30 Lessons For Turning 30

Chip Conley recommends keeping a Wisdom Book. Scraps of insight, learning and knowledge... a little like a casual Commonplace Book.

So here are some of my favourite stolen lessons, originally written for my friends turning 30.

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Find the things that give you energy, and do them every day.

You never regret the swim.

People remember how you make them feel.

Smiles are free.

Keep a diary.

End the day with your most important question. Sleep well, and think about it when you wake up.

It's normal to want the opposite of what you have.

You can never have enough of what you don't need.

Simpler makes it better.

Make the choice that will create more luck for you in the future.

You are remembered for the rules you break.

It's good to be hated by the right people.

If you never go, you never know.

Chasing happiness is hard. It's easier to avoid unhappiness.

Time is money. Invest in speed.

Fake motivation works.

So does fake enthusiasm.

The imagination is more powerful than the will.

Don't fall for your own bullshit.

Be regular and orderly in life, to be violent and original in your work.

Deal with problems in daylight: morning makes everything better.

Ask questions people will enjoy answering.

Vague is fine - so long as it's exciting.

Hell yes, or no.

Instead of thinking about how life should be, enjoy life as it is.

Have at least one goal that will take a decade to achieve.

Earn your Saturdays.

Every day you are faced a hundred times with a choice between safe and growth. Choose growth every time.

If you're gonna crash the party, bring champagne.

Ask yourself: does this enlarge or diminish me?