Last year on my birthday I wrote an email called “36 things I’ve learned in my 36 years on earth” (hat tip to Dan Ferrari for the idea)
Well today is my 37th birthday…
So I’m going to do the same thing and share 37 things I’ve learned in my 37 years on this planet.
Let’s jump in…
1. How people react to you is about them, not about you
If someone treats you like shit, talks down to you, flakes on you… it’s most likely about what’s going on inside of that person and has nothing to do with you.
It’s easy to blame ourselves in these situations. And to think we did something wrong. But how people react to you is usually about them.
2. Increasing your income is the #1 way to retire with more money
If you read personal finance books, hardly any of the authors talk about this.
They all talk about your savings rate, and what investments to use. But none of them really tell you that making more money moves the needle more than any of this.
If you make $200k a year, you can retire with a lot more money than someone who makes $50k a year.
3. You have to build your business and your lifestyle together
Trying to make money at all costs is a losing battle. Why?
Cause even if it “works” it won’t work for long.
You’ll burn out from working too much.
You’ll lose motivation.
And your family and social life will suffer.
I used to think this was just part of being an entrepreneur. But now I know better.
You just need to build your business and your lifestyle together so that you get what YOU want.
4. People with a lot of money are good receivers of money
If you feel uncomfortable when someone is trying to give you money (a client, a friend etc…) then you’re probably not a good receiver of money.
Wealthy people are always open to receiving money.
They’re relaxed about it. It doesn’t make them uncomfortable to take someone’s money.
The more comfortable you are with receiving money, the more you’ll have.
5. Nobody really tells you about the hidden costs that come with buying a house
Despite owning my home, I’m actually a huge proponent of renting. Why?
Cause I don’t believe that owning a house is the “American Dream” that we’re sold.
There’s so many hidden costs that come with owning a home.
And since it’s yours, you feel more inclined to spend money on it to make everything perfect.
If you can find what you want with renting, I think it’s the better option for a lot of people.
6. Let things come to you a little more
When I was in my 20’s I was in such a hurry to make things happen that it made me tense and anxious.
I wanted to be a millionaire right away.
So I forced a lot of stuff that I didn’t need to force.
Most of the best entrepreneurs I know don’t do this. Sure they’re ambitious, and they have drive.
But they don’t try and force things to happen.
If you let things come to you a little more, you’ll see much better results.
7. Be more realistic about who your parents were and who they weren’t
I grew up thinking you always had to say your parents were “the best”.
Well for a lot of people this isn’t true (even if you have relatively good parents).
The bottomline is that your parents are humans.
And humans are flawed in many ways.
Being able to look at your parents with a realistic lens of what they did well and what they didn’t do well is very powerful.
8. All the biggest results in your life come from one or two things
If you want to get stronger your best results will come from squatting, deadlifting and pressing.
If you want to make more money, your best results will come from mastering a money-making skill.
There’s usually one or two things that are largely responsible for your results in life.
So figure out what those are and do it.
9. Vacations are not just a luxury, but a necessity if you’re an entrepreneur
I have 3 vacations planned for myself this year.
Why?
Because my brain needs the time off.
I learned the hard way that if you work everyday, and never take time off, you will 100% burn out.
It’s not a matter of “if”, but a matter of “when”.
So make sure you’re taking time off.
10. Most entrepreneurs are great at making money, but they’re terrible at growing that money
Over the last few years I’ve taken a much more holistic view of my wealth.
So that includes how I make it…
And how I grow it…
I can tell you from coaching a lot of entrepreneurs that most are not very good at growing their money.
They might have a big income…
But they don’t get truly wealthy.
Why?
Because they only know how to make it – and not how to grow it.
11. If you demand perfection from yourself, you’ll demand it from others as well
If you’re really hard on yourself, and you don’t allow yourself to make mistakes, you will demand this of others as well.
How you treat yourself is how you treat others.
12. Taking your health seriously is one of the best investments you can make
Each week I prioritize three things with my health…
– going to the gym
– sleeping 8-9 hours
– trying to add in some cardio (struggling with this)
As a result, at the age of 37 I’m in better shape than I was at 27.
That doesn’t happen by accident.
You have to prioritize your health.
13. Living in a warm climate will make your life infinitely more enjoyable
When I moved from Ohio to Texas, I was immediately happier because of the weather.
I know for a fact that being in the sun makes me happy.
And cold and grey weather makes me feel “blah”.
In the sun, I’m outside more. I go for walks. I swim. When it’s crappy out, I jsut sit inside.
Being in the sun year around has made me a much happier person.
14. Do things simply because you enjoy them
For a long time I struggled to watch TV because I felt guilty that I wasn’t doing something productive.
Now-a-days though, I see TV differently.
If there’s a football game on that I want to watch…
Or a show I want to watch before bed…
I’ll simply watch it.
It doesn’t matter that I’m not being productive.
Not everything in your life has to be productive.
15. It’s ok to ask for help
In the first few years of my business I was a lone wolf. And I wanted it that way.
