30 Directives For My Next 30 years
30 directives for my next 30 years
As today is my 30th birthday, I spent time going through old books, journals and notes in order to compress what I’ve learned into bite-sized directives for how to live.
The lessons were learned the hard way and my hope is that by putting them down on paper (or in bits) it will be easier to follow their wisdom going forward.
I’ve spent so much time just going through the motions without a core framework of standards to live by. This list is my attempt to live more fully going forward in a direction that I’ve defined for myself and that was not defined by the environment in which I live.
The process alone of writing down directives was highly valuable for me and I highly recommend you giving it a try as well.
Well…without further ado…here as some of the key tenets I wish to follow in my next 30 (and beyond) years.
- Quit often. Write more. Laugh daily.
- Smelter Anticus. Always Forward.
- Eulogy over resume.
- Confidence comes from doing the work.
- Do not fear death. Fear wasting life.
- Be an uncommon man, among uncommon men.
- Focus on what you control. Ignore the rest.
- There are no shortcuts in life. None.
- Hell is meeting the person you could have been.
- Create more than you consume.
- Aim at what you want. Lack of focus -> Indifference -> Cynicism -> Apathy.
- The safest way to get what you want is to deserve what you want.
- Envy is the sure path to hell.
- Always remember: Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life.
- Embrace the suck. The more you avoid pain, the more pain you will have.
- Chase your lion. If your dream doesn’t scare you it isn’t big enough.
- The darkest part of the night comes right before the rising sun.
- Be curious about everything and everyone. There is a lesson in every story.
- Never forget the power of compound interest.
- Embrace the events of your life, good or bad, with indifference
- Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.
- Never put your character at risk. Guard it with your life.
- Discipline equals freedom.
- Say “I don’t know” more often.
- You can do almost anything you want, but not everything.
- Invert, always invert. Instead of “how can I get rich,” ask “how can I prevent poverty.”
- Don’t search for answers. Live the questions.
- If you want to improve, be okay with looking stupid.
- Words should be weighed, not counted. Speak less, listen more.
- It is hard for you to be positive, so focus on being less negative. Cynics die alone.
Cheers,
Ben
