Where was this advice when I was a kid? I had to learn the hard way for most of it. 🤣
The other day, I was thinking about the life advice I wanted to share with my children as they enter their 20s. So, I sat down and captured a few simple lessons I think have made a big difference in my life and career.
Here are 20 simple things I think will make you happier, healthier, and more successful.
Invest in your health
Spend time in nature
Always be learning
See the wonder around you
Find tiny moments of joy daily
Always be adapting for the future
Be a scarce commodity
Help others often
Become a great communicator
Become a great connector
Build a powerful network
Make peace with saying no
Be bold and seize opportunities
Remember that bad times pass
Remember that good times don’t last
Be grateful every day
Keep going when others give up
Love and be loved
Travel the world
Be a creator
More on each of these below…
1. Invest in your health
I'm sorry, but no amount of money will truly help you fully recover your natural health later in life. So, one of the best investments you can make in your life is to be active daily and eat healthier starting as soon as possible.
I've been working out almost every day for the past 16 years. I started eating healthier about 15 years ago.
My biggest regret is that I didn't start sooner. Life is so much better in almost every way when you’re healthier and feel better.
I no longer feel tired in the afternoons.
I sleep better at night.
I feel stronger and more capable (e.g., lifting heavy weights is great for you).
I lost a ton of weight.
I look better, and people tell me I look younger, too.
We can do almost anything (e.g., hike in the mountains for 6 hours straight, ski all day, move heavy things around).
2. Spend time in nature
I’ve talked about the power of green exercise before. Research has found that the combination of physical activity and time in nature improves both health and mental well-being.
3. Always be learning
It’s too easy to get stuck in your ways as you grow older. And, sadly, if you don’t keep your mind active, you’ll probably experience cognitive decline.
Keep reading
Keep learning
Have strong opinions held loosely
Be open to new ideas
Heck, I’m even considering going back to college to take some new courses. At this point in my life, I’m even more excited about learning new things.
4. See the wonder around you
Never lose your childlike wonder.
Do you remember when you were young? Do you remember how excited you were to see and experience new things?
Get that back! Take time to notice things around you every day. We overlook so much when we’re busy with work and life.
I remember talking with some friends who live in Denver. They said they didn’t even notice the snowcapped mountains anymore. How sad is that? And it’s avoidable. Be in the moment and pay attention to the world around you.
5. Find tiny moments of joy daily
People sometimes make fun of the recommendation to be more mindful during your day. But, I find joy in being in the moment and pushing the stressful hamster wheel of thoughts aside in my brain while I’m busy doing daily tasks.
It may sound silly, but I wake up every morning feeling excited about making coffee and taking that first sip. I created a ritual decades ago of grinding fresh coffee beans, bringing the water up to the perfect temperature, and making the pour-over in my Chemex.
Could I save time using an automatic coffeemaker? Sure. Would it be easier to use coffee that is already ground? Yep, I guess so.
But I don’t.
I like that 20-min process and being in the moment. The sights, sounds, and scents bring me joy. That first sip of amazing coffee is a delight every single day, even after all these decades of doing it. And I try to bring this to other experiences, too (e.g., lifting weights, cleaning things, making meals).
Life isn’t just about the big moments like birthdays, holidays, and going on vacation. Celebrate the small moments of tiny joy every day.
6. Always be adapting for the future
I know it isn’t easy to keep up with all the changes in the world. It’s also easy to feel overwhelmed by unfamiliar things and get that warm sense of nostalgia for the past. I feel that kick in every once in a while, too.
However, it will be exceedingly difficult to stay relevant and successful in your career and life if you stagnate. The future is coming, whether or not we like it. You can either adapt and be a part of it or be left behind.
7. Be a scarce commodity
Don’t let yourself become a commodity. If you’re just like everyone else and you do work just like everyone else does, you won’t stand out, and you’ll be easy to replace.
Commoditized things get automated and offshored. I’ve watched that happen over the past 30 years.
Focus on what makes you unique and valuable, then double down on those things. Don’t be too available. Don’t be too affordable. There is only one of you, and you are amazing! Act like it.
8. Help others often
“People want to get happier, but often don’t know the best path to do that,” she says. “Generally, we find that it is more effective to get out of our own heads, and orient ourselves to others.”
— Jennifer Aaker
I didn’t fully understand how helping others makes you feel happier and more fulfilled until I became a coach over seven years ago. For most of my life, I didn’t get the concept. I sure do now!
I’ve made it my personal mission to help good people escape bad situations. It’s so wonderful to see people regain their confidence and get back on a good path. So, if you want to live a happier, more fulfilling life, seek ways to help others.
9. Become a great communicator
One of the best investments I made in my life was to become comfortable with public speaking. I’ve talked about this a lot!
