The Internet seems to be packed with plenty of advice on how to invest your hard-earned money, so you can make your life easier. But what about investing in you? Isn’t that a more direct way to make your life better?
The whole idea behind Third Millennium Man is to help you find ways in which you can make that happen, as well as looking after your money (and everything else). It’s our intention to bring you the stuff right away that might take you years to figure out on your own (if you figure it out at all). So that, in a nutshell, is what this article is about.
Here are twenty-four pieces of advice that can instantly make your life better, from your friends at Third Millennium Man.
1. Don’t smoke. If you do smoke, stop immediately.
Gone are the days when smoking made you look cool. Think about how you feel about guys who smoke pipes. How nerdy and goofy do they look? Well that’s how you look, smoking a cigarette.
Much as we like the idea / image of smoking a Cohiba Behike cigar in celebration of something or other, that’s over £500 a pop we could always find another use for. One cigar, or a luxury weekend break for two? Tough call.
Smoking is expensive. It stinks, and makes your clothes, hair, car, and house stink. It turns your fingers and your teeth yellow. Worst of all, smoking is 100% guaranteed to cause health problems.
Don’t look upon it as “giving up”. Those words have negative connotations. Do something a bit more positive, and STOP.
2. Always wear a moisturiser; preferably one with a SPF15 sunscreen.
Do you want wrinkles? What about paper-thin skin from sun damage, or bruises from just lightly brushing against furniture? Think your skin just peeling away is a good look? Carry on without a sunscreen then.
Your skin is the biggest single organ your body has. Skin cancer isn’t just a matter of cutting out the nasty pieces, it’s a potentially fatal condition that can lead to other cancers.
We all know those handsome celebrity-types that seem to have been around forever, yet seem to be aging well, hanging onto their looks? They use a moisturiser. It’s a first step towards keeping your great-looking skin great-looking for years to come.
New to skin care? Swallow your pride, dress up really nice and visit a High Street Chemist (there are some gorgeous women who work there!) and ask their advice. These ladies are trained to help you ferret out the right product for your skin type. Make sure your everyday moisturiser contains SPF15; various brands might also contain a coloured tint, pentapeptides, witch hazel, or might be oil-free.
Look after your skin; we’ll be looking at a skin care regime for men in a lot more detail, another time.
3. Start saving money regularly (even if it’s just a tiny bit).
Yeah, I know. Boring, right? Life’s too short, party hard, YOLO, and all those other ‘live-for-the-moment’ slogans. Spend it while you’ve got it.
The trouble is, life often has a way of messing that one up for you. You end up still living with Mum & Dad in your 30’s. Your circle of close drinking buddies grows ever smaller as they gradually pair off and grow families, until there’s only you left. What have you got to show for it?
The thing is, until the wife / family / mortgage comes along, you are very unlikely to ever have this much money to yourself ever again. That money – your disposable income – isn’t just for drinking and having a good time. There’s nothing wrong with that, but that isn’t all that your money’s for.
That said, there’s no need to live like a Monk. Life goes on. You are allowed out now and again. Just start a regular savings habit, with an amount you can easily afford (though the more the better), and set the ball rolling. Arrange for it to automatically leave of your bank by direct debit on the day you get paid, and you won’t even notice it’s gone.
One day further down life’s rich road, you might be glad of it. Make sure you shop around for good deals first – Money Saving Expert is a good place to get unbiased advice. Be sure to check out Friendly Society policies, ISAs, Trusts; and always factor tax payable, plus any fees, into your calculations so you know what return you can realistically expect.
4. Maintain (or repair) relationships with your close family.
By which, we mean Mum, Dad, brothers and sisters. Even if you’ve had very complicated relationships with them in the past, you still need to get on with them – for your sake, their sake, and your children’s sake.
It goes way beyond knowing there’s a spare kidney out there with your name on it. Family ties are extremely important. Soon or later as you become a Third Millennium Man, the revelation that your family is the most valuable thing you’ll ever have, will dawn on you. Those are some wonderful people out there – in fact, why not text or call them today…..
