28 Tiny Lessons I Learned From 28 Years of Prioritizing Myself
#25 Everyone is smarter than you — let that sink in
It’s hard to admit, but I’ve struggled with my age.
I’m flirting with my 30's. It hurts to write without blue-light glasses. I take probiotic supplements, so my stomach doesn’t wrap itself in knots.
Instead of seeing my age as a curse, I’ve rewired my brain to look at my years as rock-solid lessons. Lessons to:
Make more money
Take advantage of my time
Live on my terms
If you read even a few of the following transformative experiences, I’m sure you’ll find a tool you can use to shape your life’s direction.
1. Proactivity > Reactivity
I heard about this concept in a work meeting.
Usually, I roll my eyes at these sorts of work, rah rah metaphors, but this one transcends work. It applies to all aspects of life.
A proactive mindset beats a reactive one every time because proactivity allows for better preparation, provides more control over a task, and improves outcomes.
Ask yourself, “What can I do to start on the right foot tomorrow?”
2. Time is the true cost of poverty
Please try out this thought experiment.
Which would you choose?
Pay $5 to wash your car yourself in one hour.
Or, pay $30 for others to wash your car in 20 minutes.
I’d pick the more expensive option because I know what my time is worth. By paying for the expensive car wash, I can use the extra time to write an article that will pay the difference.
If your time is more valuable than a few bucks, outsource.
3. Weightlifting is cheap therapy
Exercise is not a replacement for therapy. Let’s make that clear.
But you’re doing your body and mind a disservice by neglecting daily movement.
Lifting weights so heavy you don’t know if you’ll survive does the following:
Improves sleep
Reduces stress and anxiety
Improves cognitive functions
Increases self-confidence and motivation
Protects against age-related cognitive decline
Science won’t tell you movement (of any kind) declutters the mess in your mind so you can write better and be present for your loved ones.
More on that later. But note where one of the best online writers in the game places movement throughout his day:
4. You don’t need an opinion on things you don’t understand
Save time aches by saying, “I don’t know.”
I used to feel like I had to answer all my boss's questions. It turns out it’s better to be honest than pretend you know what you’re talking about.
Bosses don’t care what you don’t know as long as you’re willing to learn. That’s the magic of it.
Live an intellectual life, and you’ll go places.
5. If it makes you happy, do it
I still play video games with my friends.
It’s a cheap way to unwind, and I look forward to it.
Lounging activities like video games, watching TV, or scrolling TikTok get a bad rap. But what’s the difference between sitting down and reading a book?
Fill your brain during the day, and empty it at night.
6. Sacrifice today, thrive tomorrow
I felt guilty in my early 20s for not taking college seriously.
So I committed to finding a good job that would sustain me.
It took me four years working multiple jobs and freelancing to build a strong enough portfolio to land my current role.
It was grueling, but it was worth it.
7. Read content — > Create content
Dan Koe's self-mastery system is solid. I shared one of his tweets above.
His ideal day routine looks like this:
In the morning: Fill your brain with books, YouTube videos, and Twitter threads.
In the afternoon: Empty your brain with a long walk, workout, or meditation.
In the evening: Use your brain to write content.
I’ve recently committed to this routine. I’ve noticed small changes, and I know if I repeat the process daily, my life will change radically.
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8. Everything happens for a reason
Rejection was the best thing to ever happen to me.
In my sophomore year of college, my dream school denied my transfer request. I knew I had more potential elsewhere or room to grow at my current university.
I had room to grow, and grow, I did. The university I graduated from helped me build the foundation for my life now.
9. You have time
Gary Vee would kiss me on the cheek for this.
If you think time is working against you, you’re wrong.
I was scared of my late 20’s. I’ve flipped my mindset. I’m 28 and have two long years to reach my goals before I hit 30. It’s not the other way around.
The clock is ticking, but you still have time to make something of yourself.
10. Write ideas somewhere
Use anything:
Notes app
Notion
Notebooks
Reifrigeretor whiteboards
Always keep your idea net open.
11. Take advantage of your single years
I was single for five years, and I’m a better person for it.
I used that time to:
Invest in myself
Get in the best shape of my life
Make more money to move out of my parents.’
Most importantly, I built unbreakable habits I’ll never change for anyone, not even a significant other. I knew when I met a girl who understood my drive to be the best version of myself, she’d be the one.
12. Invest. Invest. Invest.
I’m not a financial adviser — I just do marketing in the finance industry.
