30 things I learned under 30

In just three days I will get 30 ?? It's truly crazy to think about how fast the time has passed and how quickly I'm already going up to the "third floor" (a saying we use in Ecuador).

Looking back at all the things I had the chance to live and do, I wanted to bring together all those lessons I learned along the way in the hope to inspire others and also do a little self-reflection just before reaching those 30. So without more being said, let's get into it:

1. Be grateful for the opportunities you get and make sure you make the best out of them

This one doesn’t need much explanations. Being grateful for all opportunities is very important because it also makes you realise that with every opportunity comes a responsibility to give back to others who might not have received that same chance as you did.

2. Become independent as soon as possible

This one is truly important because finding a way to finance yourself and not needing to rely on anyone else makes it easier to take your own decisions. I remember that to be able to gain more independence during my studies I woke up at 5 am to write my thesis, went to classes at university afterwards, went to work in the evening and went to sleep straight after (and when necessary fit in a party as well ??). This allowed me to finance myself but also to save up some money to invest in all my travels later on. So don't be afraid to put in the hard work - now you have the energy and it will pay off later on.

3. Create a plan for your career and life

I don't believe that things just happen out of a coincidence. You need to work for them. But to know what to work for, you also need to discover what things you want in life. I always knew I wanted to have my own company and be able to work and travel. But to have my own company I also knew that it would make sense to gain experience working for an established company first. Knowing that this was all part of my career plan made it really easy to follow through the different steps and have a reason why for every decision I took.

4. Don't worry if that career and life plan doesn't follow through in all its details

Having a career and life plan is like following a vision. Now, if that plan doesn't turn out exactly as it was supposed to, it is important to not stress out. Because hey, many roads lead to your destiny and not one is better than the other - they are just different. This was a very important lesson to learn because you can't control life but you can control your attitude towards it and this is easier when you have your vision clearly painted out on the horizon to guide you along the different roads you need to take.

5. Don't take life too seriously

I truly mean it! 30 years passed by in literally the blink of an eye. You can of course follow every rule and meet all the expectations from society but is that really how you want to spend the short amount of time you have on earth? Well, I certainly don't. That is why I always try to find the balance between responsible things to do but also things that will add to my happiness and quality of life. Working and traveling as an entrepreneur wouldn't sound like the most ideal way to do things (because traveling costs extra money). But I figured that at this age traveling is so much easier than it will ever be, so why would I waste these years when I can find a good balance between these two things: running a business and making myself happy.

6. Take risks fast because life is short and there is no right moment for anything

When I quit my save job in a booming industry with an amazing team people were shocked. But at that time I also knew that if I didn't do it at that point in time it would only get more difficult. My plan was to create my own company and gain the independence I always wanted to have but the only way to get there was to take a big risk. And hey, so far (3 years in), it actually worked out! What I learned is that taking risks always pays off because you either make it or you learn.

7. You can do whatever you set your mind to

I believe your mind is like your compass. When you set it in a certain direction and follow it you will always reach the destination you pointed it to. And knowing that has allowed me to achieve many things. I always had the goal to write a book but for so many years I really didn't set my mind to it so it was simply a plan in the air. Until COVID-19 hit and I actually put myself to work and forced myself to write for at least 4 hours per day - until my book was finally published. If you want something, make sure the first thing you do is set your mind to it.

8. Persistence is your best friend

If there is one thing I learned is that things don't happen just because. Behind all great things is a person who persisted through difficult times and despite all odds managed to stay committed towards their goal. And it has been the same for me. All plans I had were because I persisted, I worked hard, and I didn't give up easily.

9. Never stop doing things you are afraid of doing

I even made a promise to myself of doing one thing I'm scared of every year because this lesson has truly pushed me. It has gone from getting rid of my fear of rollercoasters up to finally getting my scuba diving license or competing in jiu-jitsu. I do this for one reason: Every time I do something I'm afraid of and learn that I can do it, I also feel ready to conquer my next fear. And that way I will be able to discover more things I might like and feel free and more powerful.

10. Try out different things to find out what you truly love

When I started my career, I could have bet I would never end up in Human Resources (HR). But now there is no job I could imagine myself doing instead of HR. If I wouldn't have dared to try out this career path for myself, I would never have found my true passion.

11. Falling along the way is your best motivator to stand up again

I have fallen so many times. In my career and in my personal life. But the more I have fallen, I have also learned that standing up isn't that difficult. And the more I stand up, the easier it is for me to take chances where there are risks of falling - because you and I can manage to stand up again! So set goals that are scary, you are strong enough to stand up if they don't work out.

12. If you want something to change - do it yourself

It will always be more difficult to change a situation when you feel victim to it. So remember that you can change things. You can change circumstances. You can be the change you want to see. And I'm not saying that it is easy but just knowing you are in control, makes an absolute difference in your life.

13. Change is a good thing!

The older you get the more difficult it might seem to deal with change. You feel tired and prefer your habits to stay the same. But I realized that change is the norm of things. There is no "normal" that can stay forever. And once you made friends with that idea, life gets easier. Because you don't try to hold on to things that much anymore but rather start to enjoy the ride.

14. Create a strong network (not a big network)

You don't need 1 million people in your network. Maybe 5 people are more than enough. Because if you have the right people in it, you will manage to accomplish all you set your mind to. It is never the size of your network but the quality of it that actually matters. And all of us need a strong network in our lives - my network has allowed me to do all that I have done so far and I'm absolutely grateful for everyone who is part of it.

