The 30 Most Impactful Lessons I’ve Learned in 30 Years
Focus on systems, not goals. String together related habits into a routine like a morning routine of working out + journaling+ meditation + getting in a walk. Not to say goals are useless, but achieving them is usually only temporary. In order to improve at a base level, you need to adjust the systems to reach your goals. Learning this lesson from James Clear was one of the biggest mindset shifts I had this year.
Do important work early. Attack the dawn, eat the frog, whatever you want to call it. The momentum gained from doing your most difficult task first is so underestimated while promoting a deep work habit.
Invest in your network. Spend time with people smarter, fitter, wealthier, etc. than you. High value people challenge you to keep growing. You may have heard this before, but you are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with.
Design your environment to hack your habits; shape your environment to reduce friction.
Treat life like a series of experiments. Ideate on new ideas, rapidly build prototypes, constantly test if they work and iterate and what works. Stop what doesn’t.
Lower timelines to increase urgency. Urgency turns dreams into goals backed by systems. Another way of looking at this is through Parkinson’s Law, which states that work expands to fill the time available to complete it. Gave yourself 8 hours for a project? You’ll probably find unproductive ways to fill it. Think like a lion instead- sprint, rest, repeat.
Success is a lagging indicator.
Learning how to express what you want pays off in dividends.
Emotion follows motion; you’ll feel better after starting. Need to feel inspired? Do something inspiring. Energized? Do a short, high interval burst of exercise.
You’re either getting worse or getting better. There is no such thing as staying the same. What direction are you moving?
Stop asking for permission.
Do a Sunday night review. Track your wins for the week, what didn’t work, what DID work, and goals for the coming week.
Identify what your high leverage activities are. Which ones give you the most bang for your buck and move the needle forward the most?
Identify what is urgent vs. what is important.
Love your own company. This has been a hard one to accept and sometimes even harder to put into practice. However through lonely experiences such as traveling Europe solo at 22 years old, missing flights, getting lost in the train system in the south of France and working as a wilderness therapist in remote utah-I now CRAVE time to recharge alone and know that I grow the most when I feel like i’m really going through the wringer.
Notice where you spend time vs. invest time. Everyone has the same 168 hours in a week. Besides sleeping, working and eating, how are you using yours? Are you using your time to do things that will generate a delayed reward? Or filling your time with instant satisfaction activities like mindlessly scrolling. Those lost 20 minutes a day add up.
No career is perfect-therefore you have to choose what kind of shit sandwich you want to eat. I first heard this not exactly eloquent concept in a Mark Manson article. It’s so simple, yet clarifying. Nothing is great all the time, but we all have situations we are willing to put up with more than others. Are you willing to get up at 5am for that workout or to start working on your side hustle? What less than ideal experiences are you willing to handle?
You do not need to work at every establishment you simply enjoy being in-this ruins the novelty of the place. This lesson applies in my case, mostly to cafes and gyms (and seems like it would align with my passion for fitness + coffee) but none of these experiences have ended super well-because I forget about the shit sandwich I mentioned earlier. Figure out what you enjoy doing in the day to day tasks.
For the love of god, find out if you need prior authorization before visiting the doctor! Also, dental and eyes are separate health insurance! Expensive! life! lessons!!
People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. There is no right or wrong.
Utilize Progressive Overload with strength training. Finally sticking to a program yielded me more results in 2 months than in two years of simply exercising a lot, but not tracking progress. If you want real results, track everything-and progressively challenge yourself with reps, weight and tempo.
Focusing on protein + vegetables every meal is invaluable for feeling satiated and developing sustainable eating habits.
That being said, EAT THE BAKED GOODS. You can enjoy them in a way that is designed to compliment your lifestyle and goals. Craving a scone? Great. Eat half of it before an endurance workout and half after. If i’m going on a long backconutry ski tour, I’ll nibble on a delicious, homemade cookies instead of gut bomby cliff bars.
Use the 20/20/20 rule when working at a computer to give your eyes a break- every 20 minutes look at something about 20 ft. away for 20 seconds. And remember to blink.
Earbuds/headphones/etc are one of the best investments in productivity you can make. I use mine every single morning to stay consistent with my workout app, where a personal trainer literally coaches me through the workout in my ear. Listening to podcasts on self-development, career, ux design, marketing and health = one of my favorite ways to start the day on a productive, informative note.
That being said, walking is the cheapest, most accessible form of movement for health and longevity. I’ve yet to meet someone whose gotten shredded simply walking 12–15,000 steps a day-but it’s a great way to stack activities such as getting sunlight in your eyes, walking the dog, listening to a podcast and just breathing fresh air for about an hour.
I don’t feel guilty about spending $4–6 on a coffee every day anymore. I’ve accepted this is part of my morning ritual that gets me in the headspace to work and focus…completely worth it to get 2 hours of deep work done at a cafe.
Use the 3 month rule to learn anything effectively: 1 month for deep learning, 2 months to practice with personal projects, and then take that momentum to start looking for professional knowledge if you’ve found it’s a topic you’re truly interested in.
You can literally reprogram your mind with something called the Reticular Activation System. Essentially, The Law of Attraction might not be so “woo” after all. The RAS is a bundle of nerves at our brainstem that filters out unnecessary info, so the important stuff can through. Have you ever thought about buying a certain car, and then started seeing it everywhere? Or hear your name in a crowd? There’s a reason for this. Your brain is attuned to the things that matter to you. Use this to your advantage-if you’re trying to develop a gratitude practice, you’ll start noticing moments throughout the day youre grateful for.
Keep in mind these 3 guidelines for monetizing a hobby as a profitable side hustle: 1) You enjoy pursuing it everyday 2) It provides value to other people 3) It must work consistently and long term.
Two More Bonus Lessons…
31. Take on less and accomplish more. Success isn’t a result of taking on every single opportunity. It comes from spending strategic energy on the opportunities that matter.
32. Don’t take advice from someone whose life you wouldn’t want to live. So maybe take these 30-(ish) lessons with a grain of salt, or take them to heart.