What I’d Tell My Younger Self About Money, Time, and Peace

If I could sit across from my younger self right now, I wouldn’t give her a to-do list or a five-year plan.

(Picture caption: Me at 15, a prefect at Knox College (High School), Jamaica)

I’d tell her this:

You’re going to spend a lot of time chasing “security” through achievement. That’s not wrong — but it’s incomplete.

Money matters. It creates options. It buys time. It reduces stress. But money alone won’t give you peace if your life is overfilled and under-supported. Peace comes from alignment — between what you’re building and the life you actually want to live.

I’d tell her to pay attention to how tired she feels when things are supposedly going well. That fatigue is information. Not failure. Not weakness. Information.

I’d also tell her that time is the only resource that never replenishes — and the mistake isn’t spending it, it’s spending it on things other people could do just as well (or better). Delegation isn’t indulgent. It’s respect for your future self.

And finally, I’d tell her this: You don’t need to optimize every season of your life.

Some seasons are for growth. Some are for maintenance. Some are for rest. And some are for choosing calm over chaos — even when the spreadsheet says you could push harder.

The real win isn’t doing everything (by yourself). It’s building a life where the important things don’t constantly compete with each other.

If you’re in a season where you’re rethinking how much is enough — you’re not behind. You’re getting wiser. What would you tell your younger self right now?