Things I know at 46, I wish someone warned me at 26

1. Regret compounds faster than wealth.

Every “I’ll do it later” costs interest.

Regret doesn’t stop growing until you do something about it.

Start now. Before the bill arrives.

2. You can’t hustle your way out of bad health.

Your body’s keeping score—quietly, but permanently.

Burnout doesn’t send a warning.

Sleep is a strategy. Eating well is insurance. Lifting heavy things is an edge.

3. Your circle shrinks, and that’s a blessing.

You only have room for the ones who show up when it’s inconvenient.

The rest?

Let them orbit elsewhere. Life isn’t a group project.

4. Chasing perfection creates more failure than progress ever will.

Perfection keeps you stuck. Progress moves you forward.

Focus on the next 1%, not the impossible 100%.

5. Time doesn’t care about your priorities, but it moves fast anyway.

Your career will still be there.

Your kid’s fifth birthday won’t.

Miss what matters, and it won’t matter what you catch up on later.

6. The most valuable assets aren’t tangible.

You don’t own your reputation.

You can’t buy trust.

You can’t sell the energy you bring to others.

But these will always be worth more than what’s in your bank account.

7. Reinvention is survival.

Who you were at 26 won’t carry you at 46.

Jobs change. Dreams change. You change.

Don’t hold on to a sinking ship just because it’s familiar.

8. Your kids will copy the worst version of you first.

Not the best. The worst.

The way you argue. The way you quit. The way you avoid.

Fix yourself before you try to fix them.

9. The world doesn’t care why you didn’t.

Bad breaks happen to everyone.

It’s not fair. But fair doesn’t move you forward.

Stop justifying why you can’t. Start proving why you can.

10. You’ll never do everything. But you can do something amazing.

I still have dreams I’ll never touch. That’s fine.

Pick one. The one that scares you. The one that matters.

And give it everything you’ve got.

11. You’re not late. You’re exactly where you need to be.

People panic when they feel behind.

But behind what? Behind who?

Focus on the race you’re running, not the ones you’re watching.

12. The second half is harder. But it’s better.

You’ve got sharper tools now.

More scars. More filters. Less patience for bullsh*t.

Play it like it matters—because it does.

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