38 trips around the sun. Time does move quickly in the day to day. In some respects it seems just like yesterday I was celebrating 37. Yet so much was also accomplished in 12 months. Lots of great memories made and experiences had.
Lessons learnt. Insights obtained.
So here’s a list of 38 lessons that I can think of:
- Family is key. Build these relationships
- One of the most important decisions you’ll make is who you marry (luckily for me I crushed it)
- A coffee in the morning is a great way to start your day
- Drink your coffee slow and enjoy. Slow down and enjoy. Sometimes even have a piece of chocolate with it
- Search for a philosophy of life you want to live. It’s about the alignment of your actions
- Follow your interests, even if they aren’t popular – watch and draw anime, be into pro-wrestling
- Start investing early. Continue to invest and save. Compound interest needs years to come into it’s own
- Try different things. You’ll like some, not others. That’s okay. Stop what you don’t enjoy
- Always focus on your health and fitness. Stay healthy. It’s hard to build muscle. Keep going
- Travel. Learn. Explore
- Build healthy habits
- Question the habits you are building – build the good ones, drop the bad ones
- Make sure you regularly reflect on your actions and where you are going – is it aligned with the person you want to be and where you want to go?
- Write. Get your thoughts down. Add your own perspective and stories to things
- Build a business. Learn if it fails. Build a new one
- Friendships are important
- Being a dad is one of the greatest things I can imagine
- Be curious about the world
- Read often and widely. When you find your interests, read about that. Enjoy sci-fi and fantasy. Read philosophy. Enjoy non-fiction
- Have creatine daily. It’s an effective way to help with your muscle gains
- Walk as often as you can. Take the stairs. Walk and talk. It clears your mind and is a great way to keep active
- Slow down and enjoy the moment you are in. Don’t rush
- Star Wars
- Whiskey is a nice drink to have occasionally. It has a good taste. Have one and enjoy it. No more
- You can return to previous interests. Many of the things that excite me these days where things that I was stoked on as a kid – anime, writing, hiking, gym
- Other people think about you way less than you think, if at all. Don’t worry if a comment sounded silly, or you thought you looked awkward
- Make the bed
- There is a difference between training for 1) strength, 2) size, 3) both strength and size
- Things come and go. People will come and go
- Don’t discount ancient or old wisdom. Take the time to think for yourself
- Remember what is up to you and not up to you
- Be part of and contribute to a community
- There are so many awesome things that we can do. It’s too much for us. Instead, fulfilment is in narrowing down this list and focusing on less. Do what matters to you – even if that means a career break or career change
- This is our one life. So live it, rather than shying away
- Active listening is one of the greatest things you can do, and one of the best things another person can experience
- Don’t play the victim
- You need to work hard to figure out how to work smart
- University may not be the answer. You learn a lot (if not most) of what you need to on the job of through external training courses
What are some of your own lessons? Let me know.