Thread by @OrtegaTalks

YOUR TWENTIES: "Twenties is when you Hustle Hard, 30s is when you Play."

A THREAD: 👇👇👇👇

A lot of people tend to think that 20s is when you play, when you try to have fun. 20s is when you actually do the reverse; "accumulate, work hard and make the most of all your abilities."

When you are in your twenties, you have;
1. TIME
2. ENERGY
Those are your greatest assets in your twenties. Time to try a number of things, time to work a number of jobs, start number of businesses and energy to sustain.

When you are 20, you can probably live on less sleep. You can pull off all nighters. You can work at a job, run a business and then run another side gig. There's no limit to how much time you go on your hands to do many things.

But most importantly, your energy is just peaking. You just never tire easily. If you have a deficiency of energy in your 20s, that's some health problem you need to sort out as soon as possible, otherwise expect that this is the time you will be most energetic.

20 is like your massive window of opportunity. You can get away with many things. First of all, you have the privilege of being young. No one will judge you for example if you slept on a friend's couch, or stood at a rolex stall, you are 20!!!

It is all okay to use a Bodaboda or sit in a Taxi in your twenties. Like what else should you do? Drive a Lambo? On the contrary, that money you would bet on a car, you would rather max it out on something, Fix it in an account, buy land, and just hold.

Your twenties is when you are Patient in the Longterm (Hold onto money, make longterm investments) but very impatient in the Short term (making the most of every second).

Twenties is when you go all out to accumulate as many skills as possible. On a serious note, don't limit yourself. Just because you studied one thing at University doesn't mean that's where you are gonna be boxed all your life. Go diverse.

If you studied Engineering at University, go learn how to write, learn some Sales Skills, master some website development skills, do some poetry. Combine the Arts and the Sciences. Combine your Economics degree with a Certified Professional Marketing course.

Don't play by the rules of "Stick to one job, try to make a career, grow up that ladder." I say, specialisation is dead. Be a specialist in many general fields. It's what some people call the "T-personality). Specialist in a few, generalist in many.

You are young, it's too late to stick to one thing for all your life. If there's an opportunity grab it, if someone is offering voice lessons, go for them. Build your brand for the longterm. You have 10 years till 30.

The most important thing to remember in your twenties is that everything compounds. If you write one article a day till you are 30, you will be a master at 30. It takes 10 years to be an overnight success. 20s is when you prepare to be one in your 30s.

Find a way to make money off your hobbies in your 30s. I am serious. If you love clubbing, find a way to get paid to club. Club promoter? Photographer at night? You love travelling, pick at a travel blog on the side. Establish a hotel booking website.

In a way, your expenses should be kept as low as possible in your 20s. Like who pays bills when they are young? Find a way to turn your major expenses into an income activity. If you love football, maybe you need to start a betting website...

One of the things you need to do before anything in your twenties is to open up an account and name it; "A Fuck You Fund" where you save money and never touch it. You save an amount that can enable you to say Fuck you to enable and still sustain your lifestyle for the next year.

If you have an opportunity to be part of a SACCO, join as fast as possible. You want to make saving something that's very easy. Rule of thumb, get a way whereby a percentage of your income is deducted to your Savings every month before anything.

If you must invest in anything, if you must have any big expense, it should be your RENT. On this, don't compromise. Get the best place in the best environment. Home is where you rejuvenate and power up. Home is where your recharge from. So get the best place and mattress.

You have no idea what your environment will do to you. Your environment must motivate you but it must also make you feel like Heaven is here on earth. Your environment will make or break you. Staying in Kisaasi is not the same as staying in Namasuba!!!

About CARS. Honestly if you can afford to maintain one, then you get one. Otherwise there is no big deal whether you have one or not. In times when you need one, resort to Uber. Otherwise Safe Boda and Taxis have you covered.

You don't want to lose money in your twenties maintaining your 2nd hand car. Once in a while when it rains, I am tempted to buy a car. Then I remember I could. My Bank balance could enable me to do that. Buy hey, I am buying my freedom. I am playing a different set of rules.

Another thing in your twenties, don't rush to build your personal home. Honestly, you are too young to know where you want to live in your 30s, 40s. Instead build rentals. When you make 30, you can build your dream home. House designs are gonna change a lot. So why rush???

We live in the age of leverage: In your twenties, make use of other people's time, other people's money, resources, networks, labour, ideas. You don't have to do it all by yourself. If you have the idea, look for a partner with the money or the networks!!!

If your parent has a car, come on, use that. If there's a free room at your parents' house. Stay as long as possible. Save. On a serious note, save, invest. Rinse and repeat. These are your twenties, no shame living at mommy's house except when you need to have sex!!!

If one of your relatives has a car you can use, make use of that. Try to really limit your expenses as much as possible. If there's a party with free food and alcohol, that becomes your Friday proggie. Your wallet will thank you later.

20s is when you move into a super creative. Remember if someone else can be trained to do what you do, then your salary will decrease over time or that thing will be automated. You must do something no one else can be trained to do, that's being a creative.

When you are a creative, you can dictate your price. Btw, as a matter of fact, figure out your hourly rate when you are in your 20s, this should increase as you grow up. You bargain by that. If you are asked to do some gig, see whether it makes sense by your hourly rate...

About relationships. Honestly, don't get someone who will fuck up your emotions. You are still young. About children, if you are not ready for them, for goodness sake, don't bring them here, they're gonna slow you down in some way.

Always be thinking in 5 to 10 year periods. Think of the longterm benefits of things. And the cost-benefit analysis of things. If the benefits outweigh the costs, go bet on that thing. Go do it, take that risk!!!

On a serious note, first put passion on the side. Unless it pays you well, then do what you love. But in your 20s, you gonna do lots of things you hate. But if it brings in the cash, if it is legal, do it, learn the skills. And move on.

When you are 20, you can get many things for free. When I was doing my final year project, I worked with a Biogas consultant, he didn't charge me a coin, well, because I was young. Guess what, he charges highly for other people.

But don't forget to have fun. I would say; "Play Hard, Fun Hard." Like you don't want to be 50 and competing with kids in a campus night. Makes no sense. This is the time to binge a bit and test your limits. You get away with most mistakes!!!

By the way, there's really no big formula for your twenties just the fact that you have TIME, you have ENERGY. You have no idea how many people in their 70s wish they were 20. The internet has even changed everything. With a phone, you can a world start tomorrow!!!

Don't forget your personal brand. The future is going to be about Personal Brands. It already is. The leading brands today are Personal Brands. An Oprah tweet will reach more people than a Cocacola tweet!!! You are a Business!!!

If you miss out on your 20s, you've missed out on something. You don't wanna be having regrets in your 30s. I remember guys who spent all their campus time in the library. They missed out on the campus experience. They became zombies, all for what? A First class degree???

With the internet, you can have the education you want. You can go study at Stanford with the click of a mouse. You can send a Tweet to your President and tell him; "Kogikuteeko." This was not possible 10 years back. The rules have changed!!!

Finally, as a matter of time:
1. Spend 33% of your time with people below you. Will teach you gratitude
2. Spend 33% of your time with people on your level. Compete
3. Spend 33% of your time with chaps above you. So you can aim higher
4. 1% of your time alone. Me time is crucial

That said, I am not going to be having a debate on this. I am not on twitter to argue. Pick what works for you. Drop what doesn't. Like that's the rule of life. if something works, maximise it. If it doesn't, stop it. Rinse and repeat. No big magic!!!