5 things I wish I knew at 20

About this video

Kegley offers five lessons he wishes he had known at 20. First, life has three currencies, money, time, and energy, and each life stage has different amounts: the young have time and energy but no money, adults have money and energy but no time, and older people have money and time but less energy, so you should play the hand you are dealt instead of wishing for other cards. Second, he tells a story of a donkey between buckets of hay and water that dies unable to choose, warning against inaction and false either-or choices when you can often do both sequentially. Third, he urges documenting for yourself, not just for social media, and says he fills a journal every year and recommends recording a birthday video answering the same questions annually. Fourth, because consequences are delayed, you should hook your future self up in money, health, and relationships now. Fifth, he says comparison requires full context you never have, and claims he spent about eight years wanting, lacking, and comparing before learning this.

Key takeaways

• Kegley teaches that time, energy, and money are life’s three currencies, and in your 20s the advantage to exploit is abundant time and energy rather than lamenting a lack of money.
• His donkey story warns that fear of the wrong choice causes inaction, and that many choices are false binaries where choosing one first still leaves time for both.
• He recommends documenting for yourself through journaling and an annual birthday video answering a fixed set of questions, so your older self can hear your younger self directly.
• He explains delayed consequences with thought experiments about instant weight gain or instant illness, arguing small money, health, and relationship habits now determine your future self.
• He says comparison is invalid without full context, since people’s public stories omit their struggles, safety nets, and behind-the-scenes problems, so inspiration should not become self-judgment.

Episode details: published September 14, 2022 · 10:41 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Clark Kegley’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

← Previous: 9 Cognitive Distortions: Why You’re Stuck in Negative Thinking Loops · Next: This 3 min SUBCONSCIOUS MIND exercise will CHANGE YOUR LIFE! →

All Clark Kegley videos · Clark Kegley profile · Clark Kegley on YouTube