Today marks my 48th birthday, and this morning I took some time to reflect on the journey so far. As I looked back, I decided to jot down a few life lessons I’ve learned along the way. Here’s 48 in no particular order:
- 🍀 Luck, chance, fate or whatever you want to call it plays a bigger role in your situation than we give it credit for. But this can be influenced by your actions. Be grateful for what you have.
- 🎯 Always understand the why. It drives your direction and motivation.
- 🧘♂️ Learning to remain calm is a superpower.
- 😴 Sleep is super important, never sacrifice it.
- 👶 Be patient with your kids, it’s easy to lose your temper. They are only “little” kids for a short time. Enjoy it.
- 😄 Lighten up, and learn to laugh at yourself. You don’t have to take everything so seriously.
- 🤝 Your relationships with others are one of the most important things in life. Nurture them.
- 📈 Compounding is a powerful concept, this is something I wished I learned when I was younger.
- 📚 Knowledge is not a power, it is potential power.
- 🧠 Envy, anger, and jealousy are cancers of the mind. Gone unchecked, they can lead to a downward spiral. Be mindful of negative emotions, and while it is natural to sometimes go there, just don’t stay there too long.
- ⚖️ The control test is powerful for not worrying about things. Ask yourself, can I control this? If not, let it flow by and focus on things you can control. The only thing certain is uncertainty. Focus on what you can control and accept the rest.
- 📢 Learn to market.
- 💡 Some lessons can only be learned through living them. “Success in life is the result of good judgment. Good judgment is usually the result of experience. Experience is usually the result of bad judgment.”
- 📝 Keep a journal, a life worth living is one worth recording. For me, journaling is more than recording the events of the day. It is to record how I feel and reflect on why I feel that way. Most of all, for clarity on a path forward.
- 🎭 Politicians are really good at blaming others for your problems. Blaming others and having a victim mindset does not empower you.
- 🤔 Reflect often, learning from your mistakes and successes.
- 🙏 Don’t be an asshole, kindness is a superpower.
- 🏋️♂️ Exercise is a must; breaking a sweat every day will make you feel alive. Health should be your #1 priority above all else.
- 🚀 Learning to take action is one of the most important skills.
- 🧠 Working hard and showing up every day alone does not lead to success, it’s understanding what to work on and working smart that leads to success.
- 🔍 Being honest with yourself is just as important as being honest with others.
- 📰 Don’t overconsume news. It’s like taking a poison pill.
- 🎉 The older you get, the less you care about what other people think of you. Just start doing the things that make you happy.
- 🛑 Stop complaining.
- 👪 Spend quality time with your friends, your kids, your parents.
- 💪 If something is not working in your life, it’s up to you to change it. No one is going to do the hard work for you.
- ❌ Stop multitasking.
- 🔌 Unplug at least one day of the week.
- 🌈 Life is not all rainbows and unicorns. Bad things will and do happen. How you deal with adversity is what determines your character.
- 💸 Do not attach your definition of success to a dollar amount, you will never be fulfilled. I know this from experience.
- 🎯 Your beliefs determine your direction. Change your beliefs, change your direction.
- ⚖️ If you are putting work before your health you are not winning. I admit I’ve been guilty of this (many times). The key is once you become aware, course correct.
- 🌳 Try to get outside for at least an hour per day. Nature is just good for the soul.
- 🧹 Strive for simplicity in every part of your life. Keep things as simple as possible.
- ⚖️ Advice is not binary. You are reading this advice right now. It may not work for you. These are just my life learnings.
- 📖 Reading is awesome, most people don’t know you can get free books from https://libbyapp.com.
- ⏳ 30 days is how long it takes to form a habit.
- 🎨 Create more, consume less.
- ✈️ Experiences > material possessions.
- 🤐 Shut up and learn to listen.
- 🐕 Dogs are awesome, but having a puppy is like having a baby.
- ☀️ Surround yourself with positivity every day.
- 💪 Enjoy your youth.
- 💑 Have date nights with your wife.
- 🎁 Learn to give back.
- 🏃 Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do.
- 🤷♂️ Everyone is winging it, no one has it all figured out.
- 🙏 There is a God and I’m not him. Always be humble.