Things I wish I knew in my 20's

Surprise Mini Episode! 

1. Patience- It's okay to not have everything figured out 
2.  FOMO is overrated- Too many times I feared missing out on things, which led to misuse of finances, time wasted and regrets. Focus on getting to know yourself!
3. Learn about MONEY and the dangers of debt- 18-29 is a CRUCIAL time  in your adult life and educating yourself on how money works, credit scores, and what effects debt can have on your life is essential to understand.
4. Prioritize your Health- When you are in your 20's you think you are invincible. Taking care your body and mind in your 20's will pay dividends towards having a long healthy life.
5. Your relationship Status doesn't define you- Between media, and personal relationships their will always be people that they think they know what's best for you and your martial status. Realize that your timeline is YOUR timeline and its your life to live.
6. Seek mentors- Having people that have been through what you have been to is essential part of avoiding mistakes and wasting your time. Having these types of relationships can be great ways to get to yourself
7. You have time- Your twenty's is just the beginning of your journey.
8. Practice Gratitude- Being Grateful for what you have is the key to opening yourself up to so many more opportunities that may be headed your way.
9. Be Present- Your kids won't be little forever, you won't get to relive the important moments in life so remember to be fully invested in the place that you are at currently.
10. The Journey is more important than the destination- Some things take a life time to learn so be sure to fall in love with the journey instead of wishing it away to get to a destination.
11. Progress over Perfection 
12. TAKE ACTION- Procrastination is the killer of all the dreams you have; there will never be a right moment to start. 
13. A small group of friends is better than a huge group of 

Transcript

0:01

And we are back with another episode of the clever angle podcast. I am your host, Kevin McGee. And as you might've noticed, I have taken a week off, man. I just kind of really needed some time to reset a few different things happen, but we are back with another episode of the podcast. And I appreciate you guys as patients while I've kind of did some reflection. So. Uh, this episode, I've been trying to draw out for a good two or three years. It's just, it was in the phase where I wasn't being consistent with the podcast. And I was like, okay, I've got a few guests lined up. Uh, within the next few weeks. So be a perfect time to kind of drop this content because I think it's something that needs to be out there. So things that I wish that I would have known in my twenties, So for reference out there I'm 33 now. So this is just things that I have learned. And I wish I knew sooner in my twenties. So. Number one on the list is patients. When you were in your twenties, patients is something that is almost impossible to find. Patients is something that. Was like the driving factor of why I started this podcast. All throughout college. I didn't have any patients. I remembered. Trying to accelerate the rate at which I graduated, because I thought that if I, if it took me longer than four years to. I complete my degree, then it was somehow. Less impressive. So our crammed, a whole bunch of stuff in my last semester, so I could graduate. And in 2013, Uh, with my bachelors and I remember feeling empty inside and not really knowing what I was going to do next with kind of sparked me to do the podcast in the first place. Um, to get a resource out there for people that might be struggling with this and taking that next step. Outside of, uh, college, because our lives are pretty much structured in a way that up until the end of college, you kind of know what your next thing is. So you go back, I would tell my youngest, half patients, things are going to work out, do things that you enjoy, really get to know your. And don't freak out on it on the same page. You're going at the same pace. As somebody else, um, Number two is going to be fear of missing out or FOMO. So. This is something I think we all struggle with whether that's the twenties or the thirties, but I didn't really start to become at peace with the fact of Tevin. You don't have to be involved in everything. You do not have to be involved in every party. You do not have to go to every event. You do not have to. Do you don't have to be so concerned with what everybody is doing all the time. We live in a world that is just constant highlights of everybody's life. Everybody. What everybody's doing. Just constant many dopamine hits. And you think that you should be involved in our wasted a lot of money and a lot of time. Uh, chasing behind these temporary highs of not wanting to miss out and. Um, there are so many times that I wish that I would have just stayed home. Instead of. Going out. Like, I, I really didn't get much from the experience. So if I were to just focus on the things that really sparked joy with me, you know, Um, I probably could have saved myself a lot of times and it's hard.'cause even now at 33, you know, you get less time with your friends than you do in your twenties. And you kind of take that for granted. So it can be hard to avoid, but this is a lesson that I, I truly encourage you guys to. Just take a second. Take some time. And you just think, is this something that I'm truly gonna regret or error? Is it just something that's gonna. Be fleeting and in. You know, 10 minutes from now, you're not really