For this month’s edition, I’m sharing the 37 most challenging lessons I’ve learned in my career. Now, these aren’t in any order, just randomly thrown together. Think of the numbers as a way to keep track of them. Seriously, if I could hop in a time machine and have a chat with my 20-year-old self, that young brookie who thought he had it all figured out, here’s what I’d say:

37 Harsh Truths

1. Consuming information won’t make you smart; applying it will.
2. You’re on your own. No one is coming to save you.
3. Feedback is a gift
4. K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, stupid)
5. See work as play
6. Let perfection go
7. Set anti goals instead of goals
8. Start tracking your finances*
9. Stop Giving a F*ck What People Think
10. Just get started
11. Follow 5 people who have done what you want
12. Fail Fast, Iterate Fast
13. It’s all about having systems.
14. Motivation gets you started. Discipline is what keeps you going. Focus more on being disciplined.
15. Their story is not your story.
16. Success isn’t overnight.
17. Networking is about Relationships, Not Transactions
18. Always get the money first, as a freelancer
19. You were born in one day, you will die in one day, you can change in one day.
20. Nobody’s Holding Your Career Flag
21. Rejection is just redirection
22. A question opens the mind, a statement keeps it closed.
23. Your journey is unique, so comparing it to others only hinders your progress.
24. Nobody is thinking about you. They’re too busy thinking about themselves
25. Discipline is doing what you hate to do as if you love it.
26. There’s no one-size-fits-all roadmap to success.
27. Big Dreams are Slow Cookers:
28. Pain + reflection = progress
29. You’re not a robot. Learn to prioritize
30. Keep Learning and continuously Up-Skill
31. No One Has It All Figured Out
32. Emphasize Soft Skills, Too
33. Big Dreams Take Time:
34. not reinvent the wheel
35. Go back and analyze and do more from what is working
36. Remember, lack of direction, not lack of time, is your true enemy
37. Start simple and don’t overcomplicate​
    

Looking back, I wish I had known these career truths earlier. They would have made things way easier and less scary. But hey, we all learn eventually, right? So, no matter how old you are, let these truths guide and inspire you on your career journey.

Just hit me up with a reply to the comments below if there’s anything you’re finding tricky, and I’ll do my best to sort it out for you this year.

Wishing you nothing but the best for 2024! Really appreciate you taking the time to read this.