These are my tips for anyone in their 20–30s:
Invest $500 a month minimum
Don’t chase stocks based on hype
Open a ROTH IRA
And these are the well-known ways to invest. Most people forget there’s a higher ROI on investing in themselves.
13. There’s more to life than constantly optimizing your schedule
When I was single, I had nothing but time.
I wasted much of it.
Now plan every hour because my time isn’t 100% my own.
And that’s okay, but as a reminder, you’ll make mistakes, and things will come up that you can’t avoid.
You’re imperfect, so suck it up and enjoy time with others. If you constantly try to optimize your time, you’ll miss out on the essential things in life.
14. The grass isn’t greener
Social media poisoned my mind.
I saw cool people doing cool sh!t.
I thought, “well, their life must be better than mine.”
That is not true — I’m healthy, love my life, and constantly seek improvement.
You never know what’s going on on the other side of the screen.
15. Time > Money
I’ll take financial freedom over fancy job titles any day.
If one comes your way, congrats — you’ve just gained leverage to find another, higher-paying job. But that’s all it is.
Real success isn’t kissing the boots of your corporate overlords.
It comes from having the time to work for yourself on something you love.
16. Prioritize a 9–5
But, you’ll make money faster with a job.
Startups take time. They aren’t sexy.
Work isn’t sexy either, but you know what is?
Having your sh!t together when you meet somebody else who shares your dreams.
17. Less is more
Study essentialism.
You can try to do everything, but you won’t get far.
Focus on one thing — you’ll progress much further.
18. Always plan for the worst-case scenario
Don’t doom and gloom, your friends.
If you’re planning a road trip, it’s silly to assume you’ll make it to your destination when Apple Maps says you will.
Plan for:
Flat tires
Bad traffic
Impromptu Starbucks runs
19. Schedule writing sessions around your life
I started writing three years ago and didn’t have a sound system until 2023.
Systems are good, but a system custom-tailored to your lifestyle is better.
I’ve tried writing in the morning; I’ve tried writing before bed.
Writing right after my workout is the best option for me
And if I could start all over, this is how I’d learn to write today.
20. Environments don’t optimize overnight
I lived with my parents for four years after college.
It was good for my wallet but bad for my writing schedule.
It was like living with four roommates (feisty chihuahua included) who expected me to clean their messes and eat dinner with them every night.
Now I can appreciate my time with them, but back then, my frustration bubbled to the surface because I wanted my own space.
It took four years to work enough hours and connect with the right people before I could move out and have a quiet space to myself.
Give yourself time. If you want to turn your life around now — read this.
21. You’re allowed to compare yourself
I used to look at other dudes in the gym and drool over their muscles.
Now I look at Instagram stories and get jealous of people traveling.
The thing is, I can’t help my FOMO, and neither should you. The people you see get to where they are because they put in the work. Nothing good happens overnight.
22. Better decisions start with better perspective
We make 2,000–3,000 decisions per hour.
That’s a metric sh!t ton of choices.
The only way to ensure a fraction of them are good is to activate mindfulness and make decisions based on your ideal future.
23. Mastering flow is life-changing
As a kid, I was a natural writer who never liked writing.
I always got distracted and spent more time on essays than I should’ve.
The secret to my writing success is mastery of the flow state.
With headphones, binaural beats, and a writing session built into your day, your brain has no choice but to work for you.
24. Plan tomorrow, today
Light your daily planner on fire and toss it in the garbage.
It’s worthless unless you use it correctly.
Time-blocking my day the night before is a game changer
I wake up unbothered for work because I know exactly what I have to do.
25. Everyone is smarter than you
At my first startup, I thought I was hot stuff. I co-founded a business; I was better than everyone — or so I thought.
Fortunately, I landed on my face and was allowed to start over.
Now when I’m in a room with new people, I open my ears.
You never know what you might learn. Through osmosis, you can collect data you can use later to get a higher-paying job or learn about industry-changing software.
Even if they’re not more intelligent than you, show compassion.
We’re all humans, and none of us actually know what we’re doing.
26. Nobody cares if you fail
Failure is one of your greatest assets.
Learn from it, or let it rule your mind.
27. Start now or regret it later
I’d have zero subscribers if I didn’t start writing three years ago.
It’s not about the number; it’s about swinging the bat and not regretting if you miss.
28. You are the person you once wanted to be
If you’re in a dark place, I’ve been there too.
One way I’ve coped is by writing down all the positive things that have happened in my life over the past 365 days.
It helped me step back and see a perspective I hadn’t considered: how much I’d grown over the past year.
Look at the big picture of your life.
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