I didn’t want to rely on anyone else.
I didn’t want anyone’s help.
I tried to do everything on my own.
And I did it because I thought that needing others, and asking for help was weak.
I thought you were somehow better if you did everything on your own.
Now-a-days I know this is ridiculous.
The best entreperneurs don’t do everything on their own. They have teams. They have mentors. And they ask for help.
16. It’s not about impressing others, it’s about getting what YOU want
Buying shit to impress others is a fool’s errand.
Cause no one really cares if you have a Rolex, or a Ski Nautique, or a Ferrari.
However if YOU like those things…
And you want to have them, then get them.
It should be all about getting what YOU want.
Not what others think you should have.
17. Find the most comfortable clothes you can to work in and wear them all the time
This was a revealtion for me about a year ago.
I bought a few pairs of Lululemon shorts, pants and shirts that fit me great.
So I started wearing them everyday while working.
And it’s made a huge difference.
If you’re gonna be sitting in the same spot all day typing away on your computer, you want to be comfortable.
So don’t sit there in a shirt that’s too tight on your shoulders…
Or jeans that ride up your crack when you sit down.
Find clothes that you feel super comfortable in and wear them over and over.
18. The fastest way to make progress on anything is to learn from someone who’s where you want to be
If you want to get better at guitar, get a teacher who is good at guitar…
If you want to get stronger, find a strength coach who has helped others to get stronger…
If you want to grow your business, find an entrepreneur who’s already done what you want to do.
Nothing will accelerate your progress more than learning from someone who has already made all the mistakes and can tell you what to do (and what not to do)
19. You will never be happy if you always compare yourself to others
There’s a guy I vaguely know through another friend who has over $400 million dollars to his name.
You’d think this guy would be living the dream life.
And he does to an extent.
But inside he’s never really happy.
Why? Cause he hangs out with billionaires and he’s always comparing himself to them.
Comparison is the fastest way to be unhappy.
Cause there’s always someone who’s going to have more money, a cooler car, a better body, a more attractive spouse and a bigger house than you.
It’s a fool’s errand to compare yourself to others.
Cause you can’t win this game.
20. The things you stick to, are what work best for you
If you have any friends that are personal trainers, one thing they’ll tell you is that the best workout program is the one someone will actually do.
So if they can get you to do the program 4x a week, but it’s only 80% as effective as the program they really want to give you, they’ll take it.
And this goes for everything in your life.
Could be your diet…
Could be what time you get up in the morning…
The one that you can stick to is the best for you.
21. Men and women are a different species
Allison Armstrong always talks about how men think of women as “tiny men”, and women think of men as “hairy women”.
But the reality is a lot different.
We process emotions differently.
We see things like safety and security in a completely different light.
We communicate VERY differently.
The reality is that men and women are closer to being a different species than we are being similar.
22. How you dress has a HUGE impact on how people perceive you
Back in 2014 or so, I dated a girl who was a fashion designer.
At the time, I had pretty shitty style.
So I had my girlfriend and her friends give me a makeover.
They raided my closet and threw out all the crap I shouldn’t be wearing.
And they taught me the basics on things like layering, what colors looked good on me and so on.
I later used what I learned from them to change the way I dressed at events.
So instead of wearing my gym clothes all over the convention hall, I started wearing blazers and suits.
And guess what?
People treated me completely differently.
They looked at me in a different light.
If you want to be taken more seriously in your personal life, and business life, simply dressing better is an easy way to do that.
23. Spend money on a good haircut
I remember the first time I stopped going to SuperCuts and went to an actual stylist and paid like $35 for a haircut (this was back when I had hair).
It felt like such a waste of money.
I couldn’t believe I was spending $35 on a haircut.
But…turns out it was well worth it.
I got more compliments on that haircut in a week than I had in the previous 5 years with my previous haircuts.
Kind of like dressing better, getting the right haircut for your face can do wonders for your confidence and how people perceive you.
There’s a few things in life you shouldn’t skimp on…
Toilet paper, tattoos and haircuts.
Pay for a good haircut.
24. Don’t feel forced to follow the traditional college, marriage, kids path if it’s not for you
There is a LOT of pressure in our society to follow what everyone else is doing.
If you don’t check all the traditional boxes of going to college, getting married and having kids, people look at you strange.
I can tell you this says more about other people than it does about you.
There’s nothing wrong with not going to college…
Nothing wrong with not wanting to be married…
And nothing wrong with not wanting kids…
You have to do what’s best for you.
And there will be mountains of pressure to conform to all three of these.
But if they aren’t for you, then that’s perfectly fine.
It’s your life, and the goal is to have the life that YOU want. Not the life that others want for you.
25. You have to weigh how making more money will affect your stress and sanity
Over the last few years, I’ve gotten better at figuring out if making more money is worth it.
And here’s what I mean by that…
Let’s say I have the opportunity to make an extra $500k this year. But that $500k would mean I’d have to put in 20 more hours of work a week.
Should I do it?
That answer will be different for everyone. But for me, it’s a no.
