20 Year Experience On My 20th Birthday

This Birthday I did something different I started jotting down all my 20 years experiences of my life. I hope this would be fruitful for you all. Here are the experiences-

Treat every day as if it’s thefirst day of the rest of your lifeor career.I don’t care if it’s not Monday or January 1st.The other six days of the week or 364 days of the year work too.This means you get to box up all your so-called failures as if they never happened.Unfortunately, this means you box up your successes too. The great news is that both of these actually cause strain which you can now let go.Every day technically is a new beginning.

Time is NOT money. Time is time. Money is money. Lose one and you can earn it back. Lose the other and it’s gone forever. Does that sound like they’re equal?

“Five-year” plans have ruined more present moments than all other distractions combined.You’ll be far better off withfifteen-minute plans.Not only will you be more accurate a far greater percentage of the time, but you’ll also rarely be disappointed in the outcome because you’ll have far fewer variables go awry.Stay present.You can only live life to the fullest in the moment.The past and future are mere distractions.Enjoy the job you have today.You’ll be happier and it’s a nice stepping stone for your future.

Learn how to sayNOat the right times.The faster you learn this, the more happy days you’ll live and the more productive your workdays will become.Trust me.

I tend to notice two types of people—those that aredisciplined and everyone else.100% of the people in the first group eventually become successful.Some of the people in the second group do as well.Remember, what you do everyday matters more than what you do once in a while.Promotions don’t happen because of one big success.

Hard work doesn’t guarantee results.Smart workincreases the likelihood of good results.Concentrate on what you do along the way and embrace the journey with no attachment to the outcome.You’ll enjoy yourself more and likely have better results.You’ll also avoid disappointments that could result from faulty expectations.Technically speaking, any outcome that didn’t occur the way you thought it would means you had faulty expectations.

Intelligence is overrated.Talent is really overrated. You only need three things to be successful—Passion, Vision, and Commitment. Contrary to what people think, you’re not born with passion.It’s grown.Vision isn’t seeing into the future.It’s making the future happen the way you want it to.Commitment is the most important item.

School does not equal education. Going to school helps you earn a degree. You know you have one when you can ethically place the letters after your name such as Andy LaCivita B.S.er of Everything.If you have to pay for someone to teach you something—anything—that’s not education.

Youdon’t need a mentor.No one cares about your life or your career more that you do.You can outsource a lot of things, but living your life isn’t one of them.Managing your career isn’t one either.

Keepeveryone’s phone number—even the people you dislike.They might be helpful someday. If given the choice between knowing the right person or having your MBA, remember that friends hire friends before they hire credentials.

Never treat your subordinates poorly. I assure you someday they will be working at company you’re trying to get into. It’s also possible that someday you’ll be reporting to one of them.

You will behappybecause of what you think not what happens to you. If you’re conditionally happy, you’ll have less happy days. My way, you’re happy every day. Happy people accomplish more, learn more, and are more fun to be around. Someone once asked me, “How can you be so happy so often?” I said, “Because I always think I’m happy.”I’m always right about that.

Experience doesn’t always lead togood judgment—gathering all the facts and making completely informed decisions does. Listening to another’s experience before you attempt something can be helpful. But, remember, when they did that something they did it without your one constant variable—YOU.

Nothing isoriginal. I’m sure anything I’ve just written has been written or dispensed before. Everything that needs to be said has already been said.

If you never tryyou’ll never know. Not knowing is my biggest fear. Only those willing to go too far can actually know how far they can truly go. Life was meant to be lived. Don’t wait until it’s too late to start.

Comparisonis a recipe for mediocrity. If your goal is to be “better than” someone else or you grade life on a curve, you’ll never reach your true potential because you’ll feel you’ve reached it when you’ve surpassed someone. Usually that only means you’re leaving something on the table. Comparison kills.

Youget back what you give off. Sending good things out into the universe and building a bank of goodwill is better than any checking account with a seven figure balance.

There’s no shame inquitting. Winners do it all the time. They just know the right time to move on. It’s usually right before things turn really sour.

Patienceis not a virtue. It’s learned. Don’t ever confused patience with being worn down or not caring. They’re not the same.

Life isn’t always fair. Over the long run, however, the universe is incredibly balanced. Karma also has no deadline.