Are you going in the direction you dreamed about as a teenager?
A while back, I wrote this article with the topic “do things your future self will thank you for”. Building on top of that, the ultimate goal is to be able to look back at your life when you’re 80 or 90 years old and be happy about the things you did and accomplished. And hopefully not have any(or too many) regrets.
I think that’s super important, but just as important is looking at your current situation to check if you’re going in the direction you were supposed to.
So the idea is: when you were 15–18 years old, without any responsibilities, not too much social pressure, and not knowing too much about the world. What plans and visions did you have back then? At that age, there’s not much that’s limiting our dreams — not a baby on the way, not a house mortgage to pay off, etc. So at that age, we can dream about what we want from life, without anything limiting our imagination. When we’re 30 and have a family to support or the mortgage to pay, we kind of neglect our true dreams and settle for X. That’s why you should think back to your late teenage years.
Things will absolutely change as you grow older, and goals will change as you gain more experience. But it’s still important to think about what you were shooting for back then, and be honest about it.
Since elementary school, I’ve always wanted to be a “boss”. It has changed between CEO, CMO, and business owner/freelancer. Sometimes the goal has been CEO of a big company, other times work for myself on a beach somewhere. But there’s a red line there. And at 32, I can say that I’m on the right track — but I still haven’t figured it out. I’m still not sure if I’d like the big company or working on a beach more. The thing is, I know that the grass is always greener on the other side.
I’ve also always wanted to be rich. I’m not currently rich, but I’m putting in the necessary work — so I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before it happens. Whatever rich means. I don’t have a specific number, but not having to worry too much about money would be nice. This has also changed over the years, going from millions to “just enough”. My focus is more on being healthy, happy, and having free time to do other things I enjoy these days, because what’s the idea of having millions if you’re just working all the time and aren’t happy and healthy?
To sum it up
Think about where you hoped to be at 30, 40, etc. when you were 18 years old. Also thinks about when you will be 80 or 90 years old and look back at your life, what are the things you will be proud of? Then kind of align those two, and check where you currently are. Are you going in the right direction? Are you doing the right things? And remember, it’s never too late to start or change direction.