going to. Miss that experience. Uh, number three is going to be learning about money and the dangers of debt. So if anybody is in student, Uh, it was a student in college. The majority of us had some kind of student loan debt. So, you know, you come out from 18 and, you know, I just went through puberty, you know, five, six years ago. So I'm still just kind of figuring out what I'm going to do, what I'm going to major in all these things, you know, you're focusing on these fun things of college, like. You've been sold this dream of, yeah, you go, you get the college experience. You're going to meet some of your best friends, which that is absolutely true, but something I wish that the school system would. Absolutely. I spend more time or start to develop a curriculum on is money and what debt means to your longevity of your life. So, you know, if you got to go to school to get the degree, and there's no way around getting it. Um, 100% you got to go to college. Like if you want to be a doctor, you got to go to college. A hundred percent. But I would encourage you, especially if you're in your twenties. Or if, if, especially if you're in your twenties or if you're a little bit. Sooner than that, like high school, junior high start thinking about creative ways that you can pay for college. Your grades matter in high school, if you want to go to college, they matter. So if you're thinking about pursuing a degree that you might not necessarily need a degree for. Looking through some alternative. Uh, alternative options. Uh, before you decide to plunge into debt because. I think it's become normal to have to carry a student loan balance. It's been normal to get credit cards. It's been normal to do all of these things. But the ramifications, the lessons that, that you didn't learn or going to slap you in the face very hard. If you don't learn these financial lessons. So I encourage all of you parents out there, all of you, people that are, or. Um, just now going into your college journey or just now beginning living out on your own. And you were thinking about getting a credit card and you're thinking about, uh, going to school before you take on any of that, that, that do some research, do some education. Uh, in the subject matter. I remember when I was a freshman at a state, there was like this kind of like carnival type set up where there was a whole bunch of different booths, um, on campus. And they were just. Uh, telling you different things and. You know, there was a booth that had pizza, so you're a broke college kid. So you want to get the pizza and you go over there and they say, Hey, here's some free pizza. Do you want to sign up for a credit card or do this? And a lot of kids were just blindly signing up for these cards that are probably 30, 35% interest. And they really just prey on you not knowing. These kinds of things and hoping that you just sign up for it, spend money that you don't have, and they can get you on the back end for interests. So. Learn about money. That's a, that's a, that's a, that is a thing that is going to. Of all the things on this list, learning about money is going to help you out the most in the longterm. Because once you do decide to have a family, once you decide to buy a house, once you decide that you are ready to get a car, Knowing about money, knowing about savings and emergency funds and debts. And all of these things that are going to affect your adult life, you know, when you're in your twenties, you think that you're invincible. You think that nothing is going to come back to bite? You, you think that you've got time? And I promise you the illusion of time is something that we do not realize. Tom is our most valuable resource. And if we just thought about that earlier, we could live a much more fulfilled life. So learn about money, learn about debt, especially if you are a young. But I think this is something that everyone should know. So I'm reading. I will teach you to be rich. Um, Right now it's a great financial resource and I'm finding a lot of value in the psychology of money is also a good book. So if you're interested in any of these resources, I'll leave the subscription down to a few of the financial and books. They kind of changed my perspective in the way that I think about it. Because mindset is a huge part of getting your finances in order. Okay. Number four, which is probably just as important as the money thing is prioritize your health. Just because you're a 20, just because you're 18, just because you're 30. Does not mean your health is a guarantee. We need to realize that we are, we only get one body to take care of us for the rest of our lives. So the things that you're doing, it's not worth it. It's not worth it to mess your liver up in, in your twenties. It's not worth it to get addicted to nicotine in your twenties. There are so many people that I went to college with. There's so many people that are younger than me, that I'm seeing at a rapid rate. Just in my own life, have healthy health conditions that they would have never thought about. You don't have to do something crazy. This isn't something that I'm telling you not to have fun or not to. Uh, enjoy sweets, but we have to realize the things that we are putting into our bodies. We have to realize the decisions that we are making. Um, are going to affect us for the next 50 to 60 years. So. Find you something that works for you. Moving your body getting out into that. To that sunlight, take your dog for a, an extra walk. Get some kind of routine that is going to work for you because I