I've learned many things in the past year. Too many to remember them all.
I've tried many new things. Most of them didn't work out. Some of the worked out. At least a bit. But I learned a hell lot.
Here are a few things I learned in the pat year..
# what's next?
When was the last time you've asked yourself „what's next?“ If you never ask yourself what's next, you'll never be able to get to the next stage.
# hitting home runs
Not everything you say, do or write has to be a home run. It's ok if 2-5% are home runs. Those are the things you'll be remembered for. The other stuff, the other 95% are there to be forgotten.
# leave map at home
Sometimes it's good to get lost. To keep that map at home. If you always take a map with you, you'll always end up skipping the hidden gems and end up where everybody else ends up.
# changing the game
To change the game you need to learn the underlying rules first. If you don't know how to play a game how will you ever be able to change it?
# spread it
Ideas don't spread. You need to make them spread. My work doesn't spread just like that. Your work doesn't spread and goes viral just like that. You need to work hard, really hard to make your work spread.
# if it's easy
If it's easy, then most people will already have tried it. And if many people have already tried something it usually doesn't work anymore. The moment that information gets public it stops working. Just like insider trading.
# small wins
Whatever you do, you need to eliminate the barriers BEFORE you start. Starting a blog is hard. Post your updates in Facebook instead. Writing a book is hard. Start writing a blog instead (see earlier). And once you've gained some momentum and achieved some first small wins go on to the next step.
# reading myth
Everybody tells you that you need to read every day to become a better writer. I stopped reading 4 months ago. Instead I started writing every day. And my writing got better instead of worse. You don't become a better writer by reading every day. You become a better writer by writing every day.
# digital nomad lie
Most people out there are trying to sell you the dream. And while selling you the dream, they'll want to sell you their freedom package for a few hundred bucks. I've tried the digital nomad thing for a few months. And it's A LOT harder to make it work than most people want you to believe..
# allow things
We don't allow things to happen anymore. Because we're too scared. That kiss. That hug. Everything..
# leave map at home
Sometimes it's good to get lost. To keep that map at home. If you always take a map with you, you'll always end up skipping the hidden gems and end up where everybody else ends up.
# following your passion
Following your passion is expensive. I've lost $200k following my passion over the past 2.5 years. I didn't get a single paycheck. And those are the real costs of following your passion that most people don't really talk about.
# uncomfortable
If you're always comfortable, you'll never change anything. Because you don't have to. It's already comfortable. So being comfortable is the evil of creativity and innovation. Only when something doesn't feel right will you feel the urge to change things.
# everything sucks
My first 100 blog posts sucked. My first 40 YouTube videos sucked. My first podcast episodes suck. Whenever you start something knew you'll suck at it. The only difference between someone who's good at something and someone who isn't is that the someone who isn't good just gave up at one point.
# spread it
Ideas don't spread. You need to make them spread. My work doesn't spread just like that. Your work doesn't spread and go viral just like that. You need to work hard, really hard to make your work spread.
# decision capital
We can only make a limited amount of decisions every day. No matter how small or big that decision, it'll always widthdraw the same amount of decision capital. The decision what clothes to wear will cost you as much as the decision what to do with those 5mn in revenues.
# don't focus on what people say
Every time I focused on what people said, I screwed up. So I stopped focussing on what people said. Instead I started focusing on what I wanted to do. No matter what.
# one big idea
That one big idea will never come. And if it comes you won't be ready for it. So instead work on many small ideas to make sure you're ready when that one big idea comes. Same applies to dating. And pretty much everything else out there.
# how to figure yourself out
The only way to really figure yourself out is to stop trying to figure yourself out.
# small things change the world
Big things never change the world. Because big things usually never really work out. What really changes the world are the small things. Like smiling at the cashier at that supermarket to show him that you appreciate his work and what they're doing. That you appreciate them as a person.
# meaningful conversations
Meaningful conversations are what gives me energy. Meaningful conversations are what I barely have anymore.
# once or twice
You only need to get it right once or twice. Dating. Entrepreneurship. Investing. Pretty much everything out there.
# sell your dreams
Sometimes it's about selling your dreams to go to the next level. To not get stuck in life. Like selling that Porsche you've worked for 12 years to buy. Or like quitting your dream job to start your own company. Your own charity. Or to write that book.
# optimization trap
We're so focused on optimizing our lives that we're getting trapped in creating perfect work. And when you're used to creating perfect work, the pressure of always creating perfect work will crush you. Sooner or later.
# what gives you energy
We do too many things that suck all the energy out of us. Instead of doing more things that give us energy.
# writing every day
Writing every day is a lot more efficient than writing once or twice a week. When you write just once or twice a week you have too much time to think about meaningless stuff. Like will it be good enough? Will people like it? When should I publish it? What time? What day? And so on.
# exposure
Exposure is the currency of the 21st century. It doesn't matter how poor or rich you are. If you can offer someone exposure you can get almost anything you want.
# it all adds up
No one will read your first blog post. One person will read your second blog post. Two people will read your third blog post. Four people will read your fourth blog post. Eight people will read your fifth blog post. And so on. Until your hundredth blog post might reach a few million people..
# self help
It's called self help because you're the only one able to help you. No psychiatrist. No book. And no self help guru will be able to really help you. Only you will..
# people are disrespectful
There's always a reason why people are disrespectful. Most of the time we were the ones who were disrespectful in the first place (with or without noticing).
# hitting home runs
Not everything you say, do or write has to be a home run. It's ok if 2-5% are home runs. Those are the things you'll be remembered for. The other stuff, the other 95% are there to be forgotten.
# knowledge
Most of the stuff you read is useless. It's just information. And not knowledge. It turns into knowledge when you apply it and test it in real life. Once you confirmed it. Rejected it. Or tweaked it. And before you do that it's just information
# freedom trap
Freedom is a trap. When you're free no one really needs you. And when no one really needs you, it's really, really tough to make a (regular) living.
# sabotaging yourself
We're not afraid of failure. We're afraid of success. Because we don't know what's going to happen when we succeed. Will we be the same? Will our friends change? It's very unpredictable. So we (unconsciously) sabotage ourselves. Because we're afraid of change. Failure on the other hand is very predictable. We'll usually end up where we've been before already.
# never underestimate other's weaknesses
Most people think they're bad at most of the things they do. But the truth is that other people are usually as bad as you, if not worse.
# information kills innovation
The more information you consume, the less innovative and creative you'll be. Because it'll lead you into thinking in pre-defined patters and a pre-defined world. This kills innovation and fosters sameness.
# don't stop when it gets difficult
Most people stop when it gets difficult even though the fact that you feel that something gets difficult is a sign that it means a hell lot to you. And you should never stop doing something that means a hell lot to you.
# expectations
Expectations are what gets me down. Not the fact that something didn't work out gets me down. The fact that I pictured it to be like this or like that and that it doesn't turn out that way is what gets me down.
So the best thing is to only do the things where you don't expect anything in return. In short:
You should only do the things you love doing. Always. No matter what...
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