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This post is a review of the book, “Advice For My Younger Self,” written by my friend and blogger Mike Leonard. All opinions are my own. Mike was kind enough to offer me a complimentary copy of his work, but I’ll freely share that it is well-worth the purchase price. You can find “Advice For My Younger Self” on Amazon in paperback and Kindle.
What would you tell your younger self?
This is the central question that drives the practical and actionable advice contained in Advice For My Younger Self. As Leonard notes, so much of what we learn in high school and college does absolutely nothing to prepare us for the real world—and the murky waters of money management, insurance, investing, healthy lifestyle.
Leonard tackles all of these issues and more in the course of approximately 100 pages—and he doesn’t sugar coat them one bit. Each chapter is full of personal examples of his own struggles to develop healthy life habits and master the basics of adulting.
In my opinion, the book is a valuable double-threat: it makes for great reading, even for people who prefer to digest material slowly, and it is also a good reference book that many young people would benefit from keeping on the coffee table.
Each chapter presents common life struggles for young people, outlines real world examples, and presents actionable advice to get a grip on these problems through the development of better habits.
Core Message: Habits Shape Our Lives
At its heart, the core message of Advice For My Younger Self is simple yet profound—the best way to pursue success is by developing and maintaining good habits in life. And as Leonard points out time and time again, even the best college courses aren’t going to provide this important knowledge.
While Leonard takes the time to walk readers through the basics of fundamental topics like fitness, cars, insurance, cooking, enjoying life, and goal setting, my favorite chapters focused on building multiple income streams, self-education, and networking. Leonard writes on these topics from a position of research and self-experience which is insightful and refreshing.
Who This Book is For
Advice For My Younger Self makes a great gift for anyone, as most of us still have a lot to learn about developing effective habits in at least a few areas of life. The book is a consistent reminder that success in life is achieved through doing the right things—consistently.
In particular, people in their 20s and 30s are likely to benefit most from the advice contained in Advice. The broad overview of such a wide variety of fundamental life topics would have been very valuable to me when I was in my early 20s and on my own for the first time in my life.
Final Word
I have known Mike Leonard as a fellow blogger for over one year. Having read dozens of his insightful blog posts in that time, I can confidently say that Advice For My Younger Self is his finest work. Reading Advice left me looking forward to his future works.
If you’re looking for a quick and detailed read for yourself or the perfect gift for anyone who is struggling with his or her life direction, I highly recommend purchasing Advice For My Younger Self. It is full of the kind of actionable advice on living a successful life that we all wish we had learned in high school and college.
You can learn more about Mike Leonard by visiting his site, SuperMillennial. Don’t forget to grab your copy of Advice For My Younger Self on Amazon in paperback or Kindle.
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I think this is a really great message. Habits will make you or break you. For example, in my last semester of college I didn’t have my first class until the late afternoon. Most college students would have slept in, but I used the time to do an internship, clean, etc. I wanted to establish the habit of waking up early so it wouldn’t be a hard transition to work after college.