I don’t even remember the amount of times that I have thought, “I wish I knew that when I was younger”. I’m sure most of us had wished that we could go back to our younger self with all the knowledge we have right now. So here are 7 things that you don’t want to learn too late in life.
1. Stop shoulding on yourself
We go through life learning at a young age all the things that we should do and even punished for not doing them. Then we look around other people’s lives and see that they’re doing the same thing, so we don’t question it. But we don’t stop to ask ourselves if this is what we truly want.
Do you really want to be a lawyer, or has your parents just instilled this belief upon you? Do you really need college for your passion, or has society made you think it’s mandatory for success. Will Smith’s parents almost forced college on him, but after much fighting they gave him the opportunity of one year to chase his musical dreams. I’m assuming there would be no Fresh Prince if Will Smith shoulded himself.
There’s a new American dream now. This generation has chiseled and revised the American dream into something more viable: living your passion. We take the lessons of the old timers about hard work, dedication and sacrifice, and put it into something we absolutely love doing. Demand something more for yourself from the smidgen of time we’re privileged to have here on this earth.
2. Facing your fears
The skill of facing your fear is one of the most obvious, but sometimes the most crucial. It doesn’t matter who you are – elite athlete, millionaire, or Chuck Norris; we all have some type of level of fear. A level of discomfort when a situation arises. But without putting yourself face to face with your fears, you can never fully get to where you want to be. There really are no shortcuts.
Most people will probably fear failure. It can paralyze you from moving forward. It can chew you up and spit you out. But look at it this way, failure is something that is absolutely essential for you to be able to enjoy success. Would sunny days feel so special, if there weren’t rainy ones?
None of us are perfect, we all make mistakes. But with every mistake, every failure, it slowly transitions into wisdom. The wisdom of knowing how to do it better. The wisdom that those same failures you encountered, developed you into the person you are today.
3. Small steps for big changes
Small steps aren’t about limiting yourself from growing to large, too quick. It’s a matter of being able to start (especially with something you fear). It’s about growing momentum and putting yourself into a position where you know you can succeed. The thought of doing everything at once exhausts my brain just thinking about it. I used to put way too many things on my to-do list, attempt to get everything done, and end up procrastinating because of how much there is to do.
Break the monster down into bite sized pieces. Want to accomplish more? Start with just two of the most important things on your to do list. Want to change your diet? Start with one healthy meal a day.