There are many lessons that we learn through our life. Whether or not we succeeded in what we set out to do or not, there is always something to learn from our actions. Here are a few life lessons that I learned along my trip through life that I would like to share with you. You may can relate to one or two of them, or you may have some life lesson(s) of your own that you would like to share. I encourage you to share with us, in the comments below or by messaging me at James@WislerPlumbing.com, Subject line: Life Lessons.
Life Lesson #1: Enjoy a few child-free years with your spouse.
When I think back to my experiences in my 20s, there’s no moment that could ever surpass marrying my wife. I feel very fortunate to know that I married the right person. We dated for five years before getting married and we waited another five years before we had our first child. One lesson I would pass on to others is the value of enjoying those five years of being married before we had children. I think it’s important to have enough time to get to know each other and get through the challenges of being married before you take on the challenges of having children.
Life Lesson #2: Don’t wait too long to establish your career.
I was very young when I began my career in plumbing. The importance of establishing a career early in life has become very evident to me. The older you get, the harder things become. Even though I’m not very old yet, I can see daily tasks gradually becoming more difficult to perform. (For example, I can’t remember things as well as I used to.) I think it’s important to establish your career in your 20s so you can take on responsibilities later in life. If you build financial stability early on, you won’t have to worry about supporting your family once the time comes.
Life Lesson #3: Create a financial game plan.
A lot of stress and worry can come from financial strain, whether it’s with a family or within an organization. There’s nothing better than a good budget (even if it just has four or five items). Although taking the time to make a plan can be challenging when you’re young, it makes the situation a lot better.
I think it’s equally important to communicate your budget to anyone else who’s involved. It wouldn’t do any good to have a good plan in place if the people executing the plan were not informed. It could be a spouse or other team members in an organization. Whoever it is, make sure that everybody involved knows exactly what’s going on.
Life Lesson #4: Schedule some time to have fun.
Everybody has a fun activity that helps them to recharge. It could be sitting alone and reading a good book, spending time with other people, or even taking a good nap (I like to take some time with my family and friends). It’s a matter of understanding how you recharge and dedicating enough time for those activities. Of course, there has to be a proper work/personal balance as well. The important thing is to make sure that your priorities are straight. Don’t put your personal time by the wayside—make sure you set aside enough time in your schedule to have fun.
Bonus Life Lesson: Mind your eating habits!
Don’t go out to eat all the time, no matter how fun it is! It’s probably not the best thing for your overall health, especially once you get older and your metabolism changes. I learned that you’re better off if you start eating healthy when you’re young. It’ll be way harder to get used to eating healthy foods if all you eat is junk food.
If you would like more life lessons (or if you have some lessons of your own that you’d like to share), contact us online or give us a call at (540) 685-0366.
