Reminders
A collection of short reminders to myself. Click any reminder to view it.
Overcommunicate
It’s almost always better to over-communicate than under-communicate. What’s obvious to you may not be obvious to others, and vice versa. Avoid assumptions. They are the root of most miscommunication.
Control the Inputs
You control the inputs, not the output. Focus on what you can do. The effort. The habits. The choices. Let the results take care of themselves.
See the World Clearly
Your ego distorts your view of the world. If you want to see things as they really are, be curious. Ask questions. And when people answer, try to really listen. Avoid making everything about yourself.
Correctness Over Speed
Always prioritize correctness over speed.
Be Yourself So Others Can
When you allow yourself to be more you around other people, you give them permission to be more themselves too.
Keep Your Word
Every time you tell someone you will do something and then you don’t do it, their trust in you goes down.
Revisit Your Commitments
Which things did you commit to a long time ago that you are still doing? Even if you don’t believe in it anymore? Even if it’s no longer fun? Even if you’re no longer learning? Ask yourself this every once in a while and adjust accordingly.
Baseline Happiness
No matter how many of your desires come true, your baseline happiness will not change much. When you get what you want, you feel excited for a short time. Then things go back to baseline pretty fast.
Do Then Talk
Do. Then talk. Don’t: Talk. Then do. When you talk about something before you do it, the chances of actually doing it go down.
Write Things Down
If you communicate something important to someone verbally and not in writing, don’t expect them to remember it. Similarly, if someone asks something of you, either: - ask them to write it down and send it to you - or write it down yourself immediately
Not Every Idea Needs to Scale
Not every product idea needs to become a company. It is okay to build something just because you want to build it.
Understand Your Investments
If your investment strategy is to put money into something because it will “go up in the future,” with no understanding of why or how, then it is a bad investment strategy.
Narratives In Your Mind
There are certain narratives that live in your mind about certain people. These narratives can be so strong that even when new information appears that contradicts them, your mind will still try to force the new information to fit the narrative.
Stay Calm When Others Are Emotional
Just because someone gets emotional while talking to you does not mean you also need to get emotional. Their reaction is usually shaped by things that happened in the past, things that may or may not be related to you.
Listen To Those Who Love You
When people close to you criticize you, they are usually coming from a good place. They don’t want to belittle you. Listen to them. They see you from a different perspective. A lot of growth can happen if you listen and start adjusting yourself accordingly.
Love Yourself Too
Love yourself the way you love your family and friends.
Design For Real Behavior
Any product or service that requires users to significantly change their behavior in order to use it is likely to fail. People don’t change their habits easily. Design around this.
A Person Who Wants To Grow
There is nothing more beautiful than a person who wants to grow. Someone who learns from their past mistakes and tries not to repeat them. Someone who is not afraid to make new mistakes. Because that is the only way to grow.
Learning Beats Intelligence
It’s not the smartest people who win. It’s the ones who learn the fastest from their mistakes. Intelligence has an upper limit. Learning doesn’t.
Consider You Might Be Wrong
What if you’re wrong and everyone else is right? Always consider that possibility. Take it seriously. There is usually a good reason why things are the way they are in the world.
Do It Now
If you do it now, you won’t have to do it later.
You Are Good Enough
You are good enough. You don’t need to achieve anything in the future to prove your worth. You’ve done things you regret. Everyone has. Forgive yourself, learn from them, and keep going. You get one life. Have as much fun as you can.
Don’t Give Unsolicited Advice
Don’t give unsolicited advice. Most people aren’t looking for solutions — they’re looking to be understood.
Be OK With Disappointing People
You have to learn how to be okay with disappointing people. It’s impossible to live your life and please everyone at the same time.
Ask For Help
There is nothing braver than asking for help. Do it as often as you need. It has always helped you.
Problems Are Everywhere
Looking for project ideas? Go out into the world and talk to people. Problems are everywhere.
Direction Over Perfection
There is no “best” or “worst.” There’s only better or worse. What matters most is moving in the right direction.
Everything Will Be Fine
Everything will be fine eventually. It always has been, and it always will be.
Say the Obvious
Say things even if they feel obvious to you. Everyone has a different brain and a different life experience. What feels obvious to you might be profound or eye-opening to someone else.
People Don't Think About You That Much
How much did you think about other people today? That's probably about the same amount they thought about you. Most people are too busy thinking about themselves.
