Today is the day when I turn 35 years old. It’s not something new. Every day people turn 35 years old. Not the same people.
So I wanted to wake up early this morning, do my Bible reading, and pray. And my thoughts were that I was grateful for everything I had. Not everything I accomplished, anything I’ve done or made, but everything I have.
It’s such an amazing feeling to think about your entire life and just be thankful. Being thankful not just from a general point of view but thankful for every piece of your life.
A few days ago, I sat down and rewrote all my ideas, insights, memories, and thoughts about this year. Some of them were born in a moment of truth and struggles, others are just thoughts that randomly appear in my life, and others are insights from a daily struggle. If you do not agree with them, it’s ok; if you agree with them, it’s ok. Because these are my 35 life lessons at my 35 years old moment.
And if you are interested, you can also read my 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34.
Don’t have expectations from people you should expect from – even if you should expect from those people you shouldn’t. Because they are people, and sometimes people can disappoint you. So let people disappoint you and move along. Take the step, and don’t be sorry about it. They are people, just like me and just like you.
But expect from people you shouldn’t – and there will be moments when people from whom you don’t expect any favor or anything else will be there in such a true moment.
Everything that begins should end – We talk too much about the idea that just start that project, make it happen, do the first step, and that’s ok. And as the Bible says, “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof…” maybe we should think about how to end what we have already started.
Discipline dictates direction – I learned that discipline sometimes is better than talent. Because being disciplined with your work and life can help you get a direction on where you want to be.
Consistency is everything – Do you want to make a change around yourself? Show up every day and create something for people like you. Do you want to be successful in your industry? Be consistent with your work and improve it every day you have the chance.
Reputation is built before building the scene. Authority is received behind the scenes. You gain influence on stage. – so try to work more on your reputation and authority rather than on your influence.
Perseverance makes the difference – if you look at the people who managed to succeed, you will see that that common point is perseverance.
Interes > Brand – people are more interested in their interes rather than any brand. And maybe because there are so many brands in the market, maybe we will see brand fatigue in the future.
If you want to last, you need to rest – so if you are tired, make sure you understand that you need to go to sleep or just do nothing. You won’t make it long enough if you are just tired.
Attract Attention. Build Attention. Maintain Attention. Convert Attention. – it’s the attention journey we should all think about it.
Progress is better than perfection – I found myself sometimes blocked in a project because I wanted to make it perfect before it was shipped. But then I changed my mind and found out that good enough is the perfect way to ship that project.
Pride goes before destruction – That’s why we need more humbleness in our lives, no matter how far we are and will be.
The best idea at the wrong moment doesn’t stand a chance – that’s the art of understanding the context where we live right now.
Decision – Dedication – Defining – one simple decision can change your entire life.
Create a work system – this system helped me work on several projects in my life while having a daily job and a family (with 2 energetic toddlers).
Differentiate through iterations – just be 1% better every time you ship that project.
Show up constantly – even if you don’t like it, you don’t feel it and you don’t want it. If you promised that you would show up constantly, do it. It doesn’t have to be daily or weekly, but constantly.
Chasing trends will kill your purpose – this happened with Facebook fan pages, Instagram profiles and today with TikTok fame. Don’t chase trends. Build a vision and work on it.
A portfolio is better than a resume – because sometimes even if you lack of experience, you can still build your own experience.
Do the work that nobody wants to do (Ryan Holiday) – it’s one of the ideas that I’m using almost every time I want to start and do a project, like this one.
You can’t build on, maybe. – it’s a yes or a no. Maybe it’s not securing any future idea. And nobody likes people who answer with “maybe”.
You don’t need to consume everything – trust me, nobody will get hurt if you don’t know about that news or about that trend.
Oh, well > what if – feeling bad about something that didn’t happen is quite painful.
Executed ideas are better than ideas – that’s the difference between good ideas.
Chase simplicity in a complex world. – I learned this year the art of how to simplifying complex ideas in simple visuals and it made my work easier.
Use your unfair advantage – we all have an unfair advantage, but all we have to do is discover them. This video talks about it, and there is also a book about this topic.
Be accountable to someone – being accountable helped me in my personal and professional life to stay on my path and do my job.
Document your own progress – I’m a big believer in documenting my own progress. That’s why I still have a blog and a podcast, and after several years of creating content, I still create content. Because I want to know where I was a few years ago and where I am now.
Double down on your own skills – don’t know to acquire new skills, better double down on the ones you already have. Be better at what you are already good enough at. Be an expert in what you are already better at.
Give without expectations – always, but always try to give something to someone without having expectations from them.
Under promise – over deliver – the best business and marketing strategy anyone can have.
Good is better than great – what you leave behind is so much more important these days than being in the spotlight. Being great on the scenes is easier than being good behind the scene.
You can be famous and not add any value to society or add value to society without being famous.- it’s a choice we have to deal with it every single day.
Productive yourself – these 2 words are still helping me record that podcast, write that article or create that visual. Even if I don’t have, but I want too. And Naval is summarizing very well what this “productize yourself” is all about.
The bottom of the funnel is the new top of the funnel – that’s when I realize how important is to have a very narrow niche these days. Everybody is nobody.
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