"The days are long but the years are short.”
The older you get the more you seem to resonate with that quote.
You never know how much time you are going to get in this world. As a child, all you want to do is grow up. As an adult, you wish things would slow down and be able to go back to yesteryear.
Everyone experiences heartbreak and tragedy at some point in their life. Unfortunately, in the past three years I received four of those calls you never want to receive. You know, the calls “before 7am and after 10pm” when you get that sick feeling in your stomach. The moments you look back on and can vividly remember the hysteria when time actually stopped.
You try to make sense of it. Thinking on the good times and lessons learned. They say it gets easier with time, but you just adjust to a new normal. In the end, we leave behind three things: impact on others, photos, and an obituary.
So as I close in on the big 4-0, I decided to drop some life lessons. None of these are earth shattering. In the year 2026, every good idea or valuable takeaway has already been shared.
If you don’t work, you don’t have a chance
Listen to your parents (especially when they aren’t saying anything)
Spend as much time as you can with your grandparents
Buy a dog
Make sure to have a reliable car, comfortable pair of shoes and a relaxing bed
Do more for others than they could ever do for you
Hold onto a place or thing that takes you back to your childhood like it was yesterday
You are never above the custodian
People tell you a lot by whether they hold the door for someone or not
One coach or teacher can change the trajectory of your life
Humble yourself often (example: golf)
Create your own luck
Start a podcast (you will ask better questions, become more curious and create your own network)
Focus on stronger bonds with 100-200 in a network over the quantity of 300-500
Journal (Buzz Williams is the best at this)
Reflecting on your life will teach you more than any book you will read
Create a failure resume and you will have a tool to talk you through the adversity in your life
Want to become next level at your career? Make sure to have multiple mentors
Take a risk early in your career for less money but greater experience, it will be the best decision you ever make
Drive long distances early in your life and every trip moving forward will seem short
Watch out for the snakes in the grass
Loyalty isn’t always a two-way street
We control less than we think
Once you are kicked out of a fraternity (and I’m not talking college fraternity), you will realize who your friends actually are
Multi-sport athletes never regret being multi-sport athletes
The definition of clean is different depending on who you ask
Every Fish Fry is the same, the environment is what makes the difference
Buying someone lunch and getting to know them is a fantastic way to build trust
It’s time to leave a company when political decisions start to creep in
Never stay at a hotel until you have examined the reviews
Don’t fight people on their music choices, they like what they like
When a soldier dies, it’s tragic, but it hits you different when you know the individual
Parents - Let your kids fail...often!
It’s better to make your kids cry when they’re young than to have them make you cry when they’re older.
One of the most underrated things in life is having great neighbors
You can’t prepare mentally to lose a loved one
“You’re the GM of your life and control your own destiny by decisions you make each day.”
“When winning is more important than doing what’s right, that’s when you lose.”
“Life isn’t a video game, you can’t hit reset.”
Sometimes we fail to realize, these are the good ole days