promise you. Prioritizing your health now is going to not only save you money, it's going to, it's going to allow you to have higher quality of life as you move on. It's not the fact that you're getting older is why you can't do the things that you did in high school. It's because you decide to put your body on the back burner. And by the time you're 30, 30, 1 years old. Um, you have put so many miles on your body in a negative way that. You don't even realize that it, it can be corrected. But you don't even realize the damage that has been done to your body. Until you have to go to the doctor and oh yeah, your ligaments in your knee or whatever it is, you know, you just, it slowly over time, you start to see these. Um, regressions and the things that you're able to do, but they can be corrected. So I'm telling you the sooner, the better prioritize some kind of routine. I mean, I'm not any kind of expert, but I do have a degree in exercise science and I'm thinking. Two to three times a week, minimum of getting in the gym or some sort of exercise. And here's the thing. Just find something that you like to do. It doesn't have to be lifting weights. You know, I like playing tennis. Tennis is something that I do that helps me stay active and taking my dogs for a walk is something that's low impact that you can do. Um, That will help your overall longevity of health. And obviously your diet is a huge part of that. So, Everything in moderation, man, everything in moderation, you can't eat the same things that you were eating when you were 15. When you're 33, trust me, it sneaks up on you. It sneaks up on you fast. Um, Number five is going to be your relationship status does not define you. So back to the whole social media thing, there is so much comparison in our everyday lives. That we think that just because somebody else is getting married, that, that I need to be getting married and they rush into things. So I think that if we just take the time to do a self evaluation on what do you want in your life and does this fit with another person right now? If the answer is yes. And you think that you were in a situation though where you are up for dating and finding that person? Because that is one of the most rewarding things is finding your person and building a life with that person. But you don't think you don't need to think that you're a failure. If you're not 24 and married, if you're not 31 in married. You need to be working on yourself and your twenties. And getting yourself to where you're attracting the type of person that you would want to be in a relationship with and want to build a life with. So I think that they, um, the age in your new and your twenties. It's just such a. Um, self discovery age that we just need to take the time be with ourselves, increased, increase our skillset and the things that we got going on, you know, focus on these first four things. Focus on your career, focus on saving money, focus on getting yourself out of debt. So now you start to attract that good energy of a person that you will want to be in, but comparison is the thief of all joy. And I'm telling you. As long as you're not comparing yourself to other people. And you were happy with the progress in your life. You are going to be live a, a, um, highly fulfilled life and you are going to look back. And, and thank that. It was at the pace that it needed to be. God doesn't make mistakes. Number six has been truly transformative for me. And that is going to be seeking mentors. Nobody gets through this life alone, nobody. So seeking out the guidance of people that are doing the things that you want to do, someone that is like a big brother figure to you that can give you wisdom and guidance, and that can help you. Get out of some of these pitfalls that we're talking about. You know, how different would your life be? If when you're 17 and you're getting ready to sign up for student loans, you had a mentor of some sort. Like, whether that's a coach, uh, your, your uncle, your dad. Whoever it is somebody that has been around the block, somebody that has experienced some of the things that you've gone through. And can help you from making the mistakes that they made. That can set your life on a complete different trajectory than you were normally headed on just by surrounding yourself with people that are going to make a positive impact impact on you. I've got several in my thirties now, and I wish I would've known these people in my twenties. Because it would have helped me save a lot of time. Um, I've got to shout out my buddy Her AA. K. I, we can sit her on one of my best friends. One of my mentors, my brother as well. Uh, my, my good friend grant long. These are all men that I can reach out to at any given point, ask for advice on things know that they've been through some of the same things that I've been through. They're going through some of the same struggles currently. And I value their opinion. They ha they each have qualities and characteristics of things that I would want to be better at in my own life. And surrounding myself with like a mastermind group of friends is a game changer for you in so many different areas of your life, whether that's your physical health, whether that's your spiritual health, whether that's your financial health, whether that's. You know, you're, you're talking through getting a career and, and, and jobs and things like that. Whether it's a current creative outlet that you need advice on. Mentors will change your life. Justin Moody as well. My, uh, my former boss when I was in the