29 Learnings at 29 years

Birthdays tend to make you want to reflect on the previous year as well as the upcoming one. I've always wanted to track a list of life lessons that I could reference back to and share with loved ones.

So for my birthday this year, that's exactly what I did!

Here are 29 learnings and life lessons that have shaped what I believe and guide how I live.

1. You don't have to finish every book you start - It's okay not to finish a book. In fact, build a stack of books you didn't finish. Your goal is to get to the books in the world that will resonate with you, inspire you, and impact you.
2. Look for 2nd Hand First - Brand new is overrated. There's a thrill in finding the same item at a fraction of the cost. Use FaceBook Market (no tax), Mercari, eBay, Consignment stores, and other reseller stores. One side effect is that it's environmentally friendly as well.
3. Want the Things You Have - It's easy to get stuck on a hedonic treadmill where you get used to what you have and begin yearning for the next thing.
4. Be Frugal With Yourself and Generous with Others - This will train you to be financially conscious while feeling abundance.
5. Invest in Your Sleep - Buy a good bed, nice pillows, and whatever else you need to get good rest.
6. Diversify Your Portfolio -  This applies to skills, finances, and experiences.
7. Walk It Out Daily - Walking helps you think, connect with nature, and reenergizes you. Try doing it while listening to music/podcasts, calling a loved one, with a friend or coworker, or just alone with your thoughts.
8. Surround Yourself With People You Admire - Good people help you become the best version of yourself.
9. Call Someone You Miss Each Week - No need to schedule a call, just pick up the phone and dial when you have some time. Leave a message if they can't answer. When they do answer, you'll leave the conversation filled with energy.
10. Remember That You Haven't Met All the People Who Are Going To Love You Yet - I didn't meet some of my closest friends until the last couple of years. There are still strangers in the world who will one day become such an integral part of your life, that you can't imagine life without them.
11. Curiosity Begets Passion - Passion is developed from following your curiosity, leaning in, and diving deeper.
12. Seek Discomfort - Fall in love with the mixed feelings of excitement, intimidation, and nervousness. Growth is about to happen.
13. Reinvent Yourself Regularly - Try new things, experiment with new habits, let go of what you don't love, and evolve.
14. Be Mindful of What You Tell Yourself - The stories and narratives we tell ourselves are really powerful. Negative self-talk can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, whereas positive self-talk can lead to manifesting your dreams.
15. Become Undistracted - The key is to find something more meaningful and exciting to do. You pay a mental tax of focus and deep work when context-switching.
16. Build, Make, & Create More - Creating is much harder but also exponentially more rewarding than consuming.
17. Don't Let Perfection Sabotage Your Potential - You'll get better at whatever you're pursuing with more reps. Picasso created around 13,500 paintings, and he's known for maybe 5 of them. Quantity leads to quality.
18. You Don't Have to Be An Expert To Help Others - I used to think I didn't know enough, but now I believe you just need to be an arm's length ahead to help.
19. Have a Bias for Action - Learn and apply. Absorb and act.
20. Be True to Yourself - Continuously ask yourself if you are doing things for other people or for yourself.
21. Seek to Understand -  Solutions aren't always the answer, many times people are just looking to be understood.
22. Asking Good Questions is a Super Power - Most of the time, you won't know the right answer. Learning to ask good questions is an underrated skill that will carry you in business, relationships, and life in general.
23. Be an Encourager - When you think something nice of someone, let them know! There are plenty of critics in the world.
24. Do What Excites - Tap into your inner child and go do the things that make you feel alive.
25. Zoom Out Until It Doesn't Matter - Worried about something? Ask, "will it matter in 1 month? 10 years? 10,000 years?" Most things we worry about on a day-to-day basis don't really matter with a long enough time horizon.
26. Be in the Now - Being fully present is both a gift to yourself and to others.
27. Love The Process - If you can love the process, the results will come. Search for the thing that you would do for its own sake.
28. Limits are Just Perceptions - Whether self-imposed or influenced by others, what we perceive to be our limits are usually just perceptions.
29. Dream Bigger - Don't be limited by the fear of not achieving such ambitious dreams.

Here's to another year around the sun, and to the learnings and growth yet to come.

Cheers!