Keeping it real since 1984...

Last week I cracked into a big new decade ????????????

And I was musing on how it's really so super exciting to still be (potentially) in my first half of life.

How good is that?

I decided (as I was brushing my teeth on the big day) that I'd write down 40 lessons.

Part gift to myself, part things I wish I'd known at 20, and mostly, things I'd like to role model to my children across the decade where they have their personalities, and all the magic of childhood developing, these lessons are for them, too.

I thought, I'd share it with you in case anything here hits the spot and reminds you that you, too, can be keeping it real, kicking butt, and being an all round epic human being - even without the shiny perkiness of a fresh new decade ahead.

Oh, right after this ??(because who doesn't love an 80s baby pic?!)

1. Dance more and listen to podcasts less.
2. Just because you can do the thing, doesn’t mean you should
3. No is a complete sentence
4. Days are long, years are short - time is a f*ck wit like that.
5. Be present as often as possible, especially with those you love the most
6. Learn about compounding interest. Use it to your financial advantage.
7. Wealth looks different to rich. Don’t mix them up.
8. Be kinder to your body - it does a lot for you, that usually means going to be earlier, more often
9. You can half unpack the dishwasher and then partially re load - there’s no points for doing that sort of thing perfectly
10. Stop shoulding. Replace it with could. Feel that bouyancy.
11. Play as often as you can - life is short, have more fun.
12. Take action on things you learn. 1% shifts stack up big time.
13. Learn to listen. Then listen to learn. Everyone knows something you don’t.
14. But also, don’t argue with idiots. You can’t change them.
15. Message others just to say hi, especially if they’ve gone quiet
16. I never regret time on my yoga mat or a walk outside in fresh air.
17. Pick up your phone for phone calls more (rather than all it’s other bells and whistles)
18. Eat more veges
19. Learn about gut microbiome
20. It’s ok to not finish a book. There are a lot of crap books, life is too short to feel obliged to words on paper!
21. You’re still a fantastic human even if you’re not the most optimised human you know. We are not robots!
22. Intuition has it’s place, so does structure
23. Discipline, consistency and time will make inroads into nearly every challenge
24. When you’re going through something hellish - imagine life in a year, remember that feeling, put a reminder in a year for yourself. Celebrate how much life has changed since that shitty moment.
25. There will be shitty moments, there will be unfair stuff. I’ve survived 100% of my shitty days so far.
26. Life isn’t binary, and it’s messy as anything navigating the middle bits in between
27. Beans on toast is a meal. So is honey on toast. Cut yourself more slack
28. 3 times a week is a habit
29. When in doubt, go for a walk outside
30. Dancing in the car is always a good idea (is that binary thinking though??)
31. Don’t be a dick (this is almost a number one rule!)
32. Smile as often as possible at everyone you pass - you never know where that smile will take them that day
33. Everyone is going through stuff, be kind (a way more polite version of #31 perhaps?!)
34. Respect the advice of those you respect
35. Don’t dish out unsolicited advice (does this count?!)
36. It will feel weird to be different - and zigging when others are zagging is hard AF. Doesn’t mean you should stop
37. Friends are the family you choose. Choose some great ones. Make time for them.
38. People come into your life for reasons, and seasons. Forgive the end of the season or the reason more often.
39. Learn to ask for help (and it being done differently than you’d do it) ; learn to say sorry (messing up is human)
40. The answer to just about anything is love.

So, a big happy birthday and shiny new decade to me!

And on the business front, yep, I'm still here to help organisations perform better with my one of a kind, straight up the guts, perspective. Know if your business is on track, then let's work together to put the strategies, insights and actions in place to get (and stay!) there.

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