
A year ago on my birthday I wrote a post called: 32 Years, 32 Lessons. Now almost a year has passed and I thought it was time for another reflective post. This time I’m going bigger in numbers but shorter in description. This list – and the 32:32 post – might be combined and broken down deeper in an upcoming book. I as thinking of writing it in the spirit of Rework but call it Relive or Relife.
But that’s another story.
Before we get into it, know that I wrestled with this title forever because this list is a combination of lessons, tips and truths about life, business and travel learned through research, listening, or the hard way. So you see, no one title really fits it neatly so I went with what I went with to keep it short and sweet.
Without further ado, here’s my list of 99 Lessons For Living A Life You Won’t Regret.
- No adult ever mentally feels grown up
- You will always doubt yourself, get used to it
- Permission has already been granted to you. You just have to take it
- The timing will never be as perfect as you want it to be
- You won’t know what you’re doing when you start doing what you think you want to do
- So choose to make every decision the right decision, even if something doesn’t go your way
- Because success is a mindset
- But success is also dangerous. The more you have, the less support people think you need
- There’s no such thing as making it, only making it further than where you were yesterday
- Starting a business means you’ll have less free time, not more. A lot less.
- If you can’t figure out how to market yourself in this world, you’ll always be paddling upstream
- Everything is selling. But now we’re selling ideas and opinions not only gadgets
- Older does not equal smarter
- Not everyone has experience, but everyone can have initiative
- The best skill to have is one that is rare and useful
- If you knew how much work it would take to get your dream job, most of you would run for the hills
- And anyway, it’s only a “dream” job until you get it. Then it’s reality. And reality has its ups and downs
- You choose what kind of mood you want to be in when you wake up
- Don’t hang up the phone angry with your mother
- Foster the relationship with your siblings. You’ll live with them a lot longer than any other family member
- A strong handshake and solid eye contact will change your life for the better
- Image is everything, at first. Don’t pretend that it’s not. Being well-dressed and decently-groomed is a form of politeness
- There are no re-deals in life. The faster you accept that, the sooner you can excel at playing whatever hand you have
- So often what we say inspires us also makes us feel inferior and paralyzed. The trick is to find the inspiration that stirs action. Otherwise it’s not inspiration, it’s comparison
- Aspirations are wants based heavily on outside factors. Goals are wants based solely on your efforts
- For all those instances you think you just can’t do it, maybe you just should do it
- You live up to your own expectations
- Ignorance is bliss but it’s not allowed to vote. If you don’t want to be informed, don’t complain
- Speaking of complaining, it’s easier than succeeding. Be careful what you whine about
- Owning memories beats owning “things” every time
- Except maybe if that thing reminds you of that memory every time you look at it
- Don’t be afraid to be broke. Be afraid to stay broke
- Helping others is noble, but be sure to take care of yourself too. It’s not selfish if it’s growth
- Embrace the suck. Your story is in the grit beneath your fingernails
- Because in the end, it’ll be the stories you tell and the people you tell them to
- Great days = (luck) x (a bunch of average days). Let the great days take care of themselves
- Stress = reality not matching your expectations. It’s harder to change reality than your expectations
- Fear is a choice, not a mathematical constant
- We often don’t want to accomplish our goals, we just want to be liked by our friends
- Independence isn’t free. The more you have of it, the more you’re paralyzed by it
- We do care what people think
- Don’t change the world, change the moment
- Don’t strive to be the best. Strive to be your best. “The best” is insanity
- Death by research is no way to die. Start already
- In 5 years you’ll be wrong. Start already
- Successful people finish shit. Finish already
- Don’t go the extra mile until you go the last mile. Finish already
- If you can put yourself in the shoes of an outsider, you win
- Passions are your selfish desires. Purpose creates value for other people. Do something for other people and figure out how to tie your passions into it
- Because how you treat people is more important than what you do
- In fact, don’t treat others how you want to be treated, treat others how THEY want to be treated
- While you’re at it, you’ll need to figure out how to pay your vulnerability tax
- Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’ll always be that dumb
- Exercise. No seriously, get off your ass
- But if you’re only going to the gym because your friend is going, it’s not going to work for you
- You are not right just because you speak. Give people a choice and a chance
- Follow up or die
- Know when to let go
- Keep your digital self fed, but don’t let him/her rule the show
- Create more
- Tweet less
- Craft first, community second
- It’s not who you know. It’s who you know once you know what you need to know
- Emotions are contagious. You are in control of what you are spreading and what you are susceptible to
- Stop apologizing for not knowing. Everyone was a rookie once
- All that evil needs to flourish is for good people to see nothing—and get paid for it
- What makes people happier is: other people
- Have longer dinners with friends
- Happiness isn’t reached, it’s tended to
- Take that trip you’ve been thinking about. (See #4 above)
- If you only have a backpack, board the plane last. No sense in standing in line or sitting on a cramped plane for longer than you have to
- Perspective is one simple thing that can make you more likable
- If tuk tuk drivers speak English too well, don’t trust them
- Partying is worth it while you’re in it, tragic when you miss it, regrettable the morning after, epic the day after that
- Party your ass off every now and then, but wake up sober on Saturday more often than not
- There is no such thing as “the one.” You don’t have time to meet all the candidates
- Marriage and commitment is not about riding off into the sunset together, it’s about jumping in a foxhole together
- Ladies, you hold all the cards. Own that
- Guys, less gawking at ladies, more hellos
- No one is thinking of creative ways to give you money
- A service business is convincing someone you know more than them about something they value and getting them to pay you for that knowledge
- Know the answer to “What are you working on and how can I help?”
- When it comes to a potential new customer, nothing is nothing until it’s something
- No one’s going to steal your idea
- You’re not stuck in traffic. You ARE traffic
- When you give someone change, don’t put the coins on top of the bills. This drives people crazy.
- You have to enjoy the process somehow
- Sadly, we spend most of our time worrying about what the people who don’t ever think about us, think about us
- Do something you hate. It’ll make you appreciate the things you love more
- Build something you can point at
- Efficiency runs businesses; inefficiency starts them
- You don’t make money from a blog, you make money from a business
- Piss someone off. You can’t market to everyone
- You can’t outmuscle being tired. Go to sleep
- You can’t outlogic your goals. You have to understand emotion
- Having no social awareness will be catastrophic for your career
- Rinse the sponge out after you use it. People don’t like smelling mold on their hands
- Have a hobby that entails you actually learning something new
- The world owes you nothing. It gave you life. Let’s consider that “paid in full”
What would you add to the list?