1. Become aware of your own BS.
Self-awareness is imperative for most everything in life.
2. There is no such thing as a “hack.”
“If you spend too much time learning the ‘tricks’ of the trade, you may not learn the trade.” — John Wooden
3. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
Choose wisely.
4. When you have a Plan B, you give yourself the option to fail.
You don’t go into something to test the waters; you go into it to make waves. Wholeheartedly commit to your Plan A, trust your survival instincts when the going gets tough, and surround yourself with people who already achieved what you feel you deserve.
5. The world is your office.
If you’re unhappy with where you are, move. You’re not a tree. (Can’t move because of a job? Learn how to use the Internet to work remotely or make money otherwise. It’s not that easy, but it’s not that hard.)
6. Luck is where timing meets preparation.
Be proactive, so you’re prepared when the time comes. Never stop learning. Become a student again. “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” — Buddha
7. Nothing is particularly hard if you split it into smaller tasks.
Divide and conquer.
8. If you’re not sure, try. If you’re still not sure, keep trying.
When children learn how to walk and fall down hundreds of times, they never think to themselves, “Maybe this isn’t for me.” Better an oops than a what if. Every strike brings you closer to the next home run.
9. Sometimes you just have to jump and grow your wings on the way.
You don’t need to have it all figured out to move forward. The right time is the time you decide to make it right.
10. You don’t need a trendy practice (e.g. morning routine, journal, mood board) to be successful.
If it makes you happy, do it. If it doesn’t, then don’t.
11. A year from now, you’ll wish you started today.
“Never allow waiting to become a habit. Live your dreams and take risks. Life is happening now.” — Sheryl Erixson
12. Practice self-compassion.
On particularly rough days, when you’re not sure if you can endure, remind yourself that your track record for getting through bad days is 100 percent, and that’s pretty good.
13. Don’t panic.
Nothing is as bad as it seems. Explore stoicism if you haven’t already.
14. The moment you become uncomfortable is the moment you start to grow.
Force yourself out of your comfort zone. It’s difficult to do — no doubt — but you’ll thank yourself later.
15. The magic is in the mess.
Embrace the bumpy road, but wear your seatbelt.
16. You want to know the difference between a master and a beginner?
The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried. Learn to love to fail.
17. Reverse-engineer your goals.
Start with the why and the what, and then focus on the how.
18. If you don’t have SMART goals, spend ample time outlining them.
“Without a goal, you can’t score.” — Casey Neistat
(Google “SMART goals” if you’re not familiar with this acronym.)
19. Gratitude is instant medicine.
Take your daily dose. Things can always be worse (and often are for millions of others). “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” — Willie Nelson
20. Beyoncé wasn’t built in a day.
Life takes time. Trust the process.
21. But, you have the same number of hours in each day as Beyoncé.
Treat time as your number-one asset, and eliminate anything and anyone who wastes it.
22. Invest in yourself.
Buy a book. Take an online course. Enroll in a class or workshop. Subscribe to a publication. Sign up for a membership. Join a group.
23. If you want to be successful, be consistent.
“Eighty percent of success is showing up.” — Woody Allen
24. Understand the power of choice.
“The answer is yes, if this is what you choose. There’s no ‘can’ and ‘cannot.’ It’s all about choices.” — Nour Tohme
25. Failure is feedback, and the obstacle is the way.
“The person who fails the most, wins.” — Seth Godin
26. Sacrifice is the name of the game.
You cannot start something without stopping something.
27. Take control and make things happen.
Yesterday, I really wanted a haircut. Today, I got a haircut. That wasn’t so hard, was it?
28. Remember why you started.
Because you deserve this.
Originally published at medium.com