Some Words of (Young & Ever-Changing) Wisdom

As someone who always loves listening to others’ advice, I wanted to share some words of my own that I wish I knew just a couple years ago. A gentle reminder that all things should be taken with a grain of salt, as I’m still only in my early 20s, have so much to learn, and a lot to prove. Every person’s experience is also quite unique and some lessons are best/can only be learned when you make a mistake. Check out my previous written pieces at the bottom!

1. The number one thing you should do when you’re young (& especially in college) is to Explore, Iterate, and Take Risks

Time at this stage is something you have an abundance of, and this piece of advice applies both personally and professionally. On the professional side, most people are unsure of what they hope to do longer term, and therefore a formula for discovering that is simply trying a ton of things, and building upon those that you tend to gravitate a little more towards or things that stick. By iterating many times over, you learn how to learn, you gain a more robust understanding of what you’re looking for, and most importantly, you find out what you’re uniquely good at, and can starting building an advantage on early on with. Luck in success oftentimes plays a huge role, and it should be your goal to increase the surface area/probability in which you expose can yourself to luck, and be opportunistic and ready to pounce when it does come across your table. Some people struggle with decision paralysis, so my advice for those is to stop thinking and just do. Choose one of the decisions and always have a bias for action. It’s either “one day or day one”. Don’t be afraid to reach out to that person or to put that imperfect piece of content to start your brand — what’s the worst that could happen? In my belief, if you work hard towards something (with at least a little smarts) everything always works out. Every single time, even when you think it won’t. As one of my best friend says, the harder you work, the luckier you seem to get. On the personal side, these are your biggest years of development, and a time in which you build a foundation for character and the person you hope to be in the future. Lastly, taking risks (with a hint of risk-reward calculation), especially while young, is crucial. The outsized and asymmetric returns (particularly financially) only come with taking on risk. Always bet on yourself. That’s how you build confidence.

2. Do the things you have to do to do the things you want to do

What this means is always having the long-term in mind. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a super thought out long-term plan, given life’s spontaneity, but rather a long-term direction. Something like a north star so you’re striving towards something, but knowing that flexibility and changing course is totally okay and even expected. A simple example in my life is willingly taking on an unpaid summer internship my freshman year, but knowing that the knowledge I would gain from that experience would pay tenfold and set me up for my junior/senior roles. You should set high goals, because even if you don’t hit them, think about how much further you would’ve come compared to hitting a goal you set a low bar for (if you set a 10 and you reach an 7, that’s much better than setting a 5 and hitting a 5). But realize all the strategizing in the world will lead you nowhere, and that you’ll have to put in the work behind the scenes, when no one is watching. That said, know when to pat yourself on the back every so often for the hard work you’ve accomplished, while still keeping that unsatisfying hunger for more. In fashions outside of work, you should put yourself in uncomfortable positions, so that you have many experiences to refer upon when you face the unknown. Take charge of your finances early, and begin investing when you can. It may seem hard, but spending 5-10 hours over just a single weekend weekend to understand the basics can you save you millions later in your life. As Einstein said, compounding is the 8th wonder in the world, and it doesn’t just apply in finance. Being consistent in something builds habit, and doing that alone will set you in the top 5% of individuals. Whether that’s a short 20 minute HIIT workout when you don’t feel like hitting the gym, journaling for 5 minutes when you wake up, or 15 minutes of reading a couple newsletters every morning instead of being on social media, simple math shows that over the course of just a year shows that’s over 90 hours of keeping up and understanding what’s happening in the world.

3. As my best friend loves to say, you’re the average of the five people around you

This is precisely why you should seek out and be around those that are smarter and more successful than you. It’s important that you’re motivations are positive, and that this doesn’t turn into a negative comparison game instead. Above all, it’s important to seek out peers that are better people than you, at whatever it may be. Whether it’s someone who is more thoughtful, more optimistic, more energetic, more sociable, or more athletic, I believe it’s hard-wired in our brain to strive to the level of peers, in a way that makes someone grow much more than they would’ve on their own. In my case when I did my backpacking trips, it was someone who had much more experience than I did, and by listening to them you pick up subtleties that exponentiate your growth trajectory. This oftentimes is realized in the form of a mentor (people love to mentor), but more importantly it should come from those who you spend everyday with. Even seek out those who you disagree with — these oftentimes are the most productive discussions, if you listen patiently. You want close friends that are willing to call you out when you act unlike yourself. Invest in yourself immensely, so that you can become that peer as well. If you become interesting / valuable, people will want gravitate towards you — it’s one of the best ways of networking. It’s a sense of admiration for your peers, and I believe that it’s such a special feeling to have. A way to get inspired, and even a sense of astonishment that “wow, this awesome person is one of my best friends” is one of the coolest feelings. Praise in public and admonish in private. In this fashion is a primary way in which you can build and develop meaningful relationships that last decades. Lastly, remember that everyone is on their own timeline, so just because someone is “more successful” in some fashion today does not mean much. They may have had a head start or a more favorable ground, but back to point two, your career is a marathon. Be aware that this doesn’t turn into an excuse. A reminder that what you see on Instagram/LinkedIn and hear from peers (that you’re not super close to) are almost always their successes and not their struggles, so it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison to compare someone’s highlights to your everyday moments.

