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[00:03] Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of IHeartRadio. Good morning, this is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's tip is that your life starts now. Don't wait until some future time to pursue what you want. Get moving toward your goals today. Today's tip comes from my recent interview with personal finance expert Farnoosh Torabi. Farnoosh hosts the podcast, So Money, and is the author of the book, A Healthy State of Panic. Follow your fears to build wealth, crush your career, and win at life. Farnoosh noticed that so many people, and perhaps especially women, tend to delay working toward their financial goals until some point in the future, like when they think they'll be partnered or married, perhaps because they assume their partner will earn more. But Farnoosh urges people to get started on their goals right away. Your life starts now, she says. You're in charge. You are driving the ship. I think this is great advice. Maybe at some point in the future, you will have more money, when you're married, when you land the promotion, after an inheritance from an elderly relative, as soon as you finish paying off your student loans. But even if that does happen, don't delay pursuing your financial goals until then. You can get going now. Money tends to grow over time, so the same amount of money saved or invested today is better than the amount saved or invested in five years. And of course, it is not either now or later. It is better to save or invest that amount now and in a consistent way in the future. If you start working toward your financial goals now, by the time whatever windfall you envision for your future comes along, you'll already have a lot of momentum. And if you fall in love with a wonderful person who doesn't make much money, or if the promotion never materializes, well, you are on your way toward your financial goals anyway. The advice that your life starts now is relevant in other contexts, too. If you want something to happen in your life in general, you're wise to start taking steps toward it, even small steps, now. For instance, if you want to get healthy, don't wait until you finish law school to start. Instead, get specific on what get healthy means for you, and figure out ways you can engage in health-promoting behaviors now. You'll make some progress, and the habits you establish will give you momentum from when your schedule frees up, and you can amplify your efforts. And if you discover that being a first-year associate is even more intense than being a law student, well, it's a good thing you didn't wait until your schedule eased up to start getting healthy. If you want to improve how you look, but you also want to lose a few pounds, why consign yourself to feeling frumpy until then? You can get professional advice from a stylist on how to dress the body you have now. You can wear those clothes until you lose weight and then revamp your wardrobe again. But even if you don't lose weight, you'll still look amazing, because that is absolutely possible at any size. Your life starts now. If you want to advance in your career, you don't have to wait until your youngest is in school to think about what that will look like for you. Instead, get clear on your career goals and identify things you can do now to work toward those goals, even if you anticipate doing more to ramp up in the future. If you want to entertain more, don't wait until you have the big house, or you've mastered the art of French cooking, or you've bought the perfect table linens. Have friends over this weekend. In any aspect of life, you can pursue your goals now. Don't wait for something to happen in the future. Start building the life you want today. Are there goals you'd like to start pursuing? I'd love to hear about it. You can reach me at lauravanderkam.com. And for more insights from Farnoosh Torabi, check out my Before Breakfast interview with her. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening. And here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at lauravanderkam.com. Before Breakfast is a production of IHeartMedia. For more podcasts from IHeartMedia, please visit the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.