28 Truths I Wish I Knew at 28!

Now that I am turning 38 soon, I thought it was time to sit with myself and extract some lessons. One advantage of getting older is getting wiser; At least, I hope that's true for me.

I had the idea of reflecting on some main lessons that I have learned, by asking myself the question “What are the 28 pieces of advice I would give my 28-year-old self?"

This exercise helped me to pick up key life principles gleaned from my experiences, mistakes, failures, and the wisdom of others.

Initially, I thought these principles could serve as personal reminders to guide my behaviour and decision-making. Then I thought why not share them with you? hoping some of them might resonate with and help you as well

So here are the 28 truths I wish I knew at 28:

Leadership and Personal Growth

1. To be a leader, you need to be a follower. This is how you get inspiration from other leaders.

2. To avoid big failures, accumulate small failures.

3. Your ego is your enemy. Recognizing this is the first step to turning it into an ally. Only then can you see clearly what you need to work on.

4. The only thing standing between you and your goal is you. Self-limiting beliefs are your biggest obstacle.

5. If you want to see the truth, be brave enough to look for it.

6. Being yourself comes at a cost. Learn to handle rejection and be ready to drop your social masks.

7. Do not trade authenticity for social approval. If you have to fake it to be accepted, it's a sign you should leave that circle.

8. Success comes down to how you feel about yourself when you are by yourself. Most of your problems can be solved if you manage to sit quietly with yourself each day.

9. Do not over-worry and overthink about what others think of you. The reality is, no one cares, and if someone does, it's not your problem.

10. Compare yourself to yourself. Your only competition is who you were yesterday.

11. At the end of each year, reflect on your past self. If you're not at least a little embarrassed by who you were a year ago, it means you haven’t grown enough.

Career and Professional Development

12. Seek a business or job that compensates you for your output and quality of work, not for the hours you put in.

13. Start by finding your passion and obsession, and how they relate to your skills and background. Then think of a way to monetize it—not the other way around.

14. If you want good opportunities, say no to lesser ones. No deal is better than a bad deal.

15. To be a good negotiator, care less about the deal and more about the other person. Ethics, honesty, and transparency have a compounding effect that makes future deals easier.

16. To achieve more goals, don't chase too many. Focus on one goal at a time.

17. To be smart, surround yourself with people smarter than you. Smarter people are a blessing, not a threat.

Mindset, Discipline, and Habits

18. Don't rely on luck; instead, eliminate bad luck. Keep working, trying, and pushing until you neutralize luck. You better rise to the level of opportunity instead of falling to the level of luck. Persistence turns luck into destiny.

19. Every "overnight success" is the result of hours of discipline, practice, and hard work. Be willing to pay the price for success.

20. For consistent results, focus on discipline and habits, not motivation.

21. You become what you believe and what you repeat. Eliminate negative thoughts and bad habits.

22. The choices you make each day shape the type of person you will become 10 years from now. What you eat, when you wake up, how much you exercise, what you read, and the relationships you have… Choose wisely.

23. An imperfect action is better than a perfect plan sitting on the desk. Overthinking and excessive planning become their own form of procrastination.

24. Most important decisions are bigger in your head than they are in reality. As Seneca said, “We suffer more in our head than we do in reality.” To avoid overwhelm, if you know it's the right thing to do, take the first step. Just do it! You will feel a huge sense of relief afterward.

25. The last person you want to disappoint is yourself. Gain self-respect by walking your talk and doing what you say you will do.

26. If you want to be smart, surround yourself with people smarter than you. Smarter people are not a threat; they are a blessing.

27. Be cautious about from whom you get advice. The best advice comes from doers, not theorists. These are the people who have taken risks and learned by doing.

28. Don’t wait until you find something meaningful, find meaning in everything you do. You can make a difference each day.

At first, I thought 28 lessons might be too many, but I found myself struggling to stick to that number, having to trim and compress numerous pieces of advice.

These principles and lessons have been invaluable on my journey, shaping who I am today. They are not rigid or sacred laws. If a piece of advice resonates with you, adapt it to fit your context. If some seem irrelevant, feel free to dismiss them.

Finally, I hope that my future 48-year-old self will have even more wisdom to share with my 38-year-old self.