A Letter To My Son On Turning 18 And Milestones To Come

Why Am I Writing This Letter? Like I have said a million times silently or out loud, I love you with all my heart. As a parent, I want the absolute best for you and your sister, Alex. As a teen, it is your nature not to listen to advice.

Here Are 10 Recommendations

1. Invest In Yourself No one can do better for you than what you can do for yourself. When you were a young boy, I asked what you wanted to be when you grew up?” Without hesitation, you said, “Tall!” You accomplished that goal.

Set Small But Meaningful Goals Learn to set small but meaningful goals and achieve them. As your interests grow and solidify, you will look further into the future and set longer-term hurdles. Get the most out of your life by being present and soaking it all up. When you go to college, focus on your classes, get involved with a cause that you are passionate about, or do volunteer work.

Treat time and energy with respect. We live by the same 24 hour day clock. At your age, you aren’t worried about wasting time. Time, for you, feels abundant. I was no different at your age. However, by learning to be productive now, you will have learned a great skill beneficial for the rest of your life. Invest in yourself, Tyler.

2. Find Your Passion Passion may be an overused word. However, doing something well helps if you have strong positive emotions to motivate you towards achievement. Think about your strengths and how you spend your time and energy. Passion is a powerful force that drives us forward, providing meaning to our work, family, and lives.

3. Save Money To Invest Since the last letter, you put some savings away in your bank account and have your debit card. Saving money that you made through working long hours is a big deal. I was proud of you for taking the job and running with it without complaining.

Investing Is The Best Path To Wealth Investing is the best path to wealth, and while you have no interest in being wealthy now, you often make that point- you will want to be financially independent in your life.

The earlier you save money and invest in the market with a long-term perspective, the better your chances of building wealth. I know that trading can be more exciting than investing long term and using a low-cost index fund, but patience in the market is far more rewarding. As Warren Buffett says, “Just pick a broad index like the S&P 500. Don’t put your money in all at once; do it over a period of time.”

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