I recently turned 50. I’ve had some amazing experiences over my lifetime. The best is yet to come!
I’ve compiled 50 of my favorite lessons and am sharing them with you. I’ll be expanding more for some of the lessons – and if you look through the archives here at Happy AF, you’ll find I’ve already expanded on some of them.
What follows are the 50 things I’ve learned at 50. I hope they are as helpful to you as they’ve been to me.
I reserve the right to unlearn any of them as new information presents itself.
- Put your own oxygen mask on first
- Family matters – always
- Family is who you choose to have in your life
- You always have a choice – and not choosing is a choice
- Just get started
- Write what you’d want your eulogy to say when your life is complete. Take at least one step towards becoming that person every day.
- Some people will believe in you before you do. Listen to them and keep them close.
- If you need to wear dress clothes and you don’t buy the no iron kind, outsource the ironing of them to someone else.
- Like what you like and don’t ever apologize for it
- Interested > Interesting
- Value > volume
- Service IS sales
- Quality > Quantity
- 3 Hs rule: Human, Helpful, Humble
- Connection starts with Happy Birthday
- Expecting other people to have “common sense” or to do the “right thing” is a great way to be disappointed.
- If it isn’t a “heck yes” it should be a “heck no.”
- Sharing your light makes the world a brighter place for all of us
- Cheering others on will never go out of style
- Morning walks rock
- You’ll be too much for some people. That’s ok.
- Until you believe in yourself, it’s going to be very hard for other people to believe in you.
- Tell people what you love and appreciate about them now before they die.
- Create habits over goals
- It takes 66 days to create a habit
- Vulnerability > Fake Strength
- Get to know yourself really well
- Do more of what you’re good at and stop doing the rest
- Leverage the 80/20 rule
- Never stop learning.
- Strive to be the dumbest person in the room
- Rest as much as you push – I used to say “I’ll sleep when I’m dead!” And I meant it. No more!
- 1 page a day or 1 push-up a day makes a difference
- Every relationship is a long term relationship
- Make time to learn a little every day
- Try everything at least twice
- Get comfortable being with yourself
- You don’t have to share everything about your life or your work
- It’s smart to change your mind when you get new information
- Create a “kitchen cabinet” of 5 or fewer key people that you listen to and ignore most other people.
- Pick up some new knowledge every day.
- Drop off some of your knowledge every day.
- Say thank you specifically whenever possible.
- Practice gratitude every day (3 things)
- Learn to have an executive presence
- Having a few really good friends makes all the difference in the world.
- Embrace “the practice” to get better
- Good – Fast – Cheap – you only get to pick two
- Finish what you started
- Go the extra mile
Which one did you find the most interesting? Which one makes no sense to you?
If you got this via email, reply privately and let me know. If you prefer, leave a message on the article and let’s learn together.