5 Things I’ve Learned So Far In My Early 20s

We experience a lot of “firsts” in our 20s such as getting a job, buying a home, and starting a family. As a result of all these life-changing moments, we’re constantly learning and growing. Each of these moments in our lives usually comes with a ton of uncertainty, but they’re what help us discover who we really are.

Now I’ve barely scratched the surface of this second decade in my life having turned 22 years old a few months ago, so you’re probably thinking why I’m here, acting like I have everything figured out. Well, let me set the record straight, I don’t have everything figured out, and no one truly does because no matter how old we are, there’s always room for us to learn and grow.

The reason I wanted to write this blog is to reflect on some of the things I’ve learned so far, and who knows, my perspective on some of these things might change over the years. I like to look at this blog as a virtual time capsule that captures my thoughts and reflections at this moment in my life. It'll be interesting to revisit this down the road to see how much I’ve changed.

To whoever is reading this, whether or not you’re in your 20s, I hope these lessons that I share will provide you with some value. With that being said, let’s get into the 5 things I’ve learned so far in my early 20s.

Number One: Understanding The Value Of A Dollar

When I was 18 years old, I got my very first job at Home Depot. I was making $11 an hour, which was the minimum wage at the time. Although I wasn’t making that much, I didn’t really mind because I was excited to be earning my own money for the first time. I loved working there so much that I would stay there past my shift until I finished all my work.

It’s embarrassing to say this, but I didn’t understand the value of a dollar until I was spending my own money instead of the money that my parents gave me. But nowadays, if I were to go out to a restaurant, I would think to myself how many hours I would have to work at Home Depot to pay for the cost of my meal. I now look at a $50 meal as the equivalent of working 5 hours at Home Depot. Suddenly, paying that much for a meal no longer seemed worth it to me.

This shift in my mindset helped me become mindful of how I was spending my money and set me on a path to make other decisions that benefited me financially.

I’m still working at Home Depot to this day because this job holds a lot of sentimental value for me. If it weren’t for this job, I can’t say with certainty that I would be in the position that I’m in today.

Number Two: Wealth Is Built From Owning Assets

Since I was no longer interested in spending money on things that didn’t matter to me, I wanted to find ways to build wealth from the money that I was earning. This is when I started to learn about investing.

Rich Dad Poor Dad was the first book I read about investing as it is for many other people who are starting their wealth-building journey. There was so much that I learned from this book, but the main thing I took away from it was that wealth is built from owning assets.

So, I followed the advice that Robert Kiyosaki gave and started investing in stocks, which is an asset that pretty much anybody can start investing in regardless of how much money you have.

I started by investing around $200 a month in stocks, and now I’m investing around $2,500 a month. I only keep around 5% to 10% of my net worth in a checking and savings account. The rest of my net worth is invested in assets because that is how wealth is built. My goal for this year is to add a new asset to my portfolio and that’s real estate.

Number Three: Money By Itself Won’t Make You Fulfilled In Life, But It Allows You To Buy Your Time Back

When I was younger, I wanted to live a life that was full of luxuries. I dreamed of having a mansion, driving around in an exotic car, and wearing designer clothes. But over time, I lost interest in that kind of lifestyle.

Whenever I would spend money on something that seemed luxurious, I found that the initial excitement I had for it quickly went away. It was as if I was trying to fill a void with material things, only to realize that fulfillment can’t be bought.

Money by itself won't guarantee fulfillment in life, but it does offer the invaluable opportunity to reclaim the most precious resource in life, which is time. With financial security, you're afforded the freedom to pursue what truly brings you fulfillment, whether it's spending quality time with loved ones, traveling around the world, or indulging in your hobbies.

I learned that by putting the money that I earn to work for me, I can one day become financially independent, meaning that I wouldn’t have to worry about relying on a paycheck to sustain my lifestyle. Instead, my investments would provide me with the freedom to live my life on my own terms

Number Four: Experiences Are More Valuable Than Anything You Can Buy

I’ve been very busy these past couple of years between my job at Home Depot, going to college, and working as a realtor. At one point, I was putting in 80 to 100 hours a week between all these obligations. As a result, I barely had any time to spend with my loved ones.

However, whenever I did get a chance to spend time with them, I was more grateful to be around them. Spending money on materialistic things no longer interests me, but something I’m completely fine with spending money on is creating experiences with my loved ones.

Nowadays, with the short amount of time, I get to spend with my loved ones, I want to do everything I can to make the most out of it because these are the moments in my life that I want to remember. It also feels great to be able to give back to them for all of the love and support they’ve always given me.

Number Five: Stop Comparing Yourself To Others

With me being a realtor, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of comparing myself to others. I still do it every now and then, but I’ve learned to snap out of that kind of thinking because there’s no benefit in me doing that.

I’ve come to understand that I’m not in a race against others, but instead, I’m in a race against myself. Rather than asking myself, how can I do better than someone else, I should ask how can I do better than I did last year? As long as I’m doing my best in everything that I do, I shouldn’t feel guilty about where I’m at.

I like to think that success is like a race, except you never know when you’re going to reach the end of the finish line, so you should always keep running until you finish your race.

In Conclusion…

There are times when I feel like I’m not where I should be in life, but I remind myself that where I’m at today is where I was praying to be just a few years ago. I’m sure a lot of you can relate to this feeling at times, so remember to be kind to yourself and acknowledge how far you’ve come. Keep pushing forward, stay true to your journey, and trust that everything will unfold in its own time. We're all in this together!