Things I’d Tell My 18 Year Old Self.

Photography by Ryan

The life I live is a good life! Maybe not the most exciting to some, or very exciting to others – but who’s comparing? Now, in my 20s, it’s always so fun to look back and reflect. Yes there were “What was I thinking” moments, but that never takes away the “Man, I’m so glad I did that” moments. However, if I could go back and teach the 18 year old me anything, it would be something along these things.

1. Be futuristic: Take some time to figure out a goal in life. It doesn’t have to be accurate, and yes it’ll change or modify as you go – but having a goal in sight makes it so much easier to have vision on the life we want to live, which thus positively affects the decisions you make in life.

2. Have a role model: Public figure or real life person, it doesn’t matter. Pick someone who is an image of where you want to be (pick wisely!) and put them in your day to day situations. Oddly enough my role model was (and maybe still is) Harvey Specter from Suits, and often times in many situations I find myself thinking to myself “What would Harvey do?”

3. Read books or find ways to educate yourself everyday: Growing up, I wasn’t big on reading books, and I kind of wish podcasts were more accessible when I was 18. However, it’s amazing how feeding knowledge to your brain can positively affect you – it helps shape character!

5. Focus on your health and fitness: Yes you can be skinny with a high metabolism, but I’ll assure you that it won’t stop bad health from creeping up on you when you’re older. Plus, having a healthy and active lifestyle goes hand in hand with better mental functionality.

6. Don’t rush into ‘falling in love’: I’ve learned it the hard way that who you consider ‘the one’ is far from the one. To clarify, I’m not saying you will never end up with the person you’re with at 18. The age 18 is a time of self-discovery and most importantly learning how to commit to yourself. As the old saying goes – find yourself and then find someone to love. Trust me it feels so much better.

7. Have a side gig – learn a craft: It’s always good to have multiple options open. Who knows, the dance practices may pay out better than the Finance degree you are pursuing down the road. Even if that’s not the case, maybe that extra talent mentally saves you when you come across challenging times.

8. Meditate, pray or simply introspect: Sometimes it’s a great idea to slow down, recollect your thoughts or simply disconnect from outside chaos even if it’s for just a minute or so.

9. Your finances – save as much money as you can: You will thank yourself later. Adult life is difficult, and most of us get engulfed in the desire to earn more money. We pay more attention to investing and spending, not much to saving. And one thing’s for sure – the more money you save, the easier it’ll be for you to walk out of that job you grow to hate in exchange for doing something you love!

10. Remember, no decision is a bad decision: So trust yourself a little! If you’ve put some thoughts in it and considered all the outcomes – it isn’t a bad decision at all. Maybe a learning curve, but not bad a decision.