Thread by @JustinSaaS

Today I turn 40.

Here are 20 helpful lessons I've learned during my life.

[🧵THREAD]

1/ The 2nd biggest difference between success & failure is persistence.

Successful friends and peers of mine have almost always been doing their "thing" for decades.

Not just years.

Most people give up in the "I suck at this" phase without considering the long game.

2/ The biggest difference between success & failure is getting started.

The majority of people I know fantasize about things that actually can be accomplished.

They just never get started.

If you get started and play the long game (above), you have a great chance of winning.

3/ 100% of people are out for themselves, even if it doesn't appear so.

Most people might find this pessimistic, but I just find it realistic.

Curious about someone's motivation? Look at how they are incentivized.

4/ Comparing yourself to others is the easiest way to get distracted.

You can only control how successful you are, not how successful someone else is.

Be the best version of yourself, not a better version of someone else.

5/ It's difficult to build a work ethic without the right environment.

Everyone talks about "hard work" and "outworking the competition".

It's tough to forcefully create this behavior.

Curate your environment and the behavior is a more likely outcome.

6/ The most important skill to learn is how to learn on your own.

Mentors are great, but they are overrated.

Mentors work well when you've reached a ceiling of teaching yourself everything you could possibly know about a subject.

Learn to learn and you're unstoppable.

7/ If you have a 10-year plan, you'll outperform most people.

When I look at the people in my network who are on top, most have been speaking about the same goals for a long time.

They had a plan. They had milestones. They worked to achieve them.

Not all. But most.

8/ Getting 1% better at something means leaping millions.

1% of the total internet-connected population is 46M people.

Continue to get 1% better each month, quarter, year, and you're making significant strides in the overall ecosystem.

9/ Everyone has knowledge that other people will pay for

The idea that you have to be an "expert" or have a certificate to teach or sell something is a fallacy.

Expertise is linear.

You can make a living helping those earlier in the journey than you.

10/ There is absolutely nothing wrong with being selfish.

Can you be selfish to a fault? Probably.

If you always put the needs of others over yours (and your families), life will be more difficult.

Give and take.

Or get taken advantage of.

11/ 10% of people will hate what you do no matter what.

I've seen it in every industry and with every creator.

There is a group of people that will always dislike you and your mission. No matter what.

Focus on the 90%. Not the 10%.

12/ If you can't teach yourself, you'll always be a liability.

If people have to spend their time teaching you simple things that you can learn on the internet, you'll always be considered a liability.

It doesn't matter what you do for a living.

Autonomy is a differentiator.

13/ Don't spend time with people who don't reciprocate.

My therapist put it best when she told me this:

"Reciprocity is an indicator that someone is invested in the relationship."

Thanks, Erin.

14/ You won't do anything special without a little risk.

Those at the top of their fields nearly always took some risk.

- Risky idea.
- Risky execution.
- Risky go-to-market.
- Risky advertising plan.

Don't be catastrophically foolish.

But do take some chances.

15/ Divorce from anyone who drains you.

As I mentioned before, your environment is critical to success.

People either add to your energy or subtract from it.

You'll spend 10x more time dealing with the subtractors.

Cut early.

16/ Time is the single greatest asset.

It's a cliche for a reason.

Of all of the things I wish for, having more time is number one by a long shot.

My 20s moved fast, my 30s moved so much faster.

I wish I would have appreciated time at a much younger age.

17/ Money is not the root of all evil.

Money is simply the key to unlocking whomever you are as a person.

Get your hands on some money so you can be the best version of yourself.

Help other good people get theirs too.

Bad people with money are what's evil.

18/ You can't say yes to everyone.

I've learned that saying yes to everyone means saying no to yourself and the people you care the most about.

A 15-minute brain pick with a stranger or 15-minutes more with your spouse?

It should be that easy of a choice.

19/ Consistency trumps all traits.

There are lots of skills you can learn.

But as a pure trait?

Consistency is tough to beat.

Athlete, businessperson, creator, etc.

Do your thing every single day and reap the rewards downstream.

20/ Nearly everyone is winging it.

Are some people light-years ahead when it comes to their thing? Of course. Elon, Steve Jobs, etc.

But most people who you admire are still figuring it out.

Every day, just plugging along. As nervous as you are.

Find comfort in that.

Well, that's all I've got on my 40th.

While I'm bummed to leave my 30s, my wife always reminds me:

"Not everyone gets to be 40."

If you liked this, feel free to give me a follow.

Have a great weekend.

Cheers.

🎂