50 simple truths of life

Just as a reminder that life is not that complicated

Photo by: Daniel Leone via Unsplash

Most things are extremely simple. Yet I often forget them. This is my personal list of reminders. None of them is mine, all are inspired by others around me.

Health:

• Move a lot. It does not really matter what you do. Do something you love to do consistently for a long period of time.
• Sleep 7+ hours, ideally on a fixed schedule. Sleep is your superpower.
• Eat healthy - whole foods, veggies and fruits. Learn how to cook.

Wealth:

• Save money. Do not buy things you do not want or need. Having some money makes you sleep well at night.
• Invest in companies or assets you believe in. Do not blindly invest, only invest in those things you understand and believe in with money you are comfortable losing.
• There are no get-quick-rich-schemes. Find something you love doing and put in the hours.

Energy:

• Sleep well. Sleep is your superpower.
• Get enough sunlight and fresh air. Go for a walk more often.
• Limit your distractions, skip those cheap dopamine hits, the sugars, alcohol and likes.

Mental health:

• Go out, watch the birds, the sun and the sea. You only have the present moment.
• Feel your emotions without judgement, do not try to numb them.
• Journal, meditate, walk or find someone to talk to. You will realize how crazy our thoughts are.
• Just a reminder; we all fuck up at times. It is okay. Do not worry too much.

Happiness:

• Happiness is freedom of the mind. Freedom means peace, it does not mean being able to travel anywhere.
• Change your perspective, there is always a positive side to every negative event.
• Limit your desires, and practise gratitude at least once per day.
• Care about others, smile at strangers and help others succeed.
• Happiness is a skill that can be trained. Practising gratitude, optimism, limiting desires and serving others helps.

Relationships:

• Be fully present when you are together, really listen and care. Pay attention.
• Remember important moments in someone’s life. Think of them.
• Have boundaries for yourself and communicate them clearly. You can only be there for others when you are there for yourself first.
• A sign of a good relationship is the ability to be your authentic self without effort or anxiety.

Love:

• Love yourself first. We can only give what we have.
• Do not rush it, love grows over time.
• For love and friendships, do what you love doing and you will find your people around you.
• You can not change people, accept people as they are.

Productivity:

• Schedule deep-focus time. You need time to get beyond the regular ideas. Protect your time.
• Creativity comes from constraints. Set deadlines.
• Work in sprints like a lion. There are blocks you work hard and blocks you rest and reflect.
• Do not create endless to-do lists. Focus on your most important task of the day. And then just get started, do not wait for motivation. Motivation is a result of action.
• Some decisions require more thinking time, most do not. Realising the difference is essential.

Innovation:

• Every idea is already done or tried somewhere in this world. Do not let that stop you. Just realize you are not a genius.
• Your first solution will be a bad one, keep learning and improving. Give yourself time.
• Care deeply about the problem you want to solve and the people you want to help, not about your solution.
• Most successful ideas are super simple, if it is too complex, you do not understand them well enough.

Sales:

• Focus on long-term relationships. Retention and referral are your friends. People that love your solution will come back to you.
• Give more value than they ask for. Surprise them with more quality and care in everything you do.
• Do not sell. Ask questions and listen. Your customers will tell you what their real problems are.

Leadership:

• Work with better people than yourself. Learn from them, and be inspired by them. Let them thrive.
• Create a sincere shared vision, a north star you are working towards. Your uniqueness is your superpower.
• Deeply care about your people. Ask what matters to them, listen, and show you got their back.
• Forget the hierarchy. We are all people.

Career:

• There is no such thing as a career, you have a life.
• There is not such a thing as one single purpose, we just want the feeling that we spend our limited time on this earth well.
• Go where people inspire you and you love to be around.
• Do things, learn things, and try things that spark your curiosity and you uniquely enjoy doing. No one can compete with you at being you.
• Improve your craft, not your business.

Have a nice day’