Every time I interview a 40-something woman for 40:20 Vision I ask them what 3 “gifts” would they give a 20-something if they were a “Forty-Godmother”. Here are one woman’s gifts:
1.
A financial plan. Start planning for your retirement now. In your twenties, you think you’re so young and you have your whole life ahead of you. But it’s so important. Even if you’re making $16,000 a year, put $10 a month aside. Because your forties are like holy s***! You get all that closer to retirement and you’re thinking “damn!”
2.
There are politics at work no matter what you do for a living. You never want to get caught up in that. Don’t be part of the gossip cycle and the politics because you’ll never win. It’s important to respect relationships. If you don’t like somebody, fine. Stay out of their way if you can but don’t play the games. Don’t play the politics and don’t ever talk badly about people at work because it won’t get you anywhere. It could get you into trouble. It’s not worth it.
3.
To know there is always another chance. Don’t set too much of a timeline for your life because you just don’t know what’s going to happen and you don’t want to be disappointed. You don’t know when you’re going to fall in love. You don’t know when you’re going to get married. You don’t know when you’re going to be at a certain point in your career. Let life happen. Leave room for discovery. You think maybe it is your last chance but there are so many chances in life.