Walt Disney was once quoted as saying, “Growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional.” Your 30s however are arguably the most important 10 years you will spend on this Earth.
It’s within this period that most people marry their life partner, start a family and choose their career path. Furthermore, most of the people who have taken the bold decision to relocate their families half way across the world have been in their 30s. Decision made during this one decade can shape the course of the rest of your life and in some cases, mistakes made can have lifelong consequences.
There are serious consequences for your financial life in particular. It is in your 30s that financial habits based on lifestyle choices start to form. Financial responsibilities and household expenses shoot up almost overnight and most will start leveraging debt to acquire assets, pay for further education and even travel.
There’s another quote about learning from others’ mistakes as well as your own. The path through adulthood is a well-trodden one and there is a vast collection of books you can read as a guide towards ultimate success in life. Here are 5 of such books that I highly recommend for you to read before you turn 30. If you are over 30, it’s never too late to catch up.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Stephen Covey)
This is a must read. I kid you not. In fact, it’s one you should read every couple of years or so. Stephen Covey shares 7 principles that will be instrumental in living your life day to day, week to week and it is these principles that largely separate the high achievers from everyone else.
One of the principles for example is to put “first things first”. I have used this principle for years in my weekly planning “Golden Hour”. He advises you to identify your “Big Rocks” and plan time for them first. All the other smaller rocks will have to fit around the big ones. You know what, just watch this video.
If you are feeling overwhelmed with so much responsibility or you feel like you’re working hard through life but not making any progress, this book will shed some light on where you’re going wrong and how you can turn things around.
Rich Dad Poor Dad (Robert Kiyosaki)
This is a book that I recommend to everyone under 30 that I meet. It’s a light read and Robert spends most of the book recounting his experiences growing up with his biological father (the poor dad) and his friend’s father (the rich dad).
I read this book when I was 19 I think and I’ve re-read it twice since then. I get something new every time and if I were to summarise the difference between the two dads, I would say it is their mind-set. The poor dad was in his situation because he followed all the “rules” that are drilled into our heads from childhood. Rules like, “Do well in school so you can get a good job and earn a good salary.” or “Don’t take risks, play it safe.” are the very rules that lead to a life of mediocrity and the opposite of what the rich dad taught Robert. Please get this book. It is another must read.
The Richest Man In Babylon (George S. Clason)
This book was written in 1926 so it’s not one that I’d suggest you read close to bedtime; the language can get pretty heavy. The greatest books however are usually the older ones. The wisdom from these older books is what other authors regurgitate and feed you in newer books. Get your wisdom from the source!
This book thankfully is also story based. It tracks a conversations between Arkad, the rich man and Bansir, a young man who is eager to learn the secrets of wealth.
How to Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie)
One of your most valuable assets is not your home or your car, it’s the size of your social network and your ability to leverage it. One of the best quotes in the book says “When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity.”
Being a “people person” doesn’t come naturally to all of us and if you are going to get ahead in life, you cannot do it alone. This book is a manual for how to get things done through people. It’s not about manipulating or exploiting people, it’s about the subtle but often overlooked life skills like how to get your point across in a discussion and how to give constructive criticism without causing offence.
The Total Money Makeover (Dave Ramsey)
“We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.”
We go through the education system learning how to find “x” and to pronounce the Latin name for a hibiscus but we are never taught how to manage money. There is no curriculum about how to be successful and how to retire wealthy. That is where this book comes in. If you have completely messed up your financial life, get this book. If you have a perfect credit score, still get this book.
The principles are simple and timeless. Dave shares the formula for getting wealthy and yes, there is a formula. If you want to get rich, spend less than you earn and invest the difference; that’s it. Invest over the long term and reap the benefits of compounding interest. There are many gems of wisdom in here and he doesn’t mince his words either. Sometimes, what you need is someone to tell you how it is and this book gives it to you straight.
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