You vs You
You vs you. Always. Comparing yourself to anyone else is one of the fastest ways to feel miserable. Learn from others, but don't compare.
Direct Your Jealousy
Jealous of someone else's success? Aim that jealousy at the effort they put in to get there. Respect the work, not the outcome.
Compare Hours, Not Results
Comparing yourself to your peers and feeling behind? Comparing yourself to others is never a good idea. But if you're going to compare something, make it fair. Compare the number of hours put into the thing. How many hours have they put in over their lifetime? How many have you?
Listen Beneath the Words
Talking to someone? Don't focus on the words. Focus on where the words are coming from.
Care About the Problem, Not the Credit
Care that an important problem gets solved. Don't care that you are the one who solves it.
Ask Instead of Explain
Trying to explain something to someone? It's hard. Really hard. There are so many things in the brain that need to line up for someone to truly understand what you mean. A better approach? Ask questions instead of explaining.
End Meetings Early
Remember this: A 45 minute meeting can end after 11 minutes. If there is nothing more to talk about, you can stop. There is no rule that says you must keep going just because the calendar said 45 minutes.
Be a Cheerleader
Forget about being a “leader.” Be the best cheerleader instead. Cheer for the people in your life. Your parents. Your kids. Your family. Your friends. Your partner. Your students. Your teachers. Everyone needs someone in their corner.
Keep Improving Yourself
All good advice eventually points to one thing: Keep improving yourself. If you do that long enough, the things you want will come to you. They always do.
Your Title Doesn’t Matter
You know who cares the most about your title at work? You. No one else cares about your title. They care about the work you do, and that you're someone they enjoy working with.
A Work in Progress
You’re always going to be a work in progress. And that’s exactly how it should be.
Exponential Growth
Exponential growth is real. It’s one of the fundamental laws of the universe. So what does that mean for you? If you consistently put in just a bit more effort than most people — in the right direction — that small edge compounds. Give it 10 years. The rewards are not a little better. They’re massively better. Orders of magnitude better.
Their Limits Are Not Yours
When someone says "I don’t believe you can do that" What they really mean is "I don’t believe I can do that" So don’t get angry. Don’t get frustrated. Their limits are not your limits.
Don’t Hold Me to Old Versions of Myself
"But you said that 10 years ago..." Wait. You’re really going to hold me to something I said 10 years ago? Hold me to what I said yesterday. Not to who I was a decade ago. Because I’m a completely different person now.
Self Sacrifice Should Be The Last Resort
Self sacrifice should be the last resort. Do not self sacrifice by default.
Your Response Matters More Than the Mistake
It’s not the mistake that gets you into trouble. It’s how you respond to the mistake that gets you into trouble.
It Is Ok To Mess Up
It is ok to mess up. Everyone does. It is part of being alive. Just make it right with the people who were affected. Start by apologizing.
Your Default Response Matters
If your default response is worry or explosions people will eventually stop telling you important things. Not because they want to hide anything but because they can’t handle your reaction.
Tiny Daily Improvements
Tiny daily improvements add up in ways that feel impossible in the moment. If you get just a little better every day the compounding will take care of the rest.
Two Seconds of Laughter
You can do so much in this life if you're ok with people laughing at you for two seconds.
Focus on Yourself
You cannot change other people's behavior. You can only change your own. So focus on yourself.
How Long Have You Tried?
"I'm just not born to do that... so why try?" Oh really? How long have you actually been trying? One day? One week? One month? A year? Two years? Five? Ten? Most people never even give themselves a real chance.
Life Is Struggle
Life is struggle. As you grow, you’ll solve the problems you have now, but new ones will replace them. Accept this, and try to enjoy the ride as much as you can.
Don't Try to Win Arguments
Arguments are usually won by the person who speaks more eloquently. Don’t be fooled by that. Don’t try to win arguments. It’s not worth it. All you get is wasted time.
Don't Judge Your Skill Too Early
New rule. You’re not allowed to judge your ability at something until you’ve done it for at least a year. Do it for a year. Then decide if you’re “good” or “bad” at it.
Document Your Projects
After you finish a project, document it. It can be tiny. It can be rough. Just capture something. Because in 10 years, when your brain goes “What do I have to show for that thing I worked on?” you’ll have something real to look back at.
