Keys to a Meaningful and Fulfilled Life
Timeless Insights from 65 Years of Life
- Live below your means.
No matter how much you make, learn to live on less than what you take home each week. That will always give you a little something to put in savings, which can grow rather quickly if you try. Saving just $20/week for a year will get you $1,040 you didn’t have before. Increase it to $50/week and you will have $2,600 saved in a year.
- Save at least 3 to 6 months of living expenses.
- Find something you really love doing, then do it as best as you can.
The money will eventually come and you will be very successful, regardless of what you choose.
A. You will probably work over 50% of your adult life. If you find a “job” doing something you truly enjoy, then most days will not even feel like “work”.
B. Some studies show that it takes close to 20 years of study or practice, to become an expert, professional, etc.. in your field of choice. If that is true, then obviously the sooner you can start working on your most loved vocation, the sooner you will be an expert at it. The problem is that we might not figure out that said vocation until we have tried many other jobs, and narrowed-down our choice by negative example or by a process of elimination.
C. That said; don’t let others rush you into choosing a vocation. It will be a life-long endeavor so take your time and choose wisely.
- Be true to your word, be true to yourself and be true to others.
Your word (read Honesty, Integrity) will become more important as you get older and more successful. It’s a very simple concept – do what you say you are going to do.
- Treat others as you would want to be treated.
Put yourself in other’s positions, to get a different outlook / perspective on things. Ask someone how their day is going, as a small kind of caring can go a long way!
- Be fair in your transactions with others.
If the other people are not also fair back to you, stop doing business with them.
- If you can do #1 and #2, you will be able to base purchases more on justification then on affordability.
Just because you can afford something doesn’t mean you should buy it. Try to think of all the reasons for and against buying the item, and then make your decision based on those findings. Also remember to think about opportunity costs (what could you do with that money, at a somewhat later date, if you didn’t make the purchase right now?)
- Learn to balance planning for the future with living a little right now, every day. If you focus too hard on putting money away for the future, you may not enjoy life too much day-to-day. If you spend too much on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, then you won’t be able to enjoy your retirement very well (in most cases). Learn to balance treating yourself to nice things here and now, with putting money away for retirement.
- Learn how to cook.
Knowing how to cook will not only save you a lot of money, but you will also be able to eat much better/healthier, for a lot less money. Food costs in restaurants have gotten higher over these past 5 years. If you cannot do #1 and #2 very well, then eating out will only help drain your income. Cooking is not as hard as many people think. Start out making one thing at a time. Ask a friend who is more comfortable cooking, to help. Make it a cooking party, because it should be more fun and less stressful. Look online for recipes of your favorite foods, there are hundreds of options to choose from. - Learn how to be a good friend, then pick your friends wisely.
Other than your family, your (good) friends will be in your life for as long as you live. Friends are sometimes even more important than family, as with your family, you have to put-up and accept them, even when it might be very difficult. With your friends, you don’t have a family obligation to tolerate them. You do it because you love them and want them in your life (with any and all their idiosyncrasies)