Saying “Me First” is not selfishness, it’s keeping the physical battery and mental power working to its full potential. But keeping our energy up depends on every person and our capacity to do it. One may choose to simply buy some donut and coffee from a convenience store, sit on a park, or other may travel around the world. Whatever we do, the point is to do something that makes us happy. But don’t get me wrong, there’s a huge difference between capable and pretending.
My way of keeping myself energized is by travelling and investing. I may not be capable enough, but I found a way to compensate that. I got this idea of “Me First” after reading financial and personal development books over the past 5 years. I learned to pay myself first after reading the book “The Richest Man in Babylon” and the popularized concept of financial rule by Robert Kiyosaki (I highly recommend his book, Rich Dad Poor Dad). The act of giving myself a portion of my income serves as the gasoline to my 30-days long ride, month by month.
You can always personalize how you divide your monthly income. And after trying multiple principles and failed, I’m lucky to came across a financial advisor who has the advocacy to truly help and educate young professionals to manage their finances well. He taught me of the principle that he’s been following which I found very helpful until today. The 50-20-20-10 principle where you divide your monthly income into:
50% - Fixed Expenses (bills, rent, food, family)
20% - Savings, Investments, and Insurance
20% - Personal Leisure, Travel or Self-treat
10% - Charity
In this principle, paying yourself first happens when you allocate your fund for the two 20%. But make sure to do it right after receiving your monthly salary or income before buying something or paying your debts or else you are paying yourself LAST already.
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