Life guide to youngsters

Life is about balance. Without balance, things quicky start to go wrong. And balance is about priorities. This is however easier said than done, especially if you do not have a solid framework to work from. According to me, the following framework can be used as a good starting point to develop your own one, since each person is different and God has a different purpose for each person. If you start with the following, it might not be perfect for you yet, but it is better than having no anchor at all:
Priorites for life in order of importance:
1. God
2. Family
3. Health
4. Work

Measure eaverything you do or plan to do against these anchors. If you have a decision to make, first ask yourself if it helps or violates your priorities:
1. Does it help me to love and serve God with all your heart, soul and might (Deut 6:5)? Is it within His will?
2. Does it help me to love and serve my family? Will it bring us closer together? Is it good for our family?
3. Is it good for my health? Will it help me living a better, healthier life?
4. Will it help me in my work? Will it help me to earn more?

These four priorites can be supllimented by your own personal goals, such as earning a university degree, being debt-free at a specific age, earning a specific amount by a specific date etc. etc. etc.

Speaking of earnings - here is another good financial principle to follow from a very early age:
Whenever you earn money (pocket money, payment for work done, profit from selling goods etc.), the following rule applies:
1. Pay yourself first (10% to spend on yourself on something you want (spoiling yourself))
2. 10% goes to God as recognition that what we have comes from Him - I sometimes split this as 3.3% to my church, 3.3% to a specific charity(s), 3.3% to people in need (e.g. poor women and children on street)
3. Invest 10% - this becomes capital - e.g. money you never use to pay for expenses - only to invest in assets (something that earns you money over time).
4. 70% towards daily expenses (food, clothes, etc. etc. etc....)

If this practice is started from a young age, where 30% of R10 for a week's allowance is only R3 - R1 for yourself (sweets), R1 for church, R1 in the piggy-bank - it becomes a lot easier when the principle is suddenly applied to a salary of R100 000 per month which sees R10 000 going to church, R10 000 in investments and R10 000 to spoil yourself with.

Please feel free to comment on the above if it will help our youth to get a better anchor in life.