My career took off, and my confidence in social situations soared once I overcame my fear of public speaking. Becoming a great communicator will serve you well in every aspect of life; work, relationships, daily interactions, etc.
10. Become a great connector
I take joy in introducing good people to good people. I network frequently for my businesses, so I stay connected with folks all over the world. In most cases, I know someone who knows someone — at least in the tech industry. Working at IBM, Apple, eBay, and Yahoo helped a lot with that.
When you become known for knowing people, folks will reach out to you more often. Opportunities will come your way, as well. And it sure does help to have a great network if you want to become a great connector.
11. Build a powerful network
Being a great connector also helps you maintain a fresh and powerful network. I often share that every single one of my jobs in my tech career came about because of my network. I had inside champions who wanted me to work in those companies.
The current job market is pretty bleak, but the people who have strong networks are still receiving opportunities. Instead of “spraying and praying” by blasting their resumes to hundreds of companies, they simply reach out and talk with their trusted network.
12. Make peace with saying no
I spent much of the early years of my career saying, “Yes.” To some degree, you do need to do that to advance your career. If you are good at getting things done and making things happen, you get promoted a lot.
However, at some point, you learn how limited your time and resources are. Not every yes is worth the cost. I found that out. And there is always a price to pay (e.g., time, energy, your health, your peace of mind, missing other opportunities).
Here are some things you should say no to:
13. Be bold and seize opportunities
The most successful people I know weren’t afraid to chase big opportunities. If you always stay in your comfort zone, you won’t grow, and you won’t be as successful as you could be.
I’ve frequently seen less talented people who have more confidence become more successful than much more talented people who were too afraid to try.
14. Remember that bad times pass
Bad times often feel like they will last forever. When you’re down, you start to wonder if you’ll ever recover. Maybe this is the failure that is the beginning of the end.
Dark moments are like that. They cloud your judgment and deceive your mind.
However, the reality is that bad times won’t last forever.
15. Remember that good times don’t last
On the flip side, life can’t be sunshine, unicorns, and puppies forever. Good times don’t last, either. There is no such thing as an “eternal high.”
The funny thing is, that’s okay. The good feels good precisely because it doesn’t last forever and you also experience the bad. The comparison is what makes it obvious that something is a good moment.
16. Be grateful every day
I’ve been working on this for years. I need to remember to be thankful for what I have. I’m getting much better about it.
Even when things aren’t going well (e.g., I’m struggling with my work), I can stop and remember to be grateful for everything that is pretty amazing.
My wonderful wife of 33 years.
My 3 amazing children.
I have my health.
17. Keep going when others give up
Daniel Goleman would call this “Grit,” and he believes that it is one of the biggest predictors of your success. Angela Lee Duckworth also gave a fascinating TED talk on the subject; Grit: the power of passion and perseverance.
Persistence isn’t a magical superpower that only a few are allowed to have. Anyone can do this! Anyone can set their sights on something, be persistent, and keep grinding to make it happen.
It is hard work and requires serious commitment, which is why most people tap out. However, you don’t have to be like them. Keep going!
18. Love and be loved
I know it sounds sappy, but love matters more than almost anything else in this world. I’m so lucky to have found my wife and someone who loves me as much as I love her. We’ve been together for 33 years now!
I know this as a parent. My love for my children is more powerful and important than anything else. I would die for them in a heartbeat.
Nothing will improve your life more than loving well and being loved back.
19. Travel the world
Travel broadens the mind. I’ve been lucky enough to travel a lot, thanks to my past career. I even briefly lived in Shanghai, China.
It changes you.
It improves you.
It boosts your compassion.
I’ll never understand people who don’t want to see the world. I’ve even met people who had been born and raised and never left NYC. Not once! They said, “Why would I go anywhere else? New York has everything.”
Yeah, okay. Keep telling yourself that. If I hadn’t traveled, I never would have had the surreal experience of watching the sunset over the caldera in Santorini.
20. Be a creator
Finally, I fear that we are becoming nothing but consumers. The internet flowing through all of our devices makes it easy to consume 24x7.
More Netflix, Hulu, Prime, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc. etc. etc.!
However, there is incredible power and joy in the act of creation. So, if you want to live a more amazing life, put your phone down and start creating something:
Write a story or poem.
Take beautiful photographs.
Start sketching and painting.
Play with clay.
Try a new recipe.
Learn to play a musical instrument.
Start a podcast.
Sing, sing, sing.
I create more now than I consume, and it has completely changed my life.
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Hi, I’m Larry Cornett, a success coach who can work with you to optimize your career, life, or business. My mission is to help you take complete control of your life so you can become a more “Invincible You.” I currently live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and Great Dane.
🎙️ 20 Ways to Be Happier and More Successful in Life (Issue #72)