life lessons

A running list of lessons learned over the years.

• Don’t dwell on things. Have a conversation or make peace with the situation before the story becomes amplified in your head.

• Explore your fears, commit to doing them. When you’re feeling scared, sit down with your fear, unpack it, understand it, and plan your next step on how you will face it this week. That last part is crucial.

• Itemize and seek out the things that make you happy, avoid the things that don’t. This becomes glaringly obvious when you think about what leaves you energized versus exhausted.

• Schedule joy. Prioritize the things that make you happy by actively and deliberately making time for them. Call your friend, buy the concert ticket, book the trip.

• Protect your sleep at all costs. Sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on your relationships, mental health, and career. Make sleep a top priority.

• Communicate the identity you want. If you asked your peers to describe you, what might they say? Are you happy with that?

• Finished is better than perfect. Perfect is impossible - you can’t compete with your imagination.

• Feedback is invaluable, especially when it’s critical. Even if you don’t agree, someone has their perspective for a reason.

• Reframe situations so that they become more useful to you. Is there a different way of looking at things that would be less upsetting?

• Be confident by default. Dips in self-esteem are natural, but you should always return to a healthy baseline.

• Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, ask: what action can I take right now to improve my situation? Exercise your agency and feel empowered.

• You already have permission. Don’t wait for permission to do the things you want to do - this is a form of learned helplessness. There are tons of reasons not to do things, but if it’s something important to you, either get to it or make peace with the fact that it won’t happen in your lifetime. You can figure out a way forward, you just have to try.

• Nobody cares about your failures but you. It always feels center-stage, but it’s likely no one else will even notice. What happened last time you failed at something? If you’re reading this, you lived through it!

• Nourish “I wonder if…” Because it’s your creative voice. Whether you’re making art or solve a problem, let your wonder wander. Always feed your curiosity because it will set you apart.