9 Life Lessons I Wish I Knew At 18
“Self-discipline is what separates the winners and the losers.” -Thomas Peterffy
I was a terrible student in college.
It took me five years to finish my college degree. As a result, I wasted a lot of time and money. And I used to suck at writing. But I have a great work ethic and I love to study smart people.
If I knew these life tips at 18, my life would be different.
Here are the 9 life lessons that will change your life:
1. Write online to become a thought leader in your industry.
Age doesn’t matter in digital writing.
The readers will decide if your work is valuable or not. If it’s valuable, they will share it and if it’s not valuable, they will ignore it. Creating content on social media will help you build an online audience. And it’s a great way to share your knowledge and expertise.
Here are the best practices I have learned from studying content creators:
- Write a great headline in your YouTube video.
- Deliver on the the promise of your video.
- Repurpose your video into TikTok and Instagram to reach more people.
Building an online audience is great for your business.
2. Ask for help if you don’t know anything.
If you know how to ask for help, you will save a lot of time.
Success comes from working hard and acquiring the right knowledge. Contrary to popular belief, asking for help is not a sign of weakness but it is a form of strength. People will help you if you how to to talk to them. As a result, you will make a lot of progress and you will avoid mistakes.
Having a mentor will change your life.
3. Read books to learn new skills.
Reading is one of the cheap way to learn from experts.
If you read books, people will see you as intelligent and you will improve your communication skills. The best novelists love to tell stories and they spend their time reading fiction. As a result, they know how to capture the attention of readers.
Non-fiction books will teach you new skills that can improve your life.
4. Study human nature to understand how people think.
Psychology is not just for psychology professors.
When I was 22 years old, I graduated with an English Degree. And I read a lot of psychology books. Reading Man’s Search For Meaning helped me find my purpose.
Here are the mental health tips I have learned from clinical psychologists:
- Sleep for 8 hours every day.
- Practice gratitude every single day if you want to be happy.
- Take a rest after you finish a task if you want to be more productive.
If you know to listen, people will give you a lot of information about themselves.
5. Rejection is never personal.
I have learned this life lesson from The Four Agreements.
Rejection means “I don’t need your product right now.” As people always say, “Rejection is redirection.” If your crush rejected you, it means that she is not for you. But it doesn’t mean that other women hate you.
Women have different standards than men.
They value intelligence and social status.
6. The best way to overcome fear is to take action.
Fear is an illusion.
We are afraid because we don’t want to commit mistakes. But mistakes will teach us what doesn’t work. Without mistakes, there will be no progress.
Successful people act on their goals despite of fear.
7. Tell your story because it is one of the best ways to build authenticity.
Your story will help you build credibility.
For example, I’m not a journalist but I have written more than 100 articles online. As a result, I became a Top Writer on Medium and my articles have been read by more than 35,000 digital readers. Ghostwriting and digital writing changed my life.
If people are inspired by your story, they will take action on their goals.
8. Master copywriting and marketing as a creative professional because no one will promote your work.
I have learned from Ryan Holiday that writers should also master copywriting and sales.
If you don’t sell your ideas to the world, you will regret it. The best ideas often take years to be accepted. For example, electric cars were not popular in the past. Today, people love electric cars because of Elon Musk.
Marketing is not about being selfish.
It’s about spreading your ideas because you care about the future.
9. Practice is the best way to mastery.
Legendary marketer Seth Godin once wrote, “Creativity is an action, not a feeling.”
As a Digital Writer, I have learned that I can’t control the views of my writing. But I can control how many articles I publish each day. The best writers tell stories despite of uncertainty. They have a specific audience in mind.
True improvement comes from having a plan.
Thanks for reading!
By the way- I firmly believe the single most effective way to build your thought leadership online is through ghostwriting.
- Save more time
- Be seen as an expert in your industry
- Share your mission and vision on the internet
P.S. If you’re an Internet Entrepreneur who wants to position yourself as an authority in the entrepreneurship space and attract speaking opportunities that allow you to share your expertise in public faster- this might be for you.
Message me on LinkedIn if you need a ghostwriter who will help you accelerate your thought leadership online.
