Book Review - 8 Things to do when you turn 20 by Debotosh Chatterjee

8 Things to do when you turn 20 by Debotosh Chatterjee

This book was very touching right from the moment it opened with the quote that said

“This book is dedicated to people who like to make it happen.”

They are not born with god-gifted talents or family heritage, but are nevertheless on the quest to ‘get something done.’

This book is the appetizer for students in college and young professionals who are seeking to create a career for themselves or anyone ready to dream big and put in the effort. 

The book correctly points out the teenage and early twenties financial dependence on parents. In western countries, teenagers and youth in their 20s are comparatively independent. How to get such financial and thought independence mentality is explained here in a step-by-step manner.

There are 8 valuable lessons with actionable plans and a series of exercises to find yourself better and bring you one step closer to financial independence in your 20s. 

Following are the essential life lessons from the book:

‘Earn’ a living. Be ‘Atma Nirbhar’

Due to the availability of the internet and social media, there are multiple ways in which youth can earn money. 

“Time” is more valuable than everything else.

Get paid for your time, not your degree or resume. 

Acquaintances Vs Friends - know the difference between real friends and choose the right friends with the correct mentality.

Stay Out of the Herd Mentality

People might laugh at you when you think of doing something different. It is part and parcel of growing up and taking charge. 

Capitalism is good. Realize and Augment your value.

Skills and efforts matter in capitalism and it is a good thing because skills and efforts get rewarded proportionately. 

Get remunerated for the right skills at the right time. That is how society grows. 

Learn to be a lifelong learner

A positive attitude towards learning new skills is extremely important because of the fast-paced environment 

There is really good actionable advice given in the book for each chapter and a series of exercises that will help you figure out how to become financially independent.

The thing they don’t teach us- Financial Intelligence

Wealth without planning can be an unmitigated disaster.

Less Talk, more action. 

Be solution oriented

Start taking hard decisions whenever required.

This book is for teenage students and youth as well as parents who would like their kids to acquire financial knowledge and start their independent journey towards a bright future.