Woulda coulda shoulda … If I knew then, what I know now...

One thing I should’ve done differently- started investing at an earlier age. I didn’t really know what my retirement options were, from 401k’s to IRAs. I had no clue. I wish I would have spoken to someone at the USC Credit Union or some place that I could trust to get my questions answered.

I should have set up an IRA account or something, just to get myself into the habit. I know it can be hard when you’re young and scratch enough money to pay some of your bills, but it is important to start thinking about these things. Since I’d like to retire early someday, these types of investments do pay off in the long run.

If I had, I wouldn’t have been so stressed out about everything when I got out of college. Now that I’m in my early 30’s, I feel like life is really about to take off. A lot of that has to do with the fact that I’m in graduate school and am enjoying everything that it has to offer. I guess that when I was younger, I didn’t really take a look at the big picture of things- how we all go into different stages of our lives. Having survived the struggles, uncertainties, and stress of my mid-20’s, I’m better off for it now.

From when I was 22 to 29, a lot of the stress had to do with trying to navigate my place in life. No longer did I have a structured routine, going from class to class, like as an undergrad. I had to set my own routine and set up my own direction in life. At the point of age 29, everything began to be familiar and comfortable and I had to reassess what my next step would be. And that’s when I decided going grad school and getting my MBA would be the right move for me.

Maybe it had to do with the perception that the best times of one’s life are when you’re an undergrad. That may be true for a lot for some; other people would even say their best times were in high school. I argue that now is the best time in my life and the best is still ahead. I think there is still a lot to look forward to and that I’m just entering my prime. I suppose that I choose to look at the glass half full now, versus how I used to look at things before.