By the age of 19, I had written down my goals and had a great plan for achieving them all. I bought my first house before he was 20, and by his mid-twenties I was earning four times as much as he did. I used the income I earned in my youth to build capital for trading and investing. I started compounding capital when he was 19 years old. In real time, I felt successful, but 30 years later, looking back, I felt like I wasted so much of my 20s in a big mistake.
Here are five ways I wasted my 20s.
- I lost too much capital when the internet bubble burst
- married the wrong person
- I didn’t start
- I didn’t go online in the early internet age
- the goal was too small
1. I lost too much capital when the internet bubble burst
I’ve been trading and investing for almost 30 years, and honestly one of the things I wanted to know in my 20s was how important risk management was.
At that time, I was young and eager to make big profits, but I didn’t want to take the risks involved in trading and investing. I overdid it, didn’t protect my available gains and didn’t have a solid exit plan to lock in those gains.And there was a 50% drawdown from the March 2000 peak It was painful at times. This was one tough lesson for him.
Looking back, we can see how important risk management is in trading and investing. It’s not just about making money, it’s also about keeping what you’ve made, protecting yourself from huge losses, and giving back all your previous gains. would have saved a lot of money.
In my early 20s, I was not managing risk well, but in the 90s, I was doing pretty well. That decade had earned him enough money to continue trading seriously. Learning from that experience helped him avoid sizeable losses in 2008 and his 2020. I use these lessons in my trading strategies today, such as having the correct position size and using stop losses.
So if you’re starting out in trading and investing, take the time to learn seriously about risk management. This is one of the most important things you can do to protect your capital and financial future.
2. You married the wrong person
After starting from almost nothing and going through life’s twists and turns, I have to say that one of my biggest regrets is that I married the wrong person in my twenties. Marrying the wrong person can take a toll on you financially, emotionally, and spiritually, and can push you away from your former life.
Words cannot describe the pain and heartache that comes with realizing that the person you are married to is not the right one for you. And when children are with them, everything becomes even more complicated.
I wish I had been more careful in choosing my partner and knew them better before saying “I do.” I wish I had listened to my gut and those big red flags when I doubted a relationship.
But even though I regret that decision 30 years ago, I know I can’t change the past. All I can do is focus on the present and the future. I should have prioritized my own happiness, happiness, and children rather than staying in a bad marriage.I hope you learn from my mistakes and become more careful and thoughtful in your relationships. Trust me; avoiding a bad marriage is easier than getting out of it.
But the most important thing to remember is that wherever you are on your journey, it’s never too late to start over and build a happy and fulfilling life. I am happily married to an amazing woman who makes me so happy.The road to happiness is bumpy but definitely worth it. My life would have been so much smoother had I avoided those two divorces. Marrying the wrong person makes that original mistake worse, leading to all your future decisions with that person. My first marriage in my 20s was just one big mistake and I wasted my time and energy.
3. I have not started a business
In hindsight, I think I wasted my early 20s at work. If we had tried again, we would have had business. Becoming self-employed, entrepreneurial, or an investor puts your time and effort to good use. As an employee, you receive a small percentage of the profits you contribute to your employer. When you are self-employed, you fully capture the profits you generate.
Work is a monetization platform for workforce, knowledge, skills and experience. Their profit margin is the difference between your productivity and your salary. A job is a good way to hone your skills at a young age and teach you how a business model works. But I wasted my 20s working too long. I should have monetized myself and at least done something self-employed.
4. I didn’t connect to the internet in the early days of the internet
As you know, I’m in my 50’s, but when I think back to the dot-com boom of the 90’s, I sometimes feel this sort of regret. Isn’t it incredible how many missed opportunities to start a tech business back then?
The Internet had exploded and everyone was talking about it. But my focus was to ride the wave of tech stocks and profit from speculation about the future of the internet. Don’t get me wrong, I was a pretty successful investor and trader, but early tech entrepreneurs made a ton of money. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Now, looking at how far some of these early startups have come, I can’t help but think “what if.” But I try not to dwell on it too much. Instead, I use that little feeling of regret to push myself forward and keep an eye out for new opportunities.
I believe it’s never too late to chase your dreams. So, while I may not have gotten on the dot-com frenzy, I am still excited about all these new technologies and the incredible new business model possibilities they can create. increase.
5. Goals were too small
Looking back on my 20s, I can’t help but feel that my goals were too small. I was too focused on the basics and my perspective was too skewed on what was possible at the time. But while I’m fine with those goals, I didn’t allow myself to dream big or take risks. I can’t shake the feeling that I missed out on so many opportunities to learn and find my passion. Who knows where I would be if I dreamed bigger and stepped outside my comfort zone. I wasted my twenties by not having goals big enough to give me the energy to do whatever it takes to reach them. I found the drive to achieve, but wasted 10 years thinking it was too small.
important point
Looking back on the wasted time and energy of my 20s, I realized that life is a rollercoaster full of ups and downs and twists and turns. It’s normal to regret wasted time, but the key is not to think too much about lost opportunities. Instead, we should use lessons learned as stepping stones to a brighter future.
Taking risks is scary, but don’t be afraid. Please do your research and manage it carefully. When it comes to relationships, choose your partner wisely.
Remember age is just a number. There is always time to follow your dreams and make a difference in the world. So keep moving forward, stay positive and never give up. A key lesson I’ve learned from my 20s is to feel like every day is not wasted, and to spend time and energy towards your most important and exciting goals each day.