I'm in my 30s. Advice I wish I had in my 20s.
Beyond exercising and investing early:
1. Stop assuming you still have time; years will pass by, and nothing will get done.
Disappear somewhere far away, where nobody knows you.
Here’s what happens:
1. Living abroad won’t get rid of your problems. But it will give you the ingredients to start solving them.
People will assume you are cheerful and positive because you had a comfortable past.
Quite the opposite.
You had to deal with a ton of crap, and figured out a wiser way to deal with the difficulties of life.
2. At least once, you need to disappear, be alone, and brutally question each of your beliefs independently. The words "be true to yourself" will start making sense.
When you meet someone new, introduce yourself as a nobody, watch how they treat you, you’ll get an idea of their true character, you’ll understand how they treat people who aren't useful to them.
The truth is, most people don’t genuinely get started until they get rejected by life so hard, so brutally, it forces them to question who they are.
The battle scars and the thicker skin is the foundations of achieving big things.
4. Your mom, like many moms, is the best mom in the world. Speak with her every day.
5. The people you aspire to be like are usually making big sacrifices. Figure out what those sacrifices are, and then decide if they're worth it for you.
10. Don't take criticism from someone you wouldn't take advice from.
11. You'll come across a handful of inspiring people who will want to help you. They are mentors, and they are rare in life. Treat them as special humans.
3. Keep your word. People will trust you and then invest time in you. You will trust you, and your confidence will grow. That is how you will achieve big things.
14. Life doesn't reward you because you suffered. It rewards you when you make the right sacrifices. Sacrifice should be a daily habit. It will feel less like sacrifice each day.
15. Don't stay up late for something you wouldn't wake up early for.
Your boundaries gain you respect.
To strengthen your boundaries, identifying your limits and communicate them clearly.
I don’t go there… I don’t do that… That’s not my thing.
8. Your boundaries will gain you respect. Identify your limits and communicate them clearly. "I don't go there... I don't do that... That's not my thing."
Sometimes, you need to disappear, be alone, and brutally question all your beliefs independently.
Then the words “be true to yourself” will start making sense.
7. As each decade passes, don't assume you will look at life the same way. Your journey has distinct phases. You'll value things very differently. Consider lifelong decisions carefully. Do your research.
The truth is, a lot of people have a toxic relationship with Money.
12 traps I've learnt to avoid:
1. Credit cards are a tool, not an extension of your income. Use them wisely, or they'll use you.
If you look closely enough, you will notice that people who spend their time judging others, are usually struggling to improve their life.
They aren’t happy with the direction they are going in, and feel helpless. Their escape is to focus their negativity on others.
If they are rude to you, maybe it’s because they aren’t happy or content with their life.
If they smile at you, maybe it’s because they are in a happy and content place in their life.
Most things aren’t about you.
As you get older, you understand that lifelong friends, people you can feel truly connected with, people who you can continually grow with, are rarer than you thought.
It doesn’t matter how many books you read. What matters is reading slowly, pausing and reflecting on the authors perspective, tying it in with your own unique experiences.
Friendship is the best ship in the world.
It’s a connection without ties of blood or romance. You can be your unapologetically self without obligations or demands.
Smarter decision making (your future self will appreciate):
1. Throughout life, your goal isn’t to make lots of smart decisions. It’s to make fewer dumb decisions.
You lack self-confidence when you always wait for someone to tell you what to do.
Take the initiative and start proudly accumulating your list of mistakes. Confidence will find you.
A happy person is simply someone who is able to zoom out. When you zoom out you gain perspective and an understanding of just how lucky you are to simply be alive.
Most people don’t actually want the best version of you, they want the version of you that best serves them.
Their comfort is less important than your authenticity.
Everyone who's got what they wanted from life; health, wealth, love, went through long periods of time alone. They reflected on what parts of themself they needed to destroy and rebuild.
You think you miss the person, the place or the event. But what you really miss, is who you were at that point in time.
The memory continues, but your innocence to the experience cannot be repeated.
Knowing this lets you smile, and pushes you to explore the unknown.
Most people don’t actually want the best version of you, they want the version of you that best serves them.
Your authenticity matters more than their comfort.
No one is that busy, it’s a choice. They decided their time is not worth giving up for you.
Understand this harsh truth so you can confidently take control of where you put your energy.
Nothing dictates the trajectory of your life, as much as your allocation of time and energy.
Children will ask obvious questions because they prefer to know more, rather than appear like they are in the know.
Most adults speak to display their knowledge, not expand it.
Often, the smartest person in the room is the one asking questions.
The truth is, some people are simply selfish and self-centred. And you are not going to change that.
Respect yourself enough to choose better people to be around. There are are plenty of honest, positive, well rounded people.
You just need to make space for them.
16. Dedicate yourself to something you love. But see yourself as a generalist. Study life and humans. You'll attract the most wonderful conversations.
17. Learn to cook. Properly. It's rare, and it's sexy.
Sometimes you just need to burn the bridge.
I never used to believe in this, but if the road doesn’t go anywhere, burn it. Peace of mind is the reward.
Emotions are supposed to give you information, but if you don’t control them, they will give you orders.
Take those orders too often and, well, you are a prisoner who seems to walk around freely.
You don’t need motivation. Discipline is helpful, but what you really need is gratitude.
Once you really understand how much you receive from the world, you naturally want to give back.
20. When you travel, you might learn to work as hard as the Americans (while you're young), be as polite as the English, as precise as the Germans, love with the warmth of the Hispanics, and welcome guests like the Middle Easterners.
As you get older, days start to blur and time starts speeding up. Not because time accelerates, but because routines and repetitiveness make each day look similar. (short thread 🧵)
Ask yourself, what risks have I taken this year to progress in life.
You can’t expect to suddenly succeed one day if you aren’t taking calculated risks, often.
This isn’t a fairytale, nothing worthwhile is going to just land on your lap.
People who genuinely think and care about you are very rare.
Most people’s thoughts about you are usually only in connection with their own life.
Those concerned with your struggles and your desires are your inner circle. Be very precious with your inner circle.
Detachment doesn’t mean you don’t care, it means you can assess situations more clearly, more objectively. You’re not pulled by your emotions or bias.
Big decisions need at least a few moments of detachment to fully assess the situation.
It’s a skill worth sharpening.
The gap between who you are right now, and who you secretly want to be, is probably your biggest challenge in life.
As long as you’re bridging that gap regularly, you will be at peace.
Living on autopilot.. A chance conversation with a wise 60-year-old about the journey of aging (heavy but golden):
1. At some point, there will be a switch. You start spending less time dreaming about the future and more time reminiscing about the past. It happens around 50.
Next time you receive criticism you didn't ask for, remember: no one has time to criticise you if they are creating a meaningful life. Just smile back.