See that fella over there? He’s 20 years old. In 10 years, he’s got a chance to be a star. Now that fella over there, he’s 20 years old too, in 10 years he’s got a chance to be 30 – Cesey Stengel

Where do you see yourself ten years from now? Are you living in your own place, have any property to your name and are financially secured? Or will you still be struggling in a job that you hate, living in a rented apartment and surviving pay cheque to pay cheque?

As I have previously stated here, your twenties is the foundation to your financial future. How you establish yourself in your twenties determines how you will spend the rest of your life.

Here’s the story of a 49 year old man who to-date sits down in regret, reminiscing on how he should have spent his 20’s. We’ll name him Eric.

Eric schooled at Kenya Polytechnic, landed himself a job with the then Kenya Postal and Telecommunication Corporation immediately after college and took a mortgage at the age of 20 to buy a house. All seemed well for Eric, he had achieved what most long for at an early age. By 23 he was married, everything seemed to be going well for him. So, how did this otherwise successful man end up in ruins by the age of 32?

No one quite understands what happened to him. Others say he got overconfident with life and took his job for granted. He became an alcoholic and rarely went to work thus got suspended from work on several occasions. Unable to adequately support his expensive lifestyle and service his mortgage, the bank repossessed his house and his family was thrown to the streets. His frustrated wife filed for a divorce and Eric found himself all alone.

His work ethics and productivity were below average and he opted to take a golden handshake at the age of 27. Instead of putting this money to good use, Eric decided to buy a car and live a lavish lifestyle. Like many Kenyans who took the golden handshake during Moi’s regime, Eric never made any investments. Jobless and with golden handshake money fast draining, Eric found himself unable to maintain his car. Unfortunately for him, a tree fell on his car before he was able to sell it. By the age of 30, Eric found himself moving back into his parents’ home, a depressed divorcee.

He is to date unemployed, living in the village, tilling his late father’s farm and depending on his aging mother. A life that once started out with a bright future ended up a pathetic one.

Like Eric, your twenties will probably land you a career, some debts, some savings or maybe a spouse. 10 years later, will you be that guy who became a star at 30 or the one who simply turned 30?