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Advice I wish I could give my 18 year old self… A thread.
1. The point of this whole thing – life, school, work – is to figure out your purpose. What is the thing you are on this Earth to do? What will your life’s work be?
2. Have a long-term plan: 5 years, 10 years. It can change, but always have a direction. What is your long-term dream job or situation? Figure that out and work backward to where you are. Write your dream future bio and go make it happen
3. 80% of life is showing up, and putting your hand up. Opportunity doesn’t seek you out, you need to seek it out. Leaders aren’t selected from the population sitting on their couches, they are selected from the people who show up and make themselves available
4. Keep your loved ones close. Show up for, and keep in contact with your family, friends and fellow travelers. Tomorrow is not promised and in the end, the love we shared is all that matters
5. Someone once said intelligence is the ability to hold two or more contradictory ideas in your head at the same time. This is important.
6. If you are university-bound, study the thing that excites/interests you most. It doesn’t need to be the field you will work in. Uni is about learning how to learn, think, do deep, self-directed work & master a body of knowledge. You can apply those skills to other things later
7. Hopefully the area in point 6 will also pay the bills and afford you the lifestyle that you want. If not, also consider point 8
8. Attain a qualification or skill that can reliably earn you money, and that gives you as many attractive career options as possible. This can be hard to reconcile with #6 for some of us, but then again refer to #5. [Read the book 80,000 Hours]
9. Don’t just ask potential mentors or sponsors for help. People are busy and lots of people need help. Offer to help them. Ask them if they have a project or task you can help them with to learn the ropes or deepen your expertise
10.Learn your strengths. This is critical! You will go further leveraging your strengths than trying to ‘fix’ your weaknesses. Find out your unique gifts and look for opportunities to display them...
10 cont. Work on weaknesses too so they don’t limit you too much, but don’t focus the majority of your energies on them. [Look up strengths-based leadership]
11. Know thyself. Figure out who you are and what makes you tick. Figure out what drives you, what makes you happy/unhappy, what gives you/drains your energy. Make decisions accordingly
12.MBTI is a great tool for understanding your personality. It can help you understand your strengths, weaknesses, leadership style, most suitable careers and even how you show up in friendships and romantic relationships
13.If you want to do graduate degrees, do them as early as possible. It is easier to be a broke student when you haven’t yet experienced cushy salaried life. Also harder to study while working, parenting and the more obligations you have over time (debt and bond/car payments)
14.Stay out of debt, live within your means. Have savings which can sustain your lifestyle for 6-24 months. Learn how to manage money. Adopt a wealth creation mindset. Read Rich Dad, Poor Dad
15.Develop an income source that gives you money without requiring your time. According to Robert Kiyosaki there are only three options: own a business, invest in equities, invest in property
16.Relationships matter. Most of the important decisions affecting your life will be made without you in the room. Being kind/empathetic, genuinely wanting others to do well, being helpful, working well with others, all matter as much as being smart or skilled individually
17.Figure out if you are passion-driven or ambition-driven. If you are passion-driven like me, you will struggle to do work you aren’t passionate about just for the money. Make decisions accordingly
18.Early in your career, keep your costs low. Share a house with someone. Don’t buy that expensive car. Don’t live just to pay bills for stuff. Living light allows you to pivot quickly when needed to chase your dreams
http://19.Travel"> http://19.Travel . See the world, experience different ways of being. Explore. Go on trips with friends and family that you will remember forever
20.Have a side hustle. Don’t be too eager to quit your job to pursue a high-risk/high-reward venture. Can you test the waters on the side and build it up slowly while not relying on it for primary income?
21.Focus on the positives of every situation. Some jobs don’t pay great but the setup, time and energy requirements allow you to study further or run a business on the side. Some organizations are great for learning or exposure. Take advantage of that
22.Take sabbaticals every few years. This is above and beyond vacation leave. Take time to travel unrushed, reflect, or work on a personal project
23.If you struggle to find your purpose, ask yourself: If you won R100m and never needed to work for money again, what would you do with your time? Do that