Life/Business Lessons Learned July 1st, 2006 by Matt
It occurred to me today that I’ve been working as a professional for nearly fifteen years. Whoa. It seems like yesterday when I got that first job after university, wondering how it could actually have happened that after five years of studying, I seemed to know nothing applicable to what I was about to do, and looking forward to the day I would be able to write “three years of experience” in my CV.
Anyway, I guess that qualifies me to write a post about general life/business lessons I’ve learned over that time.
Treat people like you want to be treated. The timeless golden rule. Follow this, above all, and you’ll be fine.
Trust is everything. There is nothing more valuable than the currency of trust. It is amazing how nice life can be and what can be achieved, when people truly know that regardless of the circumstances, they can trust you to be fair, honest and truthful.
Remember that trust with someone is like a bank account. At the beginning, it’s empty. Trust isn’t something you can demand or expect; it’s something that’s earned. You go through life making little deposits, and, over time, the benefits increase as the account balance grows. But the most important thing to remember is that a single violation of trust can empty the account (and sometimes irrevocably.)
So be honest. Always. Never lie, not even little ones.
Chase your passion, not money. I’m now convinced that those who focus on doing what they love will find happiness, and, quite often, financial reward, whereas those that chase money often fail, and (more importantly) usually don’t find happiness.
Relationships. As I think back over the opportunities that have come to me personally, and to my company, it is amazing to realize how many were due directly or indirectly to personal relationships.
Be humble. Pride and arrogance act to the detriment of so many things. Never let success or power go to your head, and never allow yourself to feel you’re better than somebody else. We’re all human.
Never act in haste. Be very careful about acting in haste, especially when you’re upset. I can’t tell you the number of times I almost sent off a heated email, only to be so thankful the next day that I didn’t. (And, on the other hand, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve snapped at somebody, only to really regret it later.)
Perspectives. Always try to understand the other person’s perspective. Each individual sees the world through their own unique colored glasses, biased by their culture, upbringing, personal circumstances and a multitude of other factors. Keep this in mind before insisting that you’re “right”.
Don’t worry too much about planning. Looking back, I could have never planned, nor guessed, the path in the life down which I was led. And I’m certainly glad I didn’t try.
So there you have it, 15 years of experience in a single blog post. I’ve got more to say about these topics, and will soon, but it’s time to get back to work.
July 4th, 2006 at 2:18 pm
Great ideas Matt, but I hope you rethink your last statement about planning. I’d say that planning is essential to ensure a healthy personal and professional future, but you need to remain open-minded and flexible to life’s little twists and turns.
July 4th, 2006 at 3:09 pm
Daniel,
Yes, I agree with you. Much of my time is, in fact, spent planning both personal and professional short-, medium- and long-term goals. I was more referring to “worrying” about whether you’ve made the right plan for the future or not, and (as you say) keeping an open-mind to jump on opportunities, without giving too much concern whether they fit the “plan” or not.
– Matt