37 lessons from 37 years

Art by Cape Horn Illustration (@serpentstooth)

Listen to an audio version of this post on my podcast.

When I turned 37, I compiled this list of 37 thing I had learned so far:

1. Whenever possible, act now.
2. You’re worth so much more than your eyeballs.
3. What you think is “all in your head,” may actually be in your body. Find a good doctor.
4. Trust your subconscious. It knows your path better than you do.
5. Get therapy.
6. You’re bombarded with mediocre opportunities.
7. Thus, it’s your challenge to ignore mediocre opportunities.
8. You’re bombarded with mediocre friendships and relationships.
9. Thus, it’s your challenge to ignore mediocre friendships and relationships.
10. Most people are dying to distract themselves from their own thoughts.
11. There is a lot of money to be made in distracting people from their own thoughts.
12. Thus, everything around you is built to help people distract themselves from their own thoughts.
13. So, ignore most everything, and make space for your own thoughts.
14. Nobody reads the whole article before commenting.
15. Nearly everybody is “juicing.” They’re making themselves sick trying to catch up with one another.
16. Thus, your challenge is to catch up with your self.
17. You can only know so much.
18. And, your brain is ruled by biases.
19. Thus, you can hardly trust what you think you know.
20. And, you can only know so much about a person.
21. So, if you feel jealous when comparing yourself to someone else, you’re wrong.
22. Take improv classes. It will get you out of your head, and into the moment.
23. Take voice lessons. It really is possible to improve your singing.
24. Only sing in a key that is comfortable for you.
25. Take lessons in a social dance (Salsa, Swing, Tango, etc.) You’ll learn to cooperate, and you’ll have instant community anywhere you travel.
26. Traveling sucks. It’s much better to live in different places for short bursts.
27. What you think is a personality flaw may just be the bad influence of the place where you live.
28. What you think sucks about where you live may just be a flaw in your perception.
29. If you merely suspect something is holding you back. It’s not. You are.
30. When you dream of something, that thing seems impossible.
31. When something you dream of feels impossible, it makes you unhappy.
32. Thus, be comfortable with where you are.
33. But still, dream, while being comfortable with where you are.
34. When you use a bookmark, you invite yourself to forget what you’ve read.
35. Thus, don’t use bookmarks.
36. Smart people do dumb things when the pressure is on.
37. Even though it’s cliché to end a list with something pithy, it ties it up nicely. Clichés are clichés for a reason.

I’m writing Getting Art Done to help you manage your mental energy and make your masterpiece. Sign up so you’ll know when it’s available.