Advice From Your Future Self About Life And Money

I often read stories about the advice we would give our younger selves, but I’m not sure I ever read a headline about the advice we would receive from our older selves. So, I thought we’d tackle that little mind experiment today. I hope you’re game. If so, let’s do it.

Knowing what I would tell my younger self about life and money is pretty simple. I’d tell myself to invest early and often. Don’t touch it because my greatest asset is my youth. I’d also relay to myself the importance of choosing a partner based on my future aspirations and goals.

But, predicting what my future self would tell my current self, is a completely different animal. There are, hopefully, many chapters of my life not yet written. So I think predicting this advice from my current financial and emotional position would be interesting, to say the least.

Since I can’t predict what YOUR future self would tell YOU, I’m going to tackle it for myself. But please feel free to tackle this experiment on your own and leave a note in the comments.

The Imaginary Letter From My Future Self

I imagine walking to the mailbox one day and receiving a funky, futuristic envelope addressed to ME from 30 years in the future. As I race toward the house to find a quiet nook to read my Jetsons-style letter, I become anxious and start to sweat at the thought of what words my future self is about to bestow upon me.

And then, I OPEN IT…

There it is – a single piece of paper containing 3 paragraphs of advice that sum up how I should be approaching my life and money for optimal enjoyment and satisfaction. So without further ado, here’s my letter:

The Opening Message

Hey Kid, Yes, I’m calling you kid because, contrary to what you believe at the moment, you are still SO VERY YOUNG. So please stop complaining about your fading youth and aches and pains. It’s really quite laughable from my perspective.

You might be expecting me to divulge every major detail and event that you’re going to experience, but I’m not going to do that, and let me tell you why. I have always believed that the element of surprise makes life worth living. And I don’t want to take that from you.

So you won’t be getting any winning lottery numbers or stock tips here. You also won’t be told where you’re going to travel to or what type of health issues you might have to deal with. Nope. None of that here. Instead, I’m going to give you a few quick tips to live a better life.

The Importance Of Money

I know you’re supercharged right now trying to reach your FI number and that every single dollar saved gets you pumped. And while that’s okay, I’m here to tell you that money doesn’t matter. At all.

In fact, money is only important in the sense that it gives you options. There is no prize waiting for you at the end of your life for amassing a fortune in the millions. The difference between retiring with 3M as opposed to 5M is minuscule. The only people it will truly affect are the people who you choose to gift it to. With that in mind, go ahead and get the fancy dessert the next time you go out to eat.

As far as your money goes, keep doing what you’re doing. Keep avoiding debt, continue to grow the gap between your income and expenses, and invest as much as possible without forfeiting things you value.

I suppose you already know all that, but I can see you need to be reminded of it from time to time. Consider this a gentle reminder.

How To Handle Life In General

Stop stressing about the little stuff because it doesn’t matter.

You know what I’m talking about when I say little stuff, don’t you? Just in case you’re missing my point, I’m talking about stuff like this:

• Deadlines at work
• Whether your daughter is going to get an A or a B on her next elementary math test
• A few extra pounds here and there
• Laugh lines
• Your age – embrace each passing year and consider the alternative!
• Family quibbles
• The weather

Other articles you might enjoy:

• My Single Biggest Financial Mistake: A Decade-Long Disaster
• Proof You Can Royally Mess Up With Money And Still Retire Early
• How I Almost Committed Financial Suicide
• The ORIGINAL Tiny House

Relationships Are Everything

And last but not least, keep in mind that your relationships with the people you love and surround yourself with are your greatest asset. Without the people in your life, money doesn’t stand a chance at making you happy on its own.

You often say that one of your favorite things to do is visit with friends and talk for hours. That hasn’t changed since you were a teenager and I can tell you with 100% certainty it will never change.

So, it’s time to stop obsessing over how much money you’re investing and how quickly you can pay off that mortgage. Instead, focus on living in the moment, loving the people around you, and cherishing every spare minute you can spend with them while you have the luxury – because nothing lasts forever.

Your little girl will grow up, your pets will pass on, and you and your husband will get old.

So, enjoy your youth (yes, youth) and live your best life each and every day.

Well, have you given any thought to the advice your future self would give your current self? If so, we’d love to hear about it in the comments!