15 Lessons Before Turning 30

What better time to reflect and share some of my biggest life lessons than the day before my 30th birthday? The last 29 years have been a rollercoaster to say the least, but with great challenges comes a whole lot of growth, right? 

So, here goes. My 15 biggest lessons before hitting the big 30… enjoy!

1. Read as much as possible. Books are the 8th wonder of the world. Or 9th if you take compound interest as the 8th wonder of the world like Albert Einstein once said. I didn’t really read until around 5 years ago, but ever since then I have tried to read as much as possible. I would probably say I have learned more from the books that I have read than my education and all other areas in my life. It is an incredible thing that you can read and digest content that has taken someone, far more qualified than I ever will be, years to put together in just a few hours.
2. Trust people until they give you a reason not to. This is so much more powerful than believing someone will let you down and then being surprised. 
3. Connection with other people is the most important and gratifying thing in the world. Make sure that you are creating the atmosphere and personality where this connection can thrive. Openness and positivity are key to this.
4. Money is often the result of success and success is never the result of money. Important to always remember this and align decision making and personal ambitions.
5. Don’t gamble if you have an addictive personality. It has always been clear that I have a very addictive personality throughout my life from my obsession to Clash of Clans back in the day to loving work as much as I do now. Although it started off fun, successful and rewarding it was only ever going to end up going one way.
6. Having a set purpose and principles in life and business is really important. They provide important goalposts and focus.
7. People inherently want to do a good job, support them to do so. If you are a business owner or manager all you need to do is provide them with the guidance and support so that they can achieve this.
8. It is really important to love your job, whatever that job may be. It turns out having a career goal of being a rocket scientist when you are 10 years might have something in it. The great thing is that if you love your job then you are way more likely to be successful and achieve your goals. Passion will take you a long way. 
9. External metrics of happiness and success aren’t important. Having a great car, being rich or being famous will not make you happy. It is great that we are all talking about mental health more and one of the great things to come out of that is that seeing people we may have thought are happy really struggles with depression. Celebrities and footballers have the same mental battles we have.
10. Internal metrics of happiness and success are everything. My general gauge for this is that if I am thinking about a decision or interaction I have had that day whilst lying in bed then the likelihood is I have done something wrong. Be mindful of this - apologise or rectify the matter. You will sleep better at night in doing so.

11. Don’t spend too much time looking back. Learn from your mistakes but don’t wallow in needless over examination of why things didn’t work.

12. Scare yourself daily. Learning and growth can flourish from putting yourself in uncomfortable situations. 

13. Listen to the smart ones. If you’re lucky enough to be offered business wisdom or insight, take it. 

14. Gut instinct can be the most motivating driver. Passionate projects which come from the heart are the most fulfilling.

15. A great decision today is better than a perfect decision tomorrow. Never let perfection be the enemy of the good.

Here's to the next 30 years.