One thing I’ve been thinking about lately is what I’d tell my younger self if I had the chance…

And what I might do differently if I had my time again.

Now, a lot of this is based on hindsight…

But it’s still an interesting exercise.

And might be useful to you too.

So let’s dive in…

1. The 9 to 5 will never lead to freedom (and that might be okay)

I always valued my freedom.

I think a lot of this came from playing a lot of poker…

Being able to play whenever and wherever…

And win (or in many cases, lose) money at the library, in bed or even on the loo.

Making money from bed is great…

But more than this I valued the freedom of not being told when and where to work, or what to work on.

Now, the 9 to 5 does have advantages…

Of course it does.

Like the people you meet and work with…

The skills you learn…

The security of a full time job…

And work you enjoy or find meaningful (depending on your job).

But despite all this, I don’t think the 9 to 5 can ever really lead to freedom…

Either financial freedom or time freedom.

For a lot of people, that’s not an issue.

But for others – like me – it is.

And the truth is…

I probably never fully realised this…

Or maybe I did, but I ignored it.

So if I could give advice to my 26 year old self, I'd pass this message on...

There’s a lot of positives about the 9 to 5…

But depending on how you value your freedom…

These positives might not be enough.

2. Do it now

I joined my previous company in 2008.

When I joined, I thought it would be a temporary step.

Maybe a year or two to build up some cash…

And then quit to try playing poker.

But as time went by, inertia crept in…

The security and salary became comfortable…

And quitting meant I had more and more to lose.

Knowing what I know now...

If had my time again I’d give poker a shot straight after uni instead.

I might’ve done well, or I might’ve lost everything.

But even if I’d lost everything, it wouldn’t really matter.

Because I still would’ve had the rest of my life ahead of me…

And time on my side.

There’s similar advice in investing circles…

Take big shots when you’re younger (if you can)…

Because the upside can be huge…

And there’s more time to recover from any losses.

Now, does this mean you can’t take risks or quit your job when you’re older?

Of course not.

But the stakes may be higher...

The sacrifices might be greater...

And it might start to become a bit more complicated.

Having said that...

There are also advantages to being older if you're looking to strike out on your own.

But however hard it might feel today…

It will feel even harder 1, 5 or 10 years from now.

So I'd pass that message on to my younger self too.

 

On which note…

I’m going to wrap this up.

I can think of a couple more...

But I’ll save those for another day.

Hope you got something from this.

Catch you tomorrow.

- Tom