warehouse. All of these are Caleb Shipley. The list goes on, but the point is. These are people that are having a positive impact on my life. And if you don't have some of these people around. Uh, you need to, re-examine your friend group and the people that you're spending your time and energy on because you start to become like the people that you're around. Shout out to Ash Pulliam. And Patrick Patterson as well. I don't want to leave. Anyone out that I communicate with on a regular basis, but. Yeah. Um, seeking mentors was something that completely Nathan night is an inspiration as well. I would consider him a. Uh, a mentor as well, as far as, you know, he's doing the things that, that I would want to do as well. Um, so. Uh, and it doesn't even have to be someone teaching you something. It's just getting yourself around like-minded people. And trying to achieve the goals that you've set out through the help of others. Because once again, nobody gets to where they need to go by themselves. So that's number six. Number seven is time is your most valuable resource. And while you are young. Don't think that you have all the time in the world. It's something that. You can't buy more of. So spend it wisely. You can always get more money. You always can get another job. You will not be able to get your time back. So, I'm not telling you not to enjoy your life because you need to enjoy your life. But. One thing that I found to be so rewarding in my thirties, that I wish I would have spent more time doing in my twenties is. Spinning, just more intentional time with my parents, man. My dad and my mom had began some of my best friends. Um, there are people that I still look up to this day and I spent so much time just out. At bars, clubs, you know, doing stuff that was just absolutely overrated in my opinion. When I could have been spending that time with my family. And I really just appreciate it so much more now. And. 30 is just a weird age because you were in this weird. Uh, stage of your life, where your parents are getting older, you're starting to have kids, your friend, group isn't as close as they, they were, everyone is moving in different directions. I'm one of the only people in my local friend group, uh, that has kids. So my brothers is just got engaged. I got another one of my buddies that is, uh, has been dating his girl for a while. So the time that we actually get to link up now and get the hangout is few and far between. And when we were all in this same crazy stage of life, like we just thought it would be. It would last forever, like, man. I'm going to get the hang out with my brother and my friends like this forever. And then you wake up and you're in a different stage of life. So just really appreciate those times. Then when you have roommates and you know, no one has any money and y'all are just sitting around talking, having a good time. Uh, Life is precious. You know, how many times do you just have a good, genuine laugh with a friend now? When I was in my twenties, I felt like it happened every day, but now I really take the time to. To stop and appreciate when I'm having those sincere moments with my friends, with my family. And, um, I encourage you to just think as a, of those people that are in your life, whether it's your grandmother, your mother, your brother. Take advantage of those of that time that you have with them, because it is not guaranteed and you never know what tomorrow brings. So. Time is of the essence, slow down and enjoy. Number eight is practice gratitude. Being grateful. For things. Is something that I think we're always, um, In the process of learning better. But. With the society that we live in now, and this always wanting more, more, more, You need to slow down and start to appreciate the things that you have, you know? Okay. Yeah. We might not be LeBron James living in Beverly Hills on the Los Angeles Laker. But we have a, a, a family that loves each other. We have a nice home around us. It keeps us warm. We have dogs that appreciate us. We have all of our parents healthy. We have a great. Ecosystem of friends around us. I encourage everyone to just think about 10 things that they are grateful for. And really appreciate where you are in life. Enjoy the journey to your destination. And realize that this life is just a vapor in the grand scheme of things. We are so blessed to be able to live in this time where we have so much comfort and technology and so many things that make our lives so great. We live in the United States, which is one of the greatest. Countries, and we can. We have the freedom to be able to pursue. Anything that we want to do. So practice gratitude and our promise. You will have a happier life. It's something that I'm constantly working on. And when I'm getting to these modes where I'm down on myself, I like to make a list of things. And I'm grateful for. I'm grateful for my kids. I'm grateful for. Being able to talk on a platform, even if no one is listening to me, I'm grateful for the opportunity to get the. Have a, a space where I can get my thoughts out to people. And even if this just reaches one person, I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for the connections that I've made in college. I'm grateful for my job. I'm grateful for my beautiful wife that works so hard for. Our family and I'm grateful for two. Beautiful, amazing warned her four daughters, grateful to have my brother. And, and friends that, that accept me for me. I think that is a rare thing these days. And I think that no matter what situation that you are