Top 4 Things I Wish I Did Before I Had Kids

If you don't have any children yet, then this blog post is for you! I know that when my kids are in their 20's, I'll be sharing this advice with them. I don't know if they'll take my advice, but I'll give it a shot.

When I was in my 20's I thought I was the busiest person in the world. I was in school full-time, working part-time and participated in extra-curricular activities. But now that I'm a working mother of 4, I realize that I wasn't as busy then as I thought I was. There was so much more I could have done and really wish I had because it would have greatly benefited me today.

1. Read

I was never fond of reading and only recently did I start to get into audiobooks. I rarely have time to actually read physical books, but I can listen to books when doing mundane tasks like commuting, cooking or cleaning. So my first tip would be to set aside time to read more books. Personally I like non-fiction, personal development books. I love to learn tips and strategies that will help me improve and I highly recommend that you get into the habit of reading or listening to these types of books. They can be life-changing and will help you become a better person. I get my audiobooks from the library and also have a membership to Audible. Join here and you can get your first book for free.

2. Travel

I did travel quite a bit before having children, however, I wish I did more adventurous trips. I love the beach and most of my trips involved a lot of beach time. I don't regret this, but I do realize that it's easy to take kids to the beach, so this is something I can do now. Before you have children, I'd recommend doing trips that wouldn't be as child-friendly like backpacking around south-east Asia, South America or Europe.

3. Invest

In our 20's both my husband and I did invest in our first condos. However, if we were to do it again, we would have invested more. We both wish that we bought houses instead of condos and rented them out. Or it would have been smart to have purchased a second condo instead of wasting our money on shopping, eating out and night clubs. So I'd recommend meeting with a financial advisor or getting advice about real-estate and learn how you can invest your money.

4. Simplify

The sooner you can embrace more of a minimalist lifestyle, the better. We don't need all of the stuff that we think we do, nor does it make us happier. Instead, it takes time, money and energy to maintain all of these things that we are constantly accumulating. My advice would be to only buy what you need and truly want. If you buy something and don't value it, get rid of it. Doing this before you have children will help you better understand the benefits of minimalism and you'll want to ensure that your kids don't fall into the trap of mass consumerism.

My husband and I recently got a huge surprise and had to make some major decisions. I shared all about that in this video:

Lastly, just a heads up that I will be re-opening my Clear the Clutter Membership very soon. If you'd like to learn more about it, add your name to the waitlist and you'll be notified once it's open.