4. Realize that the standard path (in school and beyond) only takes you so far

I will caveat this with the fact that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the standard path; rather, to be extraordinary, it requires a deviation from that path at some point. In the example of school, especially important in a major like business, the standout students are those that gain experiences and knowledge outside the classroom. The magnitude of this advice varies by major (less so CS/Engineering/Pre-Med/etc) but the core principle still remains ubiquitous. The difference between a 3.9 and 3.8 is quite marginal. It’s easy to sit in class and memorize what you need for tests, but to go out there in the real world and fail a million times can be quite daunting and is something that a lot of kids shy away from. What worked for me is figuring out what classes I needed to be in class for, and sometimes skipping the ones that I felt didn’t provide incremental value / I didn’t need to be there for — I instead would use that time to listen to a podcast or getting to know someone in the field I hope to be in. Figure out a system for you (not telling you to skip class haha!). In almost any situation, you should optimize for learning in any way you can. I don’t love using cliches, but your network is largely your net worth. Think critically about opportunity cost with your time — I can’t tell you how many times an opportunity arose only because someone I knew told me about it. Make yourself interesting — do unique things. When you are interesting, people will naturally seek you out. Do the things you tell yourself/others you would do, and in turn you will gain the respect of others, but more importantly, the self-respect that’s so hard to earn. Above all, one thing I found as the easiest way to build confidence is to do something you tell only yourself, because then you know that only you can hold yourself accountable. Think about how good you feel knowing that you were only doing it for yourself, and not for show or for others. That’s something I called “internal confidence” and it’s probably the single most important quality one can build early on.

5. Lastly, do things you’ll never regret

What this means is whenever you have a chance to do something really cool, like a once in a lifetime experience or opportunity, jump on it. This can even be boiled down to something super simple, like spending the day with your homies or family instead of finishing that assignment that’s worth .25% of your grade. Like in college, your goal is also to make memories, and think about in 5 years, what would you remember more — that freshman year night where instead of spending the night studying an extra 2 hours on top of what you’ve done I went with my roommate to jump in Barton Springs when it was freezing cold outside, and we were the only ones there but had an amazing time. Or that backpacking trip post-grad instead of finding a part-time job in the meantime to make some cash. Live out your personal dreams. Of course, it’s a balance, but you get what I mean. This is also where I mention that it’s crucial to take care of yourself mentally and physically. You’re the only person that will always be there for yourself 100% of the time. Encourage your friends to call you out if you start acting differently, and force yourself to take a break if you need one, but be aware that it does not become as excuse. Health is wealth, and without it, you simply can’t do anything. “Those who are sick wish for one thing, while those who are healthy wish for a million things”. Another biggie is calling your parents, before it’s too late. It can get hard sometimes and I’m definitely not the best at it, but try your best because you are going to wish that you would’ve done things differently were something to happen. One more thing, be kind. You never know when someone’s having a bad day, and a principle I was introduced to by a friend’s mother is a RAK — random act of kindness — everyday. To keep it easy, just one. And you don’t have to tell anyone about it, so you know that you in fact did it out of the goodness in your heart. I promise you’ll feel so great after and who knows, you could change a life — it goes a long way. Strive for impact without expecting anything in return in such a rough world as today, and it will treat you tenfold.

Final thoughts

If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading. For some final thoughts, I want to say that everything in life comes down to balance. It’s something that can almost never be achieved, but it’s something to always work towards. In my experience, whenever I think I have it, something shifts and then I lose it. But then you work back towards it, ebbing and flowing as things in nature do. Don’t forget to take a chill pill sometimes and enjoy what’s around you. Do you own thing — it’s your path and your path only. Go develop hobbies outside work, go volunteer, make friends that are uniquely interesting, and treat yourself to nice things once in a while. Work on yourself as a human being. Realize there’s gonna be some really shitty times, I promise you that, but those ups and downs make life fascinating and worthwhile, and as long as you’re going up and to the right in the big picture you’re on the right track. Seek (honest) feedback all the time to help you along the way. Nothing rewarding comes easy. Trust yourself, and just like a portfolio in investing, you should always be reflecting & reweighing your values, priorities, and where you spend your time. Let your intellectual curiosity run wild. That being said, I wish you the best of luck in your journey and hope I can be part of it!