That old saying ‘hindsight is 20/20’ becomes more true with every passing day. 

As time goes on, life makes us smarter, wiser, and more apt to make the best of things. Imagine if you knew what you knew right now ten years ago! Where would you be if you didn’t have to learn the lessons the hard way? 

Of course, this is wishful thinking. Nothing can turn back time - and even if you could, who’s to know if your past self would actually listen? It’s the lessons that leave the impression - allowing us to truly incorporate the knowledge into our future. 

But, it doesn’t mean that we can’t reflect on the past. If I was able to give the highschool-me some tips based on what I know now, here’s what I’d tell him. Sit back, relax, and get ready to get nostalgic.

Patience, Jon!

If I only had one piece of advice for my younger self, I’d choose patience. We can easily feel like rushing ahead, but that’s overlooking all the beauty hidden in the process.

Don’t Think You’re Always Right

Nothing ever goes the way you think it’s going to go - the outcome is only a version of what you think. You’re wrong 99% of the time when we think we’ve got it all figured out. 

There’s No Such Thing As Failure

It’s been said a million times, but I’ll say it once more: there’s no such thing as failure. If you realize that being wrong is actually a key part of success, your failures become your fuel. Most of the time that you’re wrong, you’re really on the right track. 

Let Your Ideas Mature 

Sit with your ideas. If you drop something too fast, it won’t be able to develop into its strongest phase. All things take time - especially strikes of genius.

Always Put Time Into Practice

There’s no such thing as too much practice. Always bring your A-Game and be responsive to the turning tides. Always move, always pivot according to what gets thrown at you, and never stop or give up.

Reputation is Everything

Your reputation and how you treat others is everything. What people say about you truly does make an impact on what doors open for you. Take it seriously and work on cultivating a strong public image. 

Follow What Gives You Purpose

If it doesn’t bring you joy, fulfillment, purpose, and satisfaction; drop it! What’s the point if you’re not passionate about what you’re doing? 

If you follow what you love, then you won’t give up before that effort pays off. You’ll be pivoting through trends and adapting to whatever comes your way. And, amidst all these changes, you’ll have stuck around long enough to end up exactly where you belong.

Build Trust

Trust is the only way to have longevity in all areas of your life - career, friends, family, everything depends on trust. 

Your Word is Everything

Building trust is all about keeping your word. Always do what you say and don’t let people down. If you’re not going to follow through, don’t start. If you’re going to start, always follow through. 

If you could do the same with your past-self, what would you share with them? Are there any insights that you would purposely hold back on? After all, it’s about the journey - not about the finish line.