Free Resource
2026 Checklist for a Great Start to Your Career & a Great Life in Your 20s
- 1
Watch this video on planning your years. This will ensure you get the most out of life. Do it for the remainder of this year, then at Christmas do it again (every year).
- 2
Read this.
- 3
Ask your parents who their most successful friend(s) are and organise a coffee with that person to learn about their careers. Ask them "what would you do if you were me, starting your career now, looking to optimise for {whatever you want to optimise for — money, adventure, travel, security etc}"
- 4
Do a time audit. Write down where your time goes in an average week. E.g. if you watch 2hrs of TV/day, that's 700hrs/year. If you're awake for 16 hours/day, that's 43 Saturdays you've just spent on TV.
- 5
Do a friend audit. Write down the 10 people you spend the most time with (or do it by friend groups). Give each person/group a −1, 0 or +1 according to how you feel when you have just hung out with them. Inspired, happier, connected, or just passive and like you could have done more with your time? Respond accordingly!
- 6
Read this, regardless of your relationship status. It has helped everyone I have recommended it to and it will help you too!
- 7
If you're considering a Level 7 degree or a masters, really think about it. The return on investment on these things has plummeted with AI. Generally, you are MUCH better off diving into the real world — get a paid or unpaid internship and get yourself started than waiting another year or three and being no more useful to an employer than you are now.
- 8
If you say you want good pay but don't want to work at a desk, AI might be your friend here, as it is killing desk jobs. Traditionally, desk work = information work = higher education required = higher pay. Now, with AI, information = AI (basically free) = jobs gone. The scarcity of manual work and the inability for AI to do it mean these trades will pay very well over the next decade and maybe beyond. Plumber, builder etc would be a good lucrative path to go down.
- 9
Read this (it's admittedly my own book, written for people in their 20s).