Fit for Life: Note to My 20-Year-Old Self

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Matt Espeut, Health & Lifestyle Contributor

 

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This past week, I was listening to a podcast titled "The Game," hosted by Alex Hormozi, a young, super smart, successful entrepreneur on his way to making a billion dollars. 

 

The show's concept was, "What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?"

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I know we can't go back and change the past, but this exercise illuminates our mistakes and helps us focus on what we are currently doing. 

 

It also asks the question...are we following our own advice and learning from those mistakes?

 

After listening to this podcast, I took pen to paper and came up with a few tips I would have given my younger self and what tips I currently give to my nephew so he can time collapse and become more successful if he chooses. 

 

First, be patient. Try getting on base instead of hitting home runs every time you are at bat. We tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in a week, but we underestimate what we can do in a year. 

 

There are no shortcuts, and no one is entitled to an easy life. I learned this the hard way in my early twenties, and it got me into trouble, which resulted in things taking longer.

However, I learned from this and never tried to take the easy road again. 

 

Next, invest now, invest wisely, and understand that a paycheck supports your lifestyle, but assets will provide wealth. 

 

Again, I ran into trouble by making some untimely investments in the real estate game and got into deep financial stress. 

 

I was flipping houses and hitting home runs when 2007 came around, and everything crashed on me. 

It wasn't easy money, but I quickly made a lot of money. 

It also went away just as fast because I was impatient and uneducated with fluctuations in the market. 

 

I recently took my 18-year-old nephew and started an IRA so he can count on having a nice nest egg to fall back on when he gets older. Instead of scrambling for security later in life like me because I didn't start sooner, he can count on having a nice nest egg to fall back on. 

 

I would prioritize and say to take care of your health and stay fit. Be obsessive about this and never compromise regardless of what others say. 

 

This is something that I started doing at 19 years old, and I never look back. 

I overcame all the head shakes, eye rolls, funny looks, and jokes at my expense because I would prioritize the gym and eating clean, but I never wavered, and I am glad. 

 

Now, at 55, I look and feel at least 10 years younger and have no known health issues, so this stuff works!!

 

Always invest in your growth and self-development. Then, share what you learn with others so they can be better.

 

I have also been doing this since early 1994 when I became a certified personal trainer. The only difference is that I used to keep the information to myself, and now I share it with others so they can learn and become better. 

 

This takes me to the next advice topic, as Arnold says in his new book…be useful. 

Be an asset to humanity and not a liability. Add value to people's lives by being present and encouraging. 

 

When someone asks for help, give it to them. When someone needs advice, offer it. Don't be the person who makes a situation worse by enhancing problems instead of creating solutions. 

 

Learn to lead and know that leadership isn't a destination but an ongoing journey. 

If I had known then what I know now, I would have focused more on leadership, as leadership is the problem and solution in the business world. 

 

You get what you tolerate, and if you are a shitty leader, prepare to tolerate shitty followers that don't respect your mission and purpose. 

 

I thought I was an automatic leader when I opened my business, but that's level 1 leadership, as John Maxwell describes in his book "The 5 Levels of Leadership,". 

 

As of the past few years, I have been training and learning how to become a better leader for my team and members so I can help them grow and accomplish their goals along with me. 

 

Lastly, I would tell my younger self to focus more on stretching and self-care. I am good at beating myself up with tough, grueling workouts, but I must consistently stretch and indulge in self-care like massages and red light therapy.

 

These are easy things that would improve my quality of life; however, I just need to make the time to be more consistent with them. 

 

Here are a few of my tips to give you ideas and help you start making your own list. 

 

When you do this, be sure to implement some self-awareness and ask yourself, "Are you living congruently with the advice you would give your kids or younger self"? 

 

If not, it's time you stepped up and started taking your own advice. If you are great, you have the authority and ability to fix past mistakes and take things to a whole new level of fulfillment. 

 

Coach Matt

 

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