in life, you have something that you can be grateful for. You have something that you can appreciate. And I encourage you to do so. And that kind of goes into number nine, which is be present. Time stops for no one. That's starting to become a recurring theme of things that I've learned in my twenties says it will be gone before, you know, it. I vividly remember. Playing my last game of basketball in high school, realizing this was the last time I was going to play competitive basketball. Our member, the sadness that was in that room. And I was just soaking it up. I was never the greatest basketball player. But man, was it awesome to be a part of that team? We were at four city in an away game. As my last game that was after senior night. That was the last time I was going to be able to put on an Elton Raiders Jersey and I can still feel the emotion. And now our look back. That was like 15 years ago. And I can still remember. Everything that was happening. I remember shaking my coach's hands and them telling me that it was a pleasure. You know, getting to coach me and, and like I said, I wasn't good, but, uh, I appreciated just being on the team around the guys and. If this is you and you're in junior high and you're upset about your playing time and you, you know, You let these petty things get and not just basketball, just things in general. You got a grudge that you're holding against your, your sibling or you are upset with your parents for something just realize time goes by so fast. You will go from 15 to 33. In a blink of an eye. And by the time you've realized how much time has passed another two or three years this past. And you just have to just take the time to slow down. Be present. Hug your mom go see your grandma. Go to that funeral. There's. A quick story. I'll tell about one of my good friends. He used to be my boss at Outback steakhouse. And I remember. When he first came. To manage us. He was about the age that I am now. Unfortunately, he passed away at that young age of 41 years old. And. I remember going to his funeral. In Memphis. And there was so much sadness. I cried and I weep like a baby. Because me and him used to talk about the things that we were going to do. And the reality is we never know how much time we have. So hug that person. Tell that person you like them. Go ask your boss for a raise. Go on that walk. Sign out for that 4k, because you never know, you don't know when your time is up. Be present in the moment. If you were talking to somebody and if you're at lunch with one of your good friends, put your phone away, be present. That could be the last time y'all go to lunch for five years. You never know what curve balls life is going to throw at you. So you, all you have is right now to be present in that moment. And that moment to make a difference. To change the trajectory of your life. You never know when the last time is. You know, I always, I always think about that. And I don't know why I always use pickup basketball as a, as a example, but I'm a guy that plays a lot of pickup basketball still really enjoy the sport. And. I think to myself. You know, Think about the last time you played pickup basketball. When you were walking out of the gym and you were putting your shoes in your car and you were driving off. Did you think that that was going to be the last time you played pick up basketball? It could have been. Or did you think. When you were driving away from the gym, I'm not going to do this for another five years. The chances are probably not, but life gets in the way. So just be present because it could be over just like that. You could, you could leave the gym and never get to play basketball again in your life. You could leave school. And that could be the last time you saw somebody that you went to college with. You could leave that job and you can never talk to somebody that you spent the last five years with. Be present. I make the most. Out of the day that you have, which is right now. Number 10 is. The journey is more important than the destination. Some things take a lifetime to learn. So fall in love with the journey. Instead of wishing you were at your destination. It goes back to me and college. And I was so just focused on being a college graduate. I was rushing through the days I was rushing through the classes. I was rushing through an experience in my life that I needed to just be enjoying the, the, the journey. Enjoying. The time and the effort. And join the relationships. How many times do you see somebody on social media? And say, man, I haven't seen that person since college. I haven't reached out to that person since college. I wonder how they're doing. Enjoy the journey. It's all that we have. The only two things that are guaranteed in this life. If you're in it. Is that you will be born and you will die. Everything in between that is the journey. The human experience. Is something that doesn't need to be rushed. Enjoy it. If we're lucky we will be old one day. And you'll be talking about and reminiscing on the times when you were able bodied and you were able to do things. You won't always be in your prom. There's going to be different seasons of your life. That you'll enter in. And it's going to be filled with happiness and sadness and everything in between. So don't rush it. Enjoy it. Take your time. Hug your loved ones. Enjoy. The journey. Number 11 is going to be progress over perfection. I think that we all think that we have to be perfect all the time. I know I do. I struggle with this, especially with putting my content out