Hello Steem-ians,
As promised, here are the 20 things i have learnt over the course of my career over the last twenty years.
1: Be comfortable living in uncertainty.
We will never know what will happen to us next. Many people will try to control the uncontrollable by looking for security and predictability, always hoping to be comfortable and safe- but to be honest, you will never be able to avoid uncertainty in this life. The only thing this is certain is change, learn to embrace it and you will enjoy the ride.
Now, I love change, and fear stagnation.
2: Love what you do.
A cliché I know, but it became a cliché due to its importance. Don’t every stop learning, growing, doing, loving & living. Find your own personal niche, find our what fuels/ drive you. Do not stop until you find it, because spending time doing things you do not love is unsustainable and a waste of time.
3: Surround yourself with people who are smarter.
In sports, the only way to grow is to play against stronger competition. In business, hang out with smarter people. It can be intimidating, but always try to be the dumbest person in the room. You will reap the benefit in the long term.
4: Happiness is not merely on objective or goal. It is a lifestyle.
Surround yourself with positive likeminded people, as the people closest to you have a huge influence on your personal happiness. Try getting rid of as much negativity as possible.
5: The only cure for boredom: curiosity
I believe that curiosity is very much a hallmark of many successful people. This is because they constantly question, and push the boundaries of innovation. Be curious about the world around you, and you will see ways to improve/ innovate that you didn’t see before.
Side note: There are many industries that are doing things inefficiently without innovation, as many people usually aim to follow the trend/ do things the conventional way to avoid point number #1 uncertainty.
6: Care & Love.
People won’t care about how much we know, till they know how much we care.
7: Don’t let past failure dictate your future.
Micheal Jordon famously attributed his success to failing over and over again- till he succeeded.
8: Be humble.
Learn to have a humble & teachable spirit. `Getting corrected or rebuked is never a good feeling, but it is necessary for growth. No fire was ever created without friction. Arrogance makes one power hungry- humility makes you a truly better leader/manager.
9: Learn to reflect.
A habit I have been trying to cultivate is too reflect on my past day every night before I sleep. Reflect on how you’ve spent your time in the past day, and learn from the mistakes. You will be surprised at how many things you could have done better during the day. Learn from them, rinse and repeat.
10: Invest in the greatest asset: Yourself
(Haha, I bet many of you were thinking: Bitcoin!)
The best investment you can ever make is in yourself. Read a book, learn a new skill, start a good habit. However small or insignificant it is, start investing in yourself today. You will thank yourself ten years down the road.
11: Creativity isn’t IMPOSSIBLE.
I usually struggle with being creative, as I don’t think I am very creative. I realized that being creative isn’t as impossible as I once thought, usually more creative people had more experiences or have thought/ pondered on about their experiences more than others.
12: Stay hungry
As I reflect, I realize one big advantage my younger self had over me was that I was hungrier. Don’t ever lose your hunger/drive to succeed.
13: Be a genius/polymath.
A talent hits targets everyone can see, a genius hits targets that no one sees.
14: Don’t be complacent.
I have always believed that complacency, or a prolonged feeling of achievement will hinder you from improving and striving to be better.
15: Success is achieved when you strive for perfection, happiness is gotten when you embrace the imperfections.
16: Don’t let others dictate your life.
Many a time, it is individuals who contribute very little to your daily life, that dictate your emotions.
17: Ask the right questions.
This is a by-product of number #5
Asking the right questions can ignite innovation, solve problems, create powerful partnerships and help us live a better life.
18: Choose Outcome over Ego every time.
WHAT is right is always more important than WHO is right.
19: Not everyone is going to like you, and that is OKAY.
As humans, we all have an inherent need to be loved. That is okay. But we have to realize sometimes, there will be haters along the way. Take them in stride and don’t let them bring you down.
20: Don't ever let anybody tell you...you can't do something. Not even me.
You want something?-Go and get it. Period.
Hope some of the life/career lessons I learnt along the way will help you in your journey to achieving your dreams. It might be tough, difficult and at times, downright discouraging, but what I can assure you, is that it will be worth it at the end of it all.
Take care guys and God bless.
Lots of love,
Cryptochindian