During the past two weeks, I’ve been reflecting on my work situation that has been impacted by executive orders. Going into work every day is NOT what I was expecting and I was definitely not expecting to be waking up at 5AM.

I asked myself if I made the wrong decision joining federal service and if I should be leaving my job as a federal employee for something else.

I’m not the type of person to be reactive to situation changes, but I do tend to overanalyze the simplest things (except this one isn’t THAT simple).

Maybe a year from now, I’ll look back and either be happy I stayed on the course or feel regretful that I wasn’t more reactive.

Although I don’t know the answer to my current situation right now, I do know that I made the right decision at the time and that the recent changes were out of my control.

If I knew what I know now, maybe I would have gone a different path.. But maybe sharing my past learning experiences can help you now, hoping that it resonates with some of you.

Money Bulletin (News Highlights of the Week)

• CFPB’s new leadership begins staff purge with dozens of employees terminatedThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sent termination notices to several dozen employees.

• CPI report: January inflation data complicates Fed plans as soaring egg, energy costs push consumer prices higher

  The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 3% over the prior year in January.

• Credit card debt hit a record $1.21 trillion

  Collectively, Americans owe a record $1.21 trillion on their credit cards, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Lessons I Wish I Knew Earlier About Money, Work, and Life

If I could sit down with my younger self and give real practical advice (other than investing in bitcoin and Nvidia), my younger self would likely be far better off at my current age than I am now.

The advice I would give are lessons I learned the hard way. If you’re earlier in your financial journey—or even if you just need a reminder—maybe these will help you avoid some of the mistakes I made.

1. Stop Chasing Money, Start Chasing Freedom

When I was younger, I had my eyes set on going into consulting due to the high-pay structure. By the time I left after 6 years of consulting, my total compensation was just over $200K a year.

My goals evolved during my consulting career. In the beginning, my plan was to exit to a F500 middle management position where I would enjoy the high compensation and grow from there. After several stressful years, my goal changed to endure as long as I could until I reached financial independence from my other investments.

While my bank account was growing with each paycheck, I didn’t have much free time. Even during my free time, my mind was often occupied with work because of the overwhelming stress.

Because of that experience, I truly learned that earning more money isn’t always the answer if you don’t have time to enjoy it.

What I’d tell my younger self: Don’t make significant decisions based solely on the amount of money. Consider the sacrifices that you have to make with that decision. Make financial moves that create freedom, not just a bigger paycheck.

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2. Start Investing Way Earlier (Even If It’s Small)

By the time I graduated college, I had $20,000 invested in my brokerage account. Then I had a friend tell me that it was super risky to have that much in stocks. Big mistake.

It was years later when I started regularly investing, but because I stopped investing more money for years, I missed out on those gains for those years.

What I’d tell my younger self: Open the brokerage account and just invest what you can. You’ll thank yourself years later.

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3. Don’t Try To Day Trade

You might see social media posts of people making an absurd amount of money from a single trade. The thought of making quick money, timing the market, and outsmarting everyone else sounded exciting. What you don’t see are the countless others that lost everything from trading.

Here’s the truth: most day traders lose money. Studies show that the vast majority of traders underperform the market, and the small percentage who succeed often do so with extreme risk, stress, and time commitment.

Here are my day trading mistakes that still haunt me:

What I’d tell my younger self: Don’t try to outsmart the market. Instead, invest in the entire market, which has performed very well over the last 10 years. Just buy and never sell. No stress, no worry.

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4. Passion Lasts While Motivation Fades

After trial and error, I learned that passion beats motivation every time. There are so many things I’ve wanted to pursue, but after a week or two, that motivation fades and I either stop or don’t even start.

Now, I focus on what I envision myself doing in the long-term. There are a lot of ways to make money, but my decision-making process starts off with whether I see myself doing this for a long time.

What I’d tell my younger self: Be intentional with what you do. Find the thing that you deeply care about and work on it. Ignore the gimmicks.

5. Surround Yourself With People Who Make You Better

Posting online and surrounding myself with people who were financially responsible, business-minded, and growth-focused helped me become a better version of myself. Seeing how others were taking action and working towards similar goals made me change my own habits in pursuit of my own.

I truly believe this and I know others do too. I even shared this idea in a previous newsletter about a business revolving around this idea.

What I’d tell my younger self: Be intentional about who you let influence you. Choose people who push you forward - not pull you down.

Final Thoughts

I wish I had known all of this earlier, but I’m grateful I figured it out when I did. Maybe one of these lessons will help you.

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give your younger self?