into the world. I think, man. I'm not going to post an episode this week because people are going to find it dumb. No one's going to resonate with it. Why do I think that I could be a podcast or full time? Those inner thoughts of that. Try to keep you safe because taking a risk and doing something outside of your comfort zone is scary. So your body fights against it. And tells you that it's not good enough. And maybe it's not. But posted anyway. Maybe you don't know everything, but do it anyway. Pursue it anyway. I asked the question anyway. Because if you don't, you're going to be locked into a place where you are just in perpetual fear. And you're never going to make any progress. Just by starting, you start to learn that you will make mistakes, but you will make progress. You will get to your goal. No, it won't be perfect. Even your best videos, there's probably something that you can improve on. But it goes back to the thing that we were just talking about and that's enjoying the journey. Post the content. Write the letter hug the friend. Go to the dinner. Uh, or the person that you haven't seen tell your family. That you love them. Make progress towards something. Step out of side of your comfort zone. Take action. Action. Is much more important than the destination. Taking action is what gets you to the destination. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be pretty. You just have to make progress. And that's something I wish that I would have known. Early on in my life. And the last thing that I'll leave you guys with is. A small group of real true friends. Is better than a huge group of acquaintances. The funny thing about this is. I was talking to my brother about this the other day. Or maybe it was AK or TJ or somebody. I was talking to somebody about this. Actually, I think it was Patrick. I think I was talking to Patrick about this, but that's beside the point. If I would have got married. When I was right out of high school. The people that will, that would have been in my wedding would have been X, Y, Z. If I would have got married while I was in college. The group of people would have changed slightly. It would have been some of the same people. If I were to got married, post-college. Right after college, it changes a little bit. And if I actually had my voucher and all about two years ago, And it was a completely different group of people. There's some outliers in there there's people that are always going to there was through all of these things. But what it made me realize is. As you go through life, you're going to gain friends and you're going to lose friends. Your group of people that are gonna rock with you through the entirety of your life. The entirety of the different seasons of your life, is it going to be very few people? And that's okay. There's some people that you meet. And that relationship, that friendship is only going to last five years and you'll be Facebook friends, and you'll like each other's posts, but you neither, one of you will make that effort to continue on with that relationship. And that's okay. You are going to have a group of people. A small group of people that you're going to meet. That y'all are going to bond with. And those are going to be the people that you do life with. And they're going to have your back no matter what. In every. Um, Version. Of my groomsmen. There was always a for sure, for people. No matter what. And those four people are the people that are on my list for when I'm feeling down. They're on my list for when I want to tell somebody, somebody exciting news. They're the people that I call mentors and friends and family. The people I'll get a gift for. And you start to realize that a small group of people that are truly rooting for you. That are going to listen to your podcast. They're going to watch your YouTube video. They're going to like your post. On social media, they're going to support you in the fundraiser that you're doing for your kids. They're going to be at your kid's birthday party. They're going to be a chore birthday party. You're going to be at their birthday party. That is such a small intimate group. And that's okay. Your friends are going to change. Your family is going to be forever, and there's going to be a small group of people that are going to be with you. And instead of trying to please, everybody just lean in to that. Because we don't have a lot of time. We never did. It doesn't matter if you do these things or you don't do these things. There's an expiration date on all of us. So why not get the best out of life with the best people? Being in the moment, be present. Get our finances in order. Leave a legacy. For your kids and your next generation find you, somebody that you want to spend this life with. And let's make it meaningful. Gaza. I hope you appreciated this episode. Things. I wish I knew in my twenties. I really enjoyed. Um, getting this out here to you guys. And once again, we'll be back next week with another episode. Thank you for being patient with me. As a I'm in a truly busy season of my life. We'll be back next week. Um, with one of two episodes, either the TC Burr episode. Um, we've got that scheduled to be recorded on Tuesday or the jet hours of episode. But we will be back to with the regular scheduled interview program. And I appreciate you guys rocking with me. Um, if you were being inclined like us on Instagram, follow us on YouTube. We're at the clever angle at the clever angle on all social media platforms. So. Thank you for your time as always. And until next time. Peace.