Top 3 lessons I learned from 2021

2021 was an interesting year to say the least. I had the most growth last year in my life in terms of career, health, and relationships. Below are the top 3 lessons I learned that helped me improve

• Accountability is key
• Leverage the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule)
• Don't be a coward - put yourself out there, be authentic

1. Accountability - we all have goals and dreams we want to see fulfilled. At any given moment of time, we pretty much know deep down whether an action is going to push us forward or away from our goals. Even though we know what we have to do, why do we still not execute on these actions? It could be fear, laziness, procrastination, anxiety etc. Having a friend, mentor, or coach can help keep you accountable. It helps even more if you have a deep respect for this person because if you don't do the tasks that you promise you will, it adds some pain element where you feel you are letting this person down and wasting their time/advice.
2. Pareto Principle - 80/20 Rule - The Pareto Principle basically states that 80% of your results come from 20% of your actions. Generally, you can brute force more results just by working longer hours, but the problem with this approach is that its not scalable. You can only work so many 60-80 hour weeks until you're brain gets fried and your mental state starts to deteriorate. The better approach is to leverage the Pareto Principle, identify which tasks are giving you the most results and focus on those. Constantly analyze and review those because priorities can change over time. This way you don't have to sacrifice your free time and mental health to get higher performance/results.
3. Don't be a coward! - To achieve highly ambitious goals you must take risks and you have to be ok with looking like a fool starting out on any journey. You have to be able to push through challenges, failures, rejections, and all the embarrassment that comes with it. If you can't push past your comfort zone, then you will be stuck and not be able to achieve what you desire. One other aspect when I say "don't be a coward" relates to being more authentic when communicating with others. Many people put up fronts to protect their ego, and before speaking they think about "what should I say that the other person wants to hear" or "what can I say that might make them like me more." Instead of being in your head and worrying/obsessing over what you should say, you can develop deeper connections by being more vulnerable and just saying what's truly on your mind and how you feel, no matter how embarrassing or sad you think it makes you look. Show your true intentions and don't be 'fake' (put up a front) thinking it will make others accept you more. This doesn't mean to go around sharing all your emotional baggage with people or saying inappropriate things that come to mind, but if you can get past the shallow "how's the weather?" conversations, you will be able to connect with others more and develop stronger relationships.

I hope you find value from these key lessons I learned and are able to apply them in 2022!

"Energy and persistence?conquer all things." - Benjamin Franklin