I wrote the financial reports CEOs and Board Presidents would present at AGMs for iconic businesses. I had complemented my industry experience with a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing & Management), a Chartered Institute of Marketing Professional Diploma, and an MBA. With this industry experience and three financially focused qualifications later, I thought I had a decent grasp of finance. But understanding corporate finance and carefully managing your department’s budget isn’t the same as personal finance
For most of my 20s, I had multiple sources of income as I was also working in fashion on the weekends, alongside my marketing career. Like many people in their 20s, I spared no expense on the finer things in life - travel, dining out, a few designer splurges here and there, excessive gift-giving and feeding my love of all things homewares. But I was also big on saving. Putting away my multiple pay cheques and, for the most part, planning my budgets - which admittedly occasionally went out the window when the prettiest crystal glassware or teacup would catch my eye. But I was still leaving money on the table. I was so focused on saving that I wasn’t learning enough about investing and how my money could work harder for me.
I’m still a big believer in having savings - for when life’s unexpected events come up: you lose your job, you experience a health challenge, you need time off, or you incur unexpected expenses. You always think these things happen to other people. The consensus among financial experts tends to be to have 3-6 months of your expenses in savings. But beyond this, your money should be making you more money.
I’m not a financial expert, so I'm not in a position to give you any financial advice. But what I do believe is that everyone should aim to build their financial literacy to begin with. This is about understanding money so you can build your independence and your options. While I invested in real estate early, I didn’t consider other investments beyond this until my 30s. It goes without saying, investments are risky. With risk can come reward, as some pay off. While some definitely don’t. But aim to at least understand them and then assess your options yourself and diversify your investment portfolio.
If you follow this blog, you know I’m a big reader. I currently read three books a week, but I first started my regular reading habit by picking a yearly theme. I’d read one book a week based on my theme. The first year I did this, I read books on finance. One of my favourites, I discussed in my blog post, Top 10 Takeaways from the Best Business Book I’ve Ever Read: Rich Dad Poor Dad. But, I wouldn’t recommend sticking to just one book. Different books often offer different and often opposing perspectives. Learn to understand all viewpoints. I also watched endless YouTube videos. So whatever your preference, or with multiple methods paired together, aim to build your financial literacy beyond your 9-5.
2. Vision Board
If you follow this blog, you might also know that over the last few years, I’ve become a big fan of vision boarding. I like to revisit this topic on this blog at least yearly now, and have discussed this in my blogs:
Since my 20s, I’ve been an avid goal-setter. Carefully brainstorming, editing and committing to goals I’d write in my Notes app on my phone. But I missed adding visual weight to these aspirations. Now, I get truly excited about my goals in a way I never experienced in my 20s.
As Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) proposes, the brain can’t differentiate between what is vividly imagined and what is real. So, detailed visualisation for desired outcomes becomes a form of mental rehearsal.
This isn’t about simply mood boarding or clipping aesthetic exotic destinations. It’s about finding specific images relating to exactly what it is you want to tell your brain is possible, by triggering your reticular activating system. You trigger your brain to start creating the neural pathways toward getting what you want.
As Drake said:
“November got you moodboardin' for next year…”
As a November baby, this is the perfect time for me to combine my birthday reset traditions with the start of my annual vision boarding ritual. It’s become a part of my year I enjoy so much and approach with both fierce determination toward my goals and the childlike curiosity we once had for those festive end-of-year projects growing up. I only wish I’d started my vision boarding ritual earlier. So, if you aren’t on the vision boarding trend yet, start adding some extra colour and energy to your goals through this method.
3. Learn the Tools and Tricks of the Trade
You can be ambitious in life and still enjoy it to the fullest. You don't have to choose between enjoying the finer things in life and building a better future for yourself. You can do both. The trick is to move beyond simply consuming what you love and start understanding the craft, creating and building your knowledge behind it.
The best thing about your 20s is that you do a lot. Perhaps you’re eating out, travelling, and exploring new interests. When I reflect on the number of countries I’ve experienced, the food I’ve tried, the luxuries I’ve enjoyed and the events I’ve attended, I feel truly blessed and grateful. However, instead of being so caught up in the whirlwind of my social life, I wish I’d taken the time to learn more about what I was experiencing or paying for. Now, for anything that piques my interest, I have a mindset of learning the tricks and tools of the trade too. For example, this might be:
Have a favourite go-to meal when dining out or travelling? Learn the recipe.
Love a sweet treat? Try to make it from scratch yourself.
Want a beautiful blowout? Learn how to properly use a hairdryer and get the perfect blow-dry tips.
Travelling abroad? Read books on the country or watch vlogs about it before you go.
Obsessed with the perfect matcha or coffee? Learn to make it at home.
Got a go-to cocktail? Try your mixology skills at home too.
Love a certain cuisine? Travel to that country next and experience it firsthand.
This isn’t about trying to become an expert in any of these areas, nor am I suggesting you have to do everything yourself at home. It’s about developing the curiosity to understand the origins of something better. For example, if there’s something you buy out all the time, do you fully understand what’s in it? The artistry behind it? Or what gives it its value? Even if it’s just watching a few short videos or reading a book or two, be curious about what you consume and enjoy. It will elevate your experience of those things and will also help you develop your ‘cultural capital’, which I explored in my blog, Cultural Capital: The Hidden Advantage Shaping Modern Success.
It’s Not Too Late to Start
Looking back, I wish I’d started doing these three things sooner. But personal growth is a lifelong process, and there’s always an opportunity to learn, shift your perspective and make different choices. Next week, I’m sharing my annual birthday reset ritual: how I use my birthday as an opportunity to reflect on the year that’s been and set intentions for the year ahead.
