10 lessons I'd give my 22-year-old self

I'm not here to lecture 22-year-olds. I'm here to tell my 22-year-old self what he refused to hear. If any of these land for you, that's a bonus.

The 10 lessons

1. 01
   Compounding is real and you're underestimating it

   Money, fitness, skills, relationships. Boring inputs done weekly for a decade beat clever inputs done sporadically.

2. 02
   Pick a lane for 3 years before you switch

   You don't know if a thing 'isn't for you' after 9 months. Most people quit just before the curve bends.

3. 03
   Your network is built by giving, not asking

   Help people before you need them. The compound interest on small generosity is absurd.

4. 04
   Sell something you made, even badly

   Doing this once at 22 would have saved me 5 years of theory. The skill of getting paid for value is the unlock.

5. 05
   Stop waiting for the perfect plan

   A 60% plan executed Monday beats a 100% plan that ships 'someday'.

6. 06
   Pay yourself first or you'll never have money

   10% to savings/investments before rent. You'll spend whatever's left no matter how much that is.

7. 07
   Train and sleep like an athlete

   You're laying down the body you'll live in for 60 more years. Don't outsource it to your 35-year-old self.

8. 08
   Most arguments aren't worth winning

   Especially online. Especially with family. Energy is the most expensive currency you've got.

9. 09
   Choose the partner who makes you calmer, not louder

   Drama feels like aliveness at 22. By 32 you'll understand it's just noise.

10. 10
    Tell people you love them while it's easy

    Parents, friends, mentors. Don't save it for a eulogy.

How to implement (even if you're not 22)

• Pick the 3 lessons you'd most want a younger you to hear.
• Now read them as instructions for the next 90 days.
• You don't need to be 22 to take 22-year-old advice. You just need to be honest.

What I learned

Almost everything I figured out in my late 20s was available to me at 22. I just wasn't ready to be told. The fastest hack in life is taking advice from people 10 years ahead of you, before you decide you know better.

Old you is begging young you to start now. Listen.