My Top 8 Notes to Self
A constantly evolving list of realizations and lessons learned
I’ve decided to create an article to share about my personal notes to self. These are key things that I’ve learned in my life through self-reflection and through the amazing people I met along the way. You know who you are!
Some might be clichés, but these ideas are a distillation of my personal experience as well as some advices given to me by mentors and professionals who already have several years of experience.
Disclaimer: The following ideas are just opinions coming from personal experience. These things might have worked for me, but it could be different on your end.
1. Ask tons of questions.
Whether it’s for networking purposes, work, or other related things, try to be as inquisitive as you can. It’s better to be someone who admits his/her limitations and stays curious, rather than a know-it-all who thinks they are always right. Asking questions shows that you’re humble and hungry to learn. In the context of solving problems, it allows you to gain a fuller context/understanding and helps you make informed judgements and decisions.
2. Best practices, frameworks, trends can only take you so far.
Best practices, frameworks, and trends are definitely great resources to follow, but while staying updated with these things can serve as a guiding light in whatever you do, you can’t expect it to work all the time. How you apply these concepts will always depend on context, so expect that it’s not going to be a one-size-fits-all thing and have a flexible mindset to adapt to any situation you’re in. Ask the right questions, understand the problem, and assess the situation (time, scope, resources) first before figuring out what solution you should bring to the table.
3. Nurture a growth mindset.
Yes, no matter how old you are. Keep learning and growing. As Jim Rohn would say, you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. If you can make yourself 1% better every time, then that’s growth right there. Always bite off more than what you can chew, and put yourself in uncomfortable situations. That way, you would constantly stretch yourself and unlock your full potential.
4. Don’t wait for the right opportunity. You just find it, and make the opportunity right for you.
Don’t just sit there and let opportunities pass in front of you. Always be exploring. But then again, you still have to weigh the different options you have. In a work setting, be proactive in finding opportunities for improvements such as process gaps and actually doing something about it. If you want to network with someone, don’t wait for them to approach you. Just go ahead and say hi. If you don’t do it, someone else will.
5. Surround yourself with people who will make you grow.
Again, you are always the average of the 5 people you spend most of your time with. While it’s important to always raise the bar in terms of the people you should surround yourself with, you must never forget to consider the rest of your circle. Someone will always be better at you in one aspect or more, so be humble and acknowledge the fact that you cannot do everything alone and that you will need their help along the way.
6. Networking is as simple as saying hello and introducing yourself.
Based on experience, the more time it takes for you to introduce yourself to someone, the more awkward it would be for both of you. Don’t be afraid to approach people, no matter how smart or experienced they are. Don’t let them intimidate you, because you will always have something to contribute. If you’re the shy type, I would recommend you going to more networking events or meetups and for sure you’ll get used to it. To be honest, most of the great opportunities I got came from networking with like-minded people.
7. Networking ≠ Relationship building
Relationships aren’t built overnight. You really have to work on it. If you are able to network with lots of people and don’t talk to them afterwards, then your networking is pretty much useless. Make sure to stay in touch and do occasional follow ups. Nurture that relationship by getting to know them, asking more questions, and seeing how you could be valuable to them.
8. Write down your thoughts and share your learnings to everyone.
If you learn something worth sharing, tell others about it. It’s a win-win situation anyway because as you share and help others learn, you strengthen your knowledge in that topic as well. You don’t necessarily have to pay it back to the person who you got it from; what’s more important is that you pay it forward to the people who need it most. So, if you have something to share — whether it’s about yourself or something you learned from another source — feel free to do so. You’ll never know who you might inspire to do what you do.
As I meet new people and learn new things, I’ll continue to evolve this list of notes to myself. Hope you find this list useful!
Thanks for taking the time to read. If you wanna talk, just shoot me a message! :)
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Avery is currently a UX/UI Designer for GCash. He is a proud alumnus of Ateneo de Manila University and was one of the founding members of User Experience Society — the first student-led organization of aspiring UX and product designers in the Philippines.
