7 Things I've Done To Live Life To The Fullest

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I hope this finds you well.

Welcome to another edition of The Matt Viera Newsletter.

The newsletter with the goal to inspire you to invest in life experiences.

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I spend some time in the personal finance space on social media.

One piece of advice that pops up on my radar from time to time goes something like this:

"Work hard in your 20s and 30s so you can live an easier life when you're older" or "...so you can live life to the fullest when you're older.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with anyone who says to work hard through your 20s and 30s so you can live life to the fullest when you're older.

You can live life to the fullest (while earning a living) at any age, including your 20s.

You just need to do what most people don't:

Step out of your comfort zone.

For those who are looking to live life to the fullest no matter how old you are, here are 7 things I’ve done to live life to the fullest (from my 20s through today):

I’ve jumped out of airplanes

At night, multiple times per day, in different countries.

And that was my first job.

The pay wasn't much.

But it was some of the best money I had ever earned.

And it was a heck of a lot of fun.

I’ve lived on four continents

• Asia

• Africa

• Europe

And, of course, North America.

All before I turned 30.

All I can say is that the world is a beautiful place worth exploring.

I’ve lived in some of the most beautiful cities in the world

• Miami

• New York City

• Harare (Zimbabwe)

• Seoul (South Korea)

• Wiesbaden (Germany)

• Nuremberg (Germany)

And, Gonaives (Haiti) - well, not exactly a city, but beautiful all the same.

I prioritized education

Not only did I put myself through college (and grad school) to earn 4 degrees.

But, the government paid for (almost all) of my education.

Education is one of the best investments you can make.

An education gives you options.

Don't let anyone ever tell you any different.

I've worked several different careers

• Teacher

• Attorney

• Network Engineer

• Soldier (Paratrooper)

• Bouncer on South Beach

Refuse to settle until you find that career that works for you and your life goals and doesn't require you to give up most of your life.

I pursued a career with a healthy work-life balance

Most people job-hop for more money.

I job-hopped for more paid time off (PTO).

I leveraged my knowledge, skills, and experience for a career with:

• Job security (tenure)

• Regular salary increases

• A ridiculous amount of PTO

Find a career with a healthy work-life balance that pays the bills, allows you to build wealth, and enables you to live life to the fullest.

I invest in life experiences

Sure, I work a 9-5 career.

But I don't let my career get in the way of living life to the fullest today.

Investing in life experiences is a non-negotiable for me:

• Cross-country road trips

• Off-grid getaways

• Mini-retirements

Remember: the future (heck, tomorrow) is not guaranteed.

With respect to life experiences, I've:

Experienced 4 (month-long+) international mini-retirements.

Taken multiple cross-country road trips across:

• Spain

• France

• The US

• Scotland

• Germany

And I get off-grid as often as I can.

You don't have to jump out of planes to live life to the fullest (although it is a lot of fun).

But, you should definitely consider:

• Pursuing education

• Investing in life experiences

• Traveling/living internationally

• Prioritizing a healthy work-life balance

• Exploring different career options for one that works best for you

Let me be clear:

I’m no stranger to hard work.

I've worked the 60+ hour work weeks.

And I once worked 6 months without a day off.

What's most important to me (and should be to you) is:

Living life to the fullest.

I recently read a quote that resonated with me:

"Most [people] die at 25, we just bury them at 75." —Benjamin Franklin.

Don't live that kind of life.

Remember…

No one on their deathbed ever said:

"I wish I spent more time in the office."

And…

"Everything you ever wanted is sitting on the other side of fear." —George Addair

You can find the collection of financial tools & resources that helped me grow from a 6-figure debt to a 6-figure net worth by clicking here.

Thanks for reading!

Please feel free to reply to this email with suggestions, questions, or comments.

I read every email.

If you have a question about personal finance, travel, or mini-retirements, email me and ask and I’ll discuss the answer in a future article.

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