Zig when others zag, and vice versa

When the majority “zigs,” you should “zag.” Be different. Stand out from the crowd. Being the same as everyone else will get you “normal” results. And right now, “normal” means carrying a lot of student loans, car debt, house debt, credit card debt, being overweight, not reading/improving yourself, etc. Why be normal? When everyone does the same thing, they become replaceable. The supply is high and the demand is low. Be irreplaceable. Develop skills that are useful, in high demand, and differentiate you from others.

Change your attitude to change your life

You get what you look for in life. If you’re grouchy or mad or sad and you just want to be in a bad mood, you can find ways to reinforce those negative thoughts. But if you are positive and “happy go lucky,” if you are always looking for the silver lining, you’ll find that too. Your attitude shapes your perception of the world.

Change your attitude for the better and you’ll change your life for the better.

Are you justifying your fears?

Stop justifying your fears just so you can stay in your comfort zone. If you do so, you are deliberately holding yourself back, even if it is subconsciously. You give yourself an excuse or you say things like, “well I didn’t really want that anyways,” or, “I have to give up too much to get that,” just to make yourself feel better about not getting what you really want.

In reality, all of the best things in life take work to get. Sometimes, it takes a lot of work. Because if it was easy, everyone would do it.

If you’re OK with taking it easy and not living life to the fullest, that’s OK too. That’s part of the trade-off. But at least be honest with yourself… It’s not because you didn’t really want it, it’s because you didn’t want to have to do what it takes to get it.

Progress, not perfection

If you won’t remember this specific event in a week (let alone in a year or at the end of your life), then stop worrying so much about it. It’s not a big deal. Don’t blow things out of proportion.

So what if you got a B (or C, D, or F) on an assignment? Does that mean that you’ll never succeed in life?

So what that you didn’t get 8 hours of sleep? Does that mean you’re going to be a zombie the next day?

So what if your kids have some chocolate or didn’t eat the most perfectly grown, organic/non-GMO food today? Does that mean that they won’t grow and their health is now in jeopardy?

The point is, we are more resilient than most people think and so are our kids (if we let them). Don’t think that everything has to be perfect, because it won’t be – and you’ll drive yourself crazy trying to make it perfect. Go with the flow. Be nice. Treat others well. Do your best everyday. But be kind to yourself. Understand that the goal should be progress, not perfection.

Compound interest on the decisions you make

The best thing we have going for us is that we’re young and capable. Compound interest is our most trusted ally. Work hard and bust our butts (sacrifice) now so we can live like nobody else in the future.

Easy choices, hard life. Hard decisions, easy life.

Choose to do something difficult now that moves you closer to your goals. It’s always easier to put it off until tomorrow, but that will prolong the inevitable and works against your best interest.