Bassam Tarazi

99 Lessons For Living A Life You Won’t Regret

A year ago on my birthday I wrote a post called: 32 Years, 32 Lessons. Now almost a year has passed and I thought it was time for another reflective post. This time I’m going bigger in numbers but shorter in description. This list – and the 32:32 post – might be combined and broken down deeper in an upcoming book. I as thinking of writing it in the spirit of Rework but call it Relive or Relife.

But that’s another story.

Before we get into it, know that I wrestled with this title forever because this list is a combination of lessons, tips and truths about life, business and travel learned through research, listening, or the hard way. So you see, no one title really fits it neatly so I went with what I went with to keep it short and sweet.

Without further ado, here’s my list of 99 Lessons For Living A Life You Won’t Regret.

No adult ever mentally feels grown up
You will always doubt yourself, get used to it
Permission has already been granted to you. You just have to take it
The timing will never be as perfect as you want it to be
You won’t know what you’re doing when you start doing what you think you want to do
So choose to make every decision the right decision, even if something doesn’t go your way
Because success is a mindset
But success is also dangerous. The more you have, the less support people think you need
There’s no such thing as making it, only making it further than where you were yesterday
Starting a business means you’ll have less free time, not more. A lot less.
If you can’t figure out how to market yourself in this world, you’ll always be paddling upstream
Everything is selling. But now we’re selling ideas and opinions not only gadgets
Older does not equal smarter
Not everyone has experience, but everyone can have initiative
The best skill to have is one that is rare and useful
If you knew how much work it would take to get your dream job, most of you would run for the hills
And anyway, it’s only a “dream” job until you get it. Then it’s reality. And reality has its ups and downs
You choose what kind of mood you want to be in when you wake up
Don’t hang up the phone angry with your mother
Foster the relationship with your siblings. You’ll live with them a lot longer than any other family member
A strong handshake and solid eye contact will change your life for the better
Image is everything, at first. Don’t pretend that it’s not. Being well-dressed and decently-groomed is a form of politeness
There are no re-deals in life. The faster you accept that, the sooner you can excel at playing whatever hand you have
So often what we say inspires us also makes us feel inferior and paralyzed. The trick is to find the inspiration that stirs action. Otherwise it’s not inspiration, it’s comparison
Aspirations are wants based heavily on outside factors. Goals are wants based solely on your efforts
For all those instances you think you just can’t do it, maybe you just should do it
You live up to your own expectations
Ignorance is bliss but it’s not allowed to vote. If you don’t want to be informed, don’t complain
Speaking of complaining, it’s easier than succeeding. Be careful what you whine about
Owning memories beats owning “things” every time
Except maybe if that thing reminds you of that memory every time you look at it
Don’t be afraid to be broke. Be afraid to stay broke
Helping others is noble, but be sure to take care of yourself too. It’s not selfish if it’s growth
Embrace the suck. Your story is in the grit beneath your fingernails
Because in the end, it’ll be the stories you tell and the people you tell them to
Great days = (luck) x (a bunch of average days). Let the great days take care of themselves
Stress = reality not matching your expectations. It’s harder to change reality than your expectations
Fear is a choice, not a mathematical constant
We often don’t want to accomplish our goals, we just want to be liked by our friends
Independence isn’t free. The more you have of it, the more you’re paralyzed by it
We do care what people think
Don’t change the world, change the moment
Don’t strive to be the best. Strive to be your best. “The best” is insanity
Death by research is no way to die. Start already
In 5 years you’ll be wrong. Start already
Successful people finish shit. Finish already
Don’t go the extra mile until you go the last mile. Finish already
If you can put yourself in the shoes of an outsider, you win
Passions are your selfish desires. Purpose creates value for other people. Do something for other people and figure out how to tie your passions into it
Because how you treat people is more important than what you do
In fact, don’t treat others how you want to be treated, treat others how THEY want to be treated
While you’re at it, you’ll need to figure out how to pay your vulnerability tax
Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’ll always be that dumb
Exercise. No seriously, get off your ass
But if you’re only going to the gym because your friend is going, it’s not going to work for you
You are not right just because you speak. Give people a choice and a chance
Follow up or die
Know when to let go
Keep your digital self fed, but don’t let him/her rule the show
Create more
Tweet less
Craft first, community second
It’s not who you know. It’s who you know once you know what you need to know
Emotions are contagious. You are in control of what you are spreading and what you are susceptible to
Stop apologizing for not knowing. Everyone was a rookie once
All that evil needs to flourish is for good people to see nothing—and get paid for it
What makes people happier is: other people
Have longer dinners with friends
Happiness isn’t reached, it’s tended to
Take that trip you’ve been thinking about. (See #4 above)
If you only have a backpack, board the plane last. No sense in standing in line or sitting on a cramped plane for longer than you have to
Perspective is one simple thing that can make you more likable
If tuk tuk drivers speak English too well, don’t trust them
Partying is worth it while you’re in it, tragic when you miss it, regrettable the morning after, epic the day after that
Party your ass off every now and then, but wake up sober on Saturday more often than not
There is no such thing as “the one.” You don’t have time to meet all the candidates
Marriage and commitment is not about riding off into the sunset together, it’s about jumping in a foxhole together
Ladies, you hold all the cards. Own that
Guys, less gawking at ladies, more hellos
No one is thinking of creative ways to give you money
A service business is convincing someone you know more than them about something they value and getting them to pay you for that knowledge
Know the answer to “What are you working on and how can I help?”
When it comes to a potential new customer, nothing is nothing until it’s something
No one’s going to steal your idea
You’re not stuck in traffic. You ARE traffic
When you give someone change, don’t put the coins on top of the bills. This drives people crazy.
You have to enjoy the process somehow
Sadly, we spend most of our time worrying about what the people who don’t ever think about us, think about us
Do something you hate. It’ll make you appreciate the things you love more
Build something you can point at
Efficiency runs businesses; inefficiency starts them
You don’t make money from a blog, you make money from a business
Piss someone off. You can’t market to everyone
You can’t outmuscle being tired. Go to sleep
You can’t outlogic your goals. You have to understand emotion
Having no social awareness will be catastrophic for your career
Rinse the sponge out after you use it. People don’t like smelling mold on their hands
Have a hobby that entails you actually learning something new
The world owes you nothing. It gave you life. Let’s consider that “paid in full”