Five Timeless Lessons on Life and Business

In order to multiply your value in your profession, you need to do a handful of things

I love to take, entertain, and experiment with all kinds of advice. And you’re going to need to do the same if you want to grow as a professional — staying with the same thoughts you have now is not going to take you anywhere. I’m going to give you 5 pieces of short advice, from a business summit I participated in yesterday.

The speakers were amazing: Experts in communications, serial entrepreneurs, and engineering geniuses! And I am excited to share the top-5 lessons that I personally took away from the event.

Take at least one of these and make it a core part of who you are.

Lesson #1: Your Feature can be Someone’s Bug

Whatever you’re building (and you are building something — it’s just sometimes an unconscious process), always think of the recipient first.

No matter what you’re creating, don’t fall in love with what you think will work. Think of who will consume or use your product. They are the ones who pay the bills. Either literally, or with attention. Give them something valuable, not what is valuable to you.

Lesson #2: Smile

Smiling is the foundational building block of good interpersonal communication.

Smiling makes it easy for others to talk to you. Smiling also fires a signal to your own brain, making you happier. Smiling is a true superpower.

Lesson #3: Accept what Happens

Life is unpredictable. And s*** happens to everyone. What really matters is how you react to it.

Think of two separate items: What happens, and your acceptance of all that. The distance between these two items is perhaps the single best variable to try to optimize. Shorten it with any possible means.

And your entire life might just change as a result.

Lesson #4: Take Notes on your Notes

Too much information comes our way. Too much good advice. Too many great ideas.

So what do you do? You eliminate the dopamine-induced reactionary state by, yes, rigorously taking notes first. But then returning to those notes, and taking what still feels like a good idea after a few days. Incorporate those thoughts into a separate bin in your head, and write them down in a separate notepad. Those more mature thoughts then become part of your personal philosophy over time, if you just remember to reflect back every now and then.

Lesson #5: Show up, Even when the Tools are Broken

There’s never going to be a moment when everything around you is perfect. But your task is to show up and do the work regardless.

Keith Jarrett played a broken piano to record one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time. There’s no excuse to not put in the work, even if you don’t have the perfect tools.

Just show up, and give your all with what you got right now.

We overcomplicate everything. Most good advice is really basic and often free. The key is not only taking it but also applying it.

You can do this!