5. Take up a sport.
Get into an active lifestyle right now, and you’ll be a lot healthier by the time you’re 50. Don’t just “join a gym” – gyms are boring places. Gyms work best, in our experience, as a means to an end. Find a sport, and use the gym (if you have to) in order to get fit for that sport.
Think about what would be fun to do, and then discover it. Ever tried skiing? Marathon running? Bike racing? (hint: criteriums are the biggest adrenaline rush it’s socially acceptable to have while dressed in Lycra….) Climbing? Hiking? Salsa-dancing?
Discover a new hobby – competitive sport. Don’t put on weight, get regular exercise, get plenty of fresh air, and have some fun!
6. Collect memories rather than things.
There used to be a mobile phone Ad with the hook “You are every one-to-one you’ve ever had” (or something like that). You are the sum of your experiences.
Don’t wake up one day, sixty years old, in the realisation that you’ve wasted life gathering possessions. Yes things are nice, but they aren’t everything. Some of the most enjoyable things in life cannot be held in your hand.
Memories take up zero space. They don’t gather dust, don’t depreciate in value, and won’t ever get destroyed by a house fire.
7. Give something back.
Giving beats receiving. So give to others, with a happy heart, so you feel the goodness that service brings.
A Third Millennium Man will be known for his generosity. He’s certainly not an easy touch for wise-guys and rip-off artists, but he’ll be the first to sponsor schoolkids, to give to charity, or to donate to causes generously.
Always carry pound coins in your pocket, and never be afraid to cheerfully give one to each homeless guy you see sleeping in a doorway. It’s not enough to buy drugs or booze, but it will pay for something warm in his stomach (yes, you can argue that they “should go out and get jobs” – but first, he’s got to survive tonight. That’s where you come in). The point is that you are in a position to help. Life has given you so much (the means to read this, for example). Put something back. Whether you believe in karma or not.
Why not give that most precious commodity in life – your time? Some of my happiest memories are when I helped out at a Homeless Shelter (the stories those guys can tell…..and the filthy jokes!), serving Christmas dinner (soup & rolls) to a grateful crowd. I gave up my all-night volunteer work with the homeless when I got married and became a father; nowadays I’m a volunteer at my kid’s school instead.
8. Learn to be content with what you have.
Stop surfing the Internet, drooling over expensive consumer goods that are beyond your grasp for one minute. You won’t die if you don’t have the latest, massive TV or the newest console. You can manage without that mansion or that yacht. Do you know how much it costs to maintain a mansion anyway? Trust me, you’re better off avoiding them (and hiring your yacht instead…)
Being happy and content is what matters in life. Far more than the goods you own. Far more than worldly success.
If you are content with what you’ve got, then yes, you may be a bit less likely to end up a millionaire. You won’t have that hunger or ambition; but you won’t have that ulcer or stress-related early death either. Instead, you’ll have a happier life. And if you do become a wealthy person (it might happen) you’ll be a more happy, fulfilled and productive wealthy person. A Third Millennium Man indeed.
That does not mean to say you shouldn’t ever aim for anything in life. In fact…
9. Don’t delay pursuing your ambitions.
Want to buy your first property? Raise a family? Sail a yacht? Emigrate? Write your first book? Go back into education and get a degree? Change careers? Perform some stand-up comedy? Learn to play the piano? Learn to cook a great steak? Learn to dance properly? Run for election?
Then start today. Stop dreaming, start driving. Welcome to Third Millennium Man territory.
It’s the easiest thing in the world to put things off. “I’ll get around to it eventually.” But with every passing year, your ambitions get slightly farther out of reach. Time starts to accelerate, and keeps accelerating, and suddenly the chance to live your dreams will have gone. The time that you’ll get around to those dreams should be NOW.
You are writing your own life story. Here’s your chance to add a little action and excitement to the plot!
10. Start a business.
True enough, we’ve all heard the success stories of people who have started successful businesses later in life. But why leave it until then?
