Today I turned forty.
I don’t feel all that different, but I know that who I am now is the sum of all the years I’v spent on this planet. That sum isn’t made up of the moments on their own, but in a large part how I spent those moments. I’ve taken some time to reflect on my forty years, and I’d like to share with you a list of the life lessons I’ve learned along the way.
And who knows? Perhaps by sharing these maybe I’ll have helped expedite your own lesson-learning.
- If you’re going to buy something, spend a little more to get a better quality of that something. Whether it’s beer, technology, coffee or a hotel, it’s always worth the expense…and the time to save for the expense.
- We all have the same amount of time in a day, but we don’t all have the same amount of time on this planet. How we spend that time each day will impact how much you enjoy what time you do have on this planet.
- “Cutting the cable” is one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. I don’t miss any of the shows I used to watch.
- The first sign of wisdom is finding out the sex of your second child so that you know whether or not to get rid of all of the first child’s stuff.
- Social media is a means to an end. If you don’t have an “end,” then why bother announcing it?
- Take lots of photos. Be mindful about them, but still take them.
- Take time to be nostalgic. It’s one of the most human things you can do.
- The day is better when you listen to your body clock.
- It’s okay to have idiosyncrasies. In fact, it’s more than okay – it’s ideal.
- If your significant other has a pet cat and it knows you’re not fond of it, the cat will stick around until it’s had enough of you. Just ask my wife.
- “Doing” productive ultimately gets you nowhere. “Being” productive is where it’s at…and will be. Make sure the productivity system works for you — not the other way around.
- Stand your ground if you believe you’re right, but don’t condemn those who you believe are not.
- Standing desks lend themselves to inspiring more productivity.
- There’s no better place to be than outside.
- While it is hard to quiet the mind, it’s essential to do so that you can mind the quiet.
- A house is a constant work in progress. So is a home, but the monetary cost is lower and the reward is much higher.
- Make room on your walls for things that will lift your spirits. You’ll look at those walls often, so make sure they have as much meaning as possible.
- Feed your mind and body with quality stuff. Organic material is always best in both realms.
- Hug often. Very few feelings in the world trump that of getting a hug.
- Pause more often than you think you should. It’ll make your life last longer.
- Teach your kids how to read an analog clock. And paper books. Don’t lose sight of these things.
- A ringing phone does not have to be answered.
- Just because you’re louder doesn’t mean you’re automatically right. It’s often the opposite.
- If you look at anything with an unfettered mind, a positive outlook has a better chance of emerging.
- If you hate lifting weights, try running. If you hate running, try lifting weights. Either way, do one or both of them regularly.
- Wait until you’re at least 30 to have kids. You won’t be “as” ready until then.
- Do what you love — it’s never too late to do so. You owe it to yourself to do so.
- One the first words we ever learn is the most important one we have in our arsenal. That word is “no.”
- Pets are great, but they are a real proving ground for responsibility. Remember that.
- One of life’s simplest pleasures is swinging on a swing set.
- Use the tools to do the job that make the job more pleasurable for you.
- Don’t make wholesale changes. You’ll give up long before the changes are implemented.
- Spend some time watching documentaries. They teach and inform you in a way that really sticks.
- Make sure to take some “me” time every week, even if it’s just a few hours scattered throughout. Without time for yourself, you’ll be less useful to others.
- When you take the time to capture all of your thoughts now, you won’t lose track of them and have regret later.
- You’ll feel much better if you drink the recommended intake of water every day. You’ll feel even better if you exceed that number.
- Do what you can to make sure the important stuff that you need to foster doesn’t become urgent as well. That’s when the quality of your work can suffer.
- Uncertainty is the enemy of flow. If you don’t know when the kid is going to wake up from the nap, don’t do creative work. Do the stuff that you can walk away from at any given moment.
- Journaling at the end of every day can positively shape your future days more than you think.
- I’ve still got a lot of life left to live…and a lot of life lessons left to learn.
