29 lessons in 29 years. Below is an older article I wrote and started when I was 25. Trying to keep up with it and act as a yearly reflection, I added my 29th lesson. Hope you enjoy it!
The other week I got a random charge on my credit card labeled “Yearly Renewal Fee”. That doesn’t seem too out of the ordinary considering, well, you are on my website reading this.
BUT...It was for a different website. One I haven’t used since 2016 ish…One that I started right as I got in the field as a blog site only to make a better, clearer website. The only problem is that I forgot to cancel my old one! So apparently, I have been getting charged a small yearly fee, (which I thought was for this site) to keep up a site I haven’t been using in quite some time. Annoyed? Yes. Fortunate? Absolutely.
Because of this mistake, I was able to track down my old site and look back at some old articles. One stuck out in particular, titled, “25 Lessons In 25 Years”, which was written on my 25th birthday. The rest you can imagine. It was funny to look back at what I wrote three years ago and still believe and try to apply these lessons. I don’t want to come off as a smart aleck or know it all, but these are just some beliefs I have that have helped me in what I do. I figured I would share the old article and add on. I guess as I start to get more into my profession, the lessons are not so much “life lessons” but the biggest takeaways I learned that year. I did not need to go into crazy depth as they kind of explain themselves.
Here are 29 Things I've learned In My 29th Year:
(and not in any particular)
1. Family and friends is all that really matters.
2. When your alarm goes off you either wake up & win the day or snooze & lose the day. 1st min sets the tone of your day.
3. You can't take care of others if you don't take care of yourself 1st.
4. Get outside more. Spend more time barefoot. (Your back will thank you)
5. Nutrition, sleep, therapy, yoga, working out must be a part of anyone's life.
6. Don't get connections; build relationships.
7. Find strength in humility.
8. Read more. Aim for 10 pages a day. (That’s 12, 300 page books a year!)
9. Use audiobooks while driving. *Edit--I now prefer podcasts or just music. I can’t do books in the car anymore*
10. Complaining with no solution is just Bitchin.
11. Wake up to live, don't wake up to work. (Thanks Marco Sanchez)
12. Cliche but you're going to be like the 3-5 ppl you spend the most time with.
13. You need hobbies outside your work even if you love your work.
14. Change is 100% necessary to grow.
15. Fail Forward.
16. Goals should scare you.
17. Find and pay for a mentor/guide.
18. Know when to say no so you have time to focus on yourself when it's needed most.
19. Writing is very helpful. I'm not the greatest but aim to improve. Even if you don't post it, journal or reflection is important.
20. Work smarter. There are a ton of tools to increase efficiency. Delegate or eliminate what is not necessary.
21. Less is more. Keep it simple.
22. No one cares about how much you know until they know how much you care.
23. Never stop learning inside and outside of your direct field.
24. Learn to keep a financial budget. Live within your means. Don’t spend more than you make. Pay yourself first (save).
25. Find what smart/successful people do & steal what they do. Yes, Steal and copy. Eventually add your own twist to it.
26. Lastly...someone is always watching & counting on you for something. Be the best you can be!
27. In the field of S&C/fitness, results matter. You can’t just be that fun/cool coach people want to be around. Intangibles are important, but you have to continue to deliver results.
28. Have multiple revenue streams.
29. Make work fun. You’re going to be doing it most of your life. There will be some sucky parts but you need to figure out a way to make what you do fun and something you look forward to going to.