15. Supporting others will make you happier as well

Once I was on a beach with friends and an elderly man came up to us and asked us: "Are you happy?" to which we answered: "Yes". He then told us: "Good, because if you are happy, I'm happy too". And that has been a lesson to me for life. Thanks to that very early in life I realized that the achievements and happiness of someone else don't hinder me from achieving things myself or being happy myself. Quite the opposite: they can actually be an inspiration for me. And the best thing about celebrating the success of others is that you have more reasons to celebrate in life - so be a support to the people around you and get happy when they are happy!

16. Invest time and energy in your friends and family

When I was a teenager I couldn't wait to get out of the house and be "free" of the rules of my parents. Now I would do anything to stay as long as possible at the house of my parents. Your family and friends are your strongest network. They know how to make you happy and how to support you through difficult times. So invest time in them - because they deserve it.

17. Listen to advice from loved ones

Many times we receive advice from people we love (who mostly will tell us the truth that hurts) and we get mad at them or simply ignore them. But what I truly learned is that they give you advice having your best interest in mind. They do it for you. My lesson was to always listen to them. It might not all be true and you don't need to follow every piece of advice, but knowing you have people who truly care for your best interest, makes it 100% worth to listen and take their advice seriously.

18. Relationships should be healthy, happy and give you peace - if not, you don't need them

As mentioned before - you don't need a big network, you need a strong one. And relationships of all kinds (friends, loved ones, family) should be healthy. They should give you energy not take it away. So when you feel you are in a bad relationship that hurts you (or even feels toxic) you really need to get out of it. People should add to your life - not take it away from you.

19. The opinions of others don't define who you actually are

The older I get the less I care about other opinions. And this doesn't mean I don't care at all about them. I still find myself questioning what others might think. However, I have learned that the opinion of others can't change my true essence. So don't worry about speaking up your mind and asking for what you want - those who stay after you did so, are the ones you need in your network.

20. When you have to say "no" to yourself, something is wrong

I know I will be repeating myself but life is very short. So to say no yourself to please someone else (or even a company) can only be a mistake. You are the main character of your life and you need to find your own happiness because no one else can do it for you. So make sure to make yourself a priority and find yourself in healthy surroundings.

21. Your reality is not the reality of others - stay humble

As we get more confident in ourselves and also gain more opportunities we also might lose track of how it feels when it all began. Or maybe how it might feel for others who didn't have the same starting point as you. The most important thing to remember is that you are not better than anyone else - never! No matter what you did or accomplished! We are all here to figure things out and everyone has an important role to play.

22. Empathy is the most important skill to learn

If there is one thing that allowed me to grow a strong network and connect with different types of people I would say it is empathy. I truly try to understand why people say what they have to say or what moves them to think in a specific manner. That makes communication so much easier and when communication becomes easier, your life gets easier as well. Practice your empathy skills!

23. The energy you give is the energy you get

I never thought I would be the one saying this but I absolutely believe in energy. And if you give energy to others you will get it back (the same applies for negative things as well - so be careful here). Every time I put good energy out, I felt I got it back. Of course you cant feel energetic every day, but those days you do make sure to spread it!

24. Travel (no matter how close or far)

I know that traveling can be expensive but even if it is just to the town close to you. Seeing different things outside of your comfort zone will open your mind. I have invested a lot of my money into traveling and can be so happy to say that I managed to travel around 29 countries so far. For me the most important thing about it is that it showed me that there is no one right away to approach life. There is simply one way you decide is the best for you.

25. Listen to opinions that differ from yours to challenge yourself constantly

It would be a lie if I say this is easy. I absolutely love arguing when I don't agree with things but I have come to learn that different opinions help you challenge your own and also make them stronger (or weaker). That is why I try to keep an open mind and actively listen to reasoning from people I don't necessarily agree with to try to learn new things along the way.

26. Learn to feel comfortable with whom you are

As I'm a very curious person it is not difficult for me to change my mind. But I have also learned to feel more comfortable staying true to myself. Because hey, every opinion is important and I have learned that my opinion matters as well and can make a true difference. So learning to be comfortable within my opinion and believes has also opened many doors for me and has been a great lesson to learn.

27. Never regret things - turn them into learning opportunities

"I should have, I could have, I would have"....every sentence starting like this will end frustrating you. So why would you even start this way? I have learned to see difficult situations in my life as learning opportunities. Why? Well because without them, you would not know how to do things differently tomorrow. That is why I learned to change my mindset and whenever I find myself wanting to star a sentence with "I should have..." I reframe it by starting with "I learned to..., I now know to..., I now understand to..."

28. Home is not a place

Having moved across the ocean with 18 years into a completely different culture was a big challenge (I remember crying in my bathroom calling my mom asking her to let me come back home to Ecuador). But after having lived 11 years abroad and having lived in different countries I came to understand that home is hardly attached to one place (I know that for some people it actually is and that is ok as well). But what I came to realize is that I'm home. Where I decide to make home I will make a home. So the power of home is within me, not within a physical place.

29. Laugh as much as possible

Never forget to stay a child. Laughing is the best reminder that life is not that serious, that mistakes happen, that laughing makes life more lite, that laughing makes you feel good. Surround yourself with people that make laughing easy!

30. Live in the present

Probably the most challenging of it all but also the most important one. We get caught up in living in the future or missing/dwelling in the past. But the only place we have control of, and the only place where we can change things in in the present. So this is the place you should be focusing on.

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Ok, this has been a very long article but if you made it down here, I wanted to thank you for letting you share my experiences of my first 30 years on earth with you ???

If you have any other lessons make feel to share them here! I would love to learn from you.