NOW is the time to put wheels in motion. Do it while you can give it your full attention. Do it before your new wife appears in your life story and suddenly you have kids to think about. Right now you can be selfish. You can give your business you all.
Don’t put this one off! That dream lifestyle can be yours, if you put some serious effort in now. In fact, your smashing friends at Third Millennium Man have even simplified the initial process for you, so you can create and test your next million-pound business idea in one single afternoon. We’ve even got details on how you – yes, you – can invent, create and sell a digital product of your own and earn around twelve million quid a year from it. Aww, you’re welcome…
Do the legwork now, while you’re still young (remember, you’re younger now than you will ever be at any time in the future) and you have the enthusiasm and the energy. You have the rest of your life to enjoy the spoils!
11. Get some sleep.
Stop burning the candle at both ends. Stop staying up half the night. You are not nocturnal, you are just in bad habits. Grow up a bit, and get into the habit of establishing a proper bedtime. To help you to do just that, I have a suggestion.
Sleep deprivation leads to some horrible symptoms, that you won’t even notice even though they will eat away at you. You have no energy. Your thinking is blurred. You feel, and look, terrible. Everything is too much effort. And you’re so irritable! Oh yes you are….
Sometimes we have every intention of going to bed at a proper time; “but I’ll just do this first.” Suddenly, you’re looking at yet another late night. How do you break the cycle?
First, decide what time you want to wake up. Yes, most folks set an alarm to wake themselves up – but from now on set your alarm for bedtime, plus one hour. Start by setting an alarm for nine hours before you want to wake up. When the alarm goes off, it’s your cue to get everything (all my “I’ll just do this” jobs) done and out of the way. One hour later, you’re in bed. Awaken refreshed, around the same time each morning, after eight good hours of sleep.
Invest in the best bed linen you can. Look for 100% cotton, with as high a thread count as you can find. Buy more than one set, so you can keep them laundered and fresh. If your quilt & pillows are over two years old, treat yourself to some lovely new ones (look for hypoallergenic, machine-washable ones, to keep ’em nicer for longer). And while we’re on the subject, how old is your mattress? Think of what you’d find in a luxury hotel, and aim for that standard. We spend (apparently) one-third of our lives in bed, so don’t skimp. Make it a quality experience, and you’ll find you just can’t wait to go to bed!
Invest in some proper blackout blinds for those nights where it doesn’t get fully dark until 11pm and the sun starts to rise around three. They’re handy for blocking out streetlamps too.
Keep away from bright screens immediately before sleep (try reading instead). And make this into a habit; give your body a chance to get used to proper sleep cycles. You’ll soon start to feel tired at bedtime, and wake up naturally before your alarm goes off. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it – it’s a heck of a way to start the day!
12. Take care of your teeth.
Oh, I know. Your teeth feel fine, don’t they. So there’s no need to visit a dentist. Dentists make up half the problems anyway – if he says you need a filling, you just let him do it (without question or getting a second opinion) and pay the bill. And you never see a skint Dentist.
That is crazy talk. Teeth don’t heal up the way that other body parts do, and your Dentist is limited in what he can do once the problems arise. Dentists are not magicians, but they can do a lot to head off problems if they catch them in the early stages.
Go and get registered with a proper Dentist. Go visit once every six months. Dental problems just get worse, and crowns, bridges, implants and so on are expensive, bothersome and uncomfortable. You’ll also look terrible; those new clothes and haircut won’t do anything to make up for that hideous ‘vandalised graveyard’ look every time you smile.
I hate going to the Dentist. It’s inconvenient. And all he does is poke them a bit, tell me they’re fine but to brush them a bit better, and give me a bill. So what do I do to justify the inconvenience? I book a double appointment, and go see the Dental Hygienist immediately afterwards for a beautiful clean & polish that I can actually feel with my tongue. That, my friends, is well worth the money.
And if you fancy it, ask your Dentist about teeth whitening. You’d be amazed at how inexpensive yet effective it can be, done properly by a qualified and trained Dentist. It’ll do more for your appearance than anything else. That new suit or leather jacket (for about the same price) can wait.