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Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I turned 32 last week.
And since I always loved reading about people’s life lessons, I tried it myself in this post last year.
Readers seemed to like it, and it was great fun, so I decided to do it again this year.
The result is this list with 40 lessons I picked up before turning 32.
I divided them into three categories:
(2) Work & Career
I hope some will strike a cord!
1. If you’re unhappy now, think about everything you achieved that you wanted 1-2 years ago. It’s difficult to be grateful and unhappy at the same time.
2. Happiness = meeting expectations. You can try to achieve more or lower your expectations by making them intentions, not goals. Try a reverse bucket list.
3. The problem is never the problem. It’s the thoughts and emotions it triggers (often about your self-worth).
4. When you’re not saying NO to others, you’re probably saying NO to yourself.
5. Give without expectation.
6. Use money to take pains/annoyances away; it is one of the best things you can do for your happiness.
7. Frustration starts when you feel a lack of control. Realize you can always have some sense of control.
8. In hard times, ask yourself: “Could it be that life is trying to teach me a lesson, and I’m simply not listening?” You’re probably wasting an opportunity to get rid of patterns holding you back because it makes you uncomfortable and it’s easier to be a victim.
9. Slow down, and you’ll find the answers. Silence and nature are all you need.
10. You can find out who your real friends are by asking: “Why are we friends?” If there is no particular reason other than “I like spending time with this person,” you know it’s a true friend.
11. Every choice you make is the right one. But you need to choose.
12. There are different levels of happiness: (i) no appreciation, (ii) grateful for what you have, (iii) grateful for what is yet to come, (iv) also appreciating the bad, (v) realizing there is no such thing as “bad.” I got this from the Mind Your Business Podcast.
13. Too much effort is just as bad as too little – Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
14. Changing your environment is always easier than changing yourself.
15. Whether you feel angry or upset, it’s always you.
16. Ask yourself whether you’re drinking caffeine/alcohol because you like it or because you’re trying to run away from unpleasant feelings and thoughts.
17. We’re often not stressed because of how much we have to do but because of how much we have to remember. Write it down! – From Building a Second Brain
18. If you send a lot of emails, you’ll receive a lot of emails in return. Choose wisely.
19. You have the opportunity to influence situations. If you come in with the right energy and conviction, you may be the one who gets what they want because others don’t care enough or don’t know.
20. If you don’t have a product that makes money, you don’t have a business.
21. Where do you find your inspiration? Find out and adjust your way of working to it.
22. Defining your niche is simply saying: “I help X with Y so they can Z.” From Business by Design.
23. Don’t say it’s hard when it’s complex. Simply break it down into smaller pieces.
24. There are two ways to have more money: earn more or spend less. The latter leads to a scarcity mindset and won’t lead to significant financial success. Instead, focus on earning more: the entrepreneurial route. I got this from Nat Eliason.
25. Always remember that there are many good other opportunities out there, even if you’re not seeing them now.
26. Your role as a manager is to ensure your team does a great job, not to do the work yourself, even if you think you have the best skills.
27. Many managers make you feel like they’re the most important person in the room. Great managers, however, make you feel like you’re the most important person in the room.
28. Get legal expenses insurance. You might need it someday.
29. Efficiency is highly overrated; Goofing off is highly underrated. From Kevin Kelly’s Excellent Advice for Living.
30. For a business, focus on what your constraints are.
31. Your growth as a conscious being is measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations you are willing to have.
32. When you struggle, you’re learning. Don’t make struggle and frustration something negative.
33. Being more successful won’t solve your problems; it gives you bigger problems. I got this from James Wedmore.
34. If you struggle writing, maybe it’s just a bad idea. Instead, only write the articles that keep you from sleeping if you don’t publish them. The rest doesn’t have to be written.
35. If you’re suddenly inspired to take on a new project, leave it for a few days. If you’re inspired to work on an existing project, do it NOW.
36. Learn from other people’s lessons unless it prevents you from taking action.
37. Nothing is black and white.
38. Pay attention to incentives. You don’t ask a barber if you need a haircut.
39. It’s just as easy (if not easier) to do something big as it is to do something small. Stephen Schwarzman (Blackstone) and Sam Altman (ChatGPT) both said this.
40. We’re bad at predicting the future because we focus on what changes instead of what stays the same.
What did you learn last year?
I would love to hear your most important learning and where you picked it up.
Please share it in the comments!
