As I've mentioned before, I'm 46. I'm fairly successful, no real complaints in any of the really important departments of my life.
This is what I will tell my sons when they are in their late teens and early twenties.
Decide on what end-state you want to reach in your life—then organize your life in order to reach that end-state. In other words, decide now—when you are young—the kind of old man you wish to be, and then use that as your guide in your day-to-day actions.
When I am 85, I want to have a slew of children and grandchildren whom I see at least once a week for family barbecues. I want these children and grandchildren to be leaders of their society, leaders who ask for and defer to my opinion on the challenges of their lives.
When I am 85, I do not want to have any regrets about opportunities I did not take. Be they women, business opportunities, or whatever else, I want my 85 year old self to wince at the times I face-planted—but not regret even a single time when I didn't have the balls to at least try. Regret is always worse than failure.
When I am 85, I want to have enough accumulated capital that I am unconcerned about my material or medical well-being. Enough money that money is never a concern. At the same time, I do not want to be a slave to my fortune.
When I am 85, I want my descendants to be living in a place where long-term political and environmental catastrophes will not affect them. The US is not such a place.
When I am 85, I want my photo album to have pics of me everywhere worth visiting on this earth.
When I am 85, and the heart attack hits me, the only regret I want to have is that my death will keep me from doing the cool thing I had planned for next week.
When I am no more, I want my pallbearers—my sons and grandsons—to feel genuine sorrow that I won't be around anymore.
Just my 2¢
This is what I will tell my sons when they are in their late teens and early twenties.
Decide on what end-state you want to reach in your life—then organize your life in order to reach that end-state. In other words, decide now—when you are young—the kind of old man you wish to be, and then use that as your guide in your day-to-day actions.
When I am 85, I want to have a slew of children and grandchildren whom I see at least once a week for family barbecues. I want these children and grandchildren to be leaders of their society, leaders who ask for and defer to my opinion on the challenges of their lives.
When I am 85, I do not want to have any regrets about opportunities I did not take. Be they women, business opportunities, or whatever else, I want my 85 year old self to wince at the times I face-planted—but not regret even a single time when I didn't have the balls to at least try. Regret is always worse than failure.
When I am 85, I want to have enough accumulated capital that I am unconcerned about my material or medical well-being. Enough money that money is never a concern. At the same time, I do not want to be a slave to my fortune.
When I am 85, I want my descendants to be living in a place where long-term political and environmental catastrophes will not affect them. The US is not such a place.
When I am 85, I want my photo album to have pics of me everywhere worth visiting on this earth.
When I am 85, and the heart attack hits me, the only regret I want to have is that my death will keep me from doing the cool thing I had planned for next week.
When I am no more, I want my pallbearers—my sons and grandsons—to feel genuine sorrow that I won't be around anymore.
Just my 2¢