Be Shameless About Learning
Be shameless about learning from other people. Age, background, money, intelligence, appearance... none of it matters. If someone knows something you don’t, learn it from them. Steal the insight. Upgrade your life.
Success Is Freedom
In your pursuit of success, make sure you do not trap yourself. If you get everything you thought you wanted but end up miserable, that is not success. Real success is freedom. Freedom to choose how you spend your time and who you spend it with.
Income Is a Lagging Indicator
Do not worry about your salary. And do not compare it with anyone else. Your income is a lagging indicator of what you have been doing for the last five years.
Be How You Are
People mirror each other without realizing it. But remember this: If you are sad and talking to a happy person, you do not need to pretend to be happy. And if you are happy and talking to a sad person, you do not need to pretend to be sad. Just be how you are.
Do Not Live on Autopilot
Nothing great will happen if you live your life on autopilot.
You Were Once Bad at It
Everything you're good at now was something you were once bad at. Remember that as you get older. Growth never stops, and every skill begins at zero.
Feelings Are Valid
Your feelings are never invalid. Find a safe place to express them. Let them out. Then move forward from there.
Do What Makes Sense to You
Always do things in a way that makes sense to you. Even if it takes longer. The extra time is worth it when the process feels right.
Same Team
You and your life partner are on the same team. Remember this when you find yourself in an argument.
Look At Their Life
Before you take someone's advice, look at their life. Are they living in a way you want to move toward? That will tell you more than the advice itself.
Better Or Worse
There is no best or worst. There is only better or worse. What matters most is that you keep moving in the right direction.
Don't Repeat Mistakes
Try not to make the same mistake twice. If you do that consistently, you become truly dangerous.
Focus on the Doing
The only thing that’s truly under your control is the doing part. Do it with as much attention as you can. After that, let the universe take care of the rest.
Problems Are Everywhere
Looking for project ideas? Go out into the world and talk to people. Problems are everywhere.
Work When the Excitement Fades
Work on an idea only after the initial excitement fades. In most cases, once the hype dies down, you will not even want to work on the idea that felt exciting just a little while ago. That alone tells you whether it is worth pursuing.
Put Yourself Into Your Work
In whatever you create, put as much of yourself into it as you can. Your perspective and your voice are what make the work meaningful.
People Aren't Thinking About You
It’s easy to wonder what other people think of you. But the truth is that most people are too busy thinking about themselves. Ask yourself: how much time do you really spend thinking about others? Not much. So stop worrying so much about what they think.
Passion for Learning
Having a passion for one thing is good. But having a passion for learning is even better. When you stay curious, you start seeing connections between things you once thought were unrelated. Do this consistently and your brain becomes a learning machine. The deeper you go, the more you realise how everything connects. It’s a more fun way to live. You’ll never be bored.
Start With the Smallest Step
Whatever big thing you want to do in the future, break it down. Find the smallest step toward it and start today.
Put It Into the World
You can’t really know if something will work until you put it out into the world. Before that, it only exists in your head. And ideas that stay there never get tested.
Enjoy the Doing
If you only work hard because you expect future success, you will end up disappointed. Success and failure are outside your control. You have to find enjoyment in the daily act of doing the work.
Salary vs Value
A salary trains your brain to believe you will always get paid as long as you show up and put in the hours. There is nothing wrong with that. But remember. In the real world, a business only makes money when it sells something of value to a customer.
People Who Call You Out
Surround yourself with people who are not afraid to call you out on your bullshit. Those are the people who actually care about your growth.
Control Posting
What you do not control Followers Likes Reposts Engagement Reach What you do control Posting That is the whole game.
Commit After Deciding
Take your time to make a decision if you need to. But once you decide Commit 100%.
When the World Feels Like It’s Burning
What do you do when it feels like the world is burning? Continue doing what you normally do, with even more focus. Work. Sleep. Eat. Exercise. Rest. Spend time with people you love. Take care of yourself and those around you.
Think Out Loud
Whenever you are in a meeting trying to solve a problem, think out loud. It makes it easier for others to understand how you are thinking. It also gives them the opportunity to correct you where you are wrong.
Automate After Understanding
Only automate a task after you have done it many times yourself. You need to understand every part of the task before you can comfortably outsource it to technology. Otherwise, you will create a mess that you will need to clean up later, and it will end up taking longer anyway.