I’m not willing to work that much for another $500k.
You always have to weigh the stress and effort making more money is going to have on you.
You don’t want to chase money at all costs.
26. Track your sleep each night
I wear an Oura ring to track my sleep every night.
And it’s been a huge help in pinpointing why I feel like crap on certain days.
I know that if I’m on my phone too late at night…
Or if I stay up past 10:30, my sleep suffers.
And having real data that shows me this each night is super powerful.
Sleep is one of those things that is very unsexy to talk about. It’s not the magic bullet that most people are looking for.
But the reality is it has a bigger affect on how you feel than anything else.
27. Hang around some people that AREN’T entrepreneurs
This is one I struggle with.
But I’ve made a little headway this year.
Hanging around entrepreneurs is great…
Cause it pushes you to level up.
The problem with having all entrepreneurial friends is that you all think the same.
So you live in a bubble.
Having some friends who are normal people – accountants, teachers, bartenders – is actually good for you.
It keeps you grounded.
And helps you to stop talking about business all the time.
28. Splurge on certain things you care about, and cut back on things you don’t care about
This is something I learned from Ramit Sethi.
There’s probably an area of your life that you really LOVE. And you’d love to spend more money in that area.
That could be travel…
It could be clothes…
It could be donating money to a charity…
I think it’s smart to have areas that you spend freely. And then have areas where you cut expenses ruthlessly.
29. If you can afford it, get a “house helper”
I have an assistant/house helper in Austin that basically does all the stuff around my house that I don’t want to do.
So she runs errands for me…
Goes to the post office…
Makes my bed…
Cleans my stove each morning…
Meal preps for me…
All of this is well worth it for me.
Cause it makes my life easier.
And allows me to focus on what I’m best at, which is running my business.
Highly recommend having someone like this if you can swing it.
30. Take risks in your business, be conservative with your investments
I’m quite conservative when it comes to investing.
90% of my money is in index funds which are pretty boring.
I have 10% in things like gold and crypto which aree more volitaile.
But overall I’m pretty conservative with my investments, which I like.
If I’m going to take risks I want it to be in my business where I have control of things.
31. You don’t have to be smart to be successful
I didn’t become successful by being “smart” in the traditional sense.
I barely got a 22 on my ACT (which is below average).
I couldn’t tell you anything about the periodic table, the pythagorean therom or why World War 1 was started…
But I’m really good at direct response marketing.
And that’s a valuable skill.
If you’re not a traditional brainiac, no need to worry. You can still be wildly successful without being smart.
32. Most of the money beliefs you have are from your childhood
I grew up in a house where making $50k a year was considered a LOT of money.
I thought all rich people were assholes.
I thought money was hard to come by.
At the age of 37, I no longer believe any of this.
Cause my experience has shown me otherwise.
I now look at people who make $10 million a year and think that’s a lot of money.
I have a lot of rich friends who are incredibly generous and caring.
And I’ve learned that making money can really be pretty simple when you have the right setup.
So everything I learned about money growing up wasn’t really true.
33. Try not to burn bridges with people, it’s just not worth it
I’ve told the story before about how back in 2010 or so, I copied a bunch of Facebook ads that Mike Geary was using.
Mike was not happy about this.
And basically him and the rest of the offer owners at the time blacklisted me from their group.
Instead of apologizing and making things right, I fought back like a dog who was cornered.
Which was incredibly stupid.
My thought process was “fuck these guys, I dont need them”.
It took a good 5-6 years to mend those relationships.
And now I’m good friends with Mike, and most of the guys who originally hated me.
I can tell you from experience it’s not worth it to burn any bridges in this industry.
Its a very small industry, and you never know who you’ll need in 5 or 10 years.
34. You should have an “enough is enough” number
Unless you plan to work until you die, I believe most people should have an “enough is enough” number.
This is basically the point where you have so much money, that you hang it up and do whatever you want.
That might be working less hours…
That might mean traveling the world…
That might mean golfing everyday.
Whatever it is you want to do, you should prolly have a number that tells you when it’s time to do that.
35. The second half of your 30’s are very different from the first half
This is something I’ve noticed a lot the past two years.
My early 30’s were great. And kind of felt similar to my late 20’s. They weren’t that different.
But after 35 a lot of what I want in life, and what motivates me has changed.
I definitely feel “wiser” and I think through things a lot more than I did in my early 30’s.
I’m not sure what changed, or what “clicked” but the second half of my 30’s has been very different from the first half.
36. Always over-tip for good service
One thing I learned from Dan Kennedy is that over-tipping is good for your “money mindset”.
It helps you be more loose with money.
So I try to overtip on everything…
The guy who cuts my beard gets $10 or $15 from me.
I give the butcher who cuts my steaks $5 for getting them ready.
I give the valet an extra $10 when I leave my car.
I don’t know the exact mechanism of why this works, but it does.
Over-tipping definitely makes you less tight when it comes to money.
37. Do the things you enjoy more often
One of my favorite things to do is to have friends over and cook for them.
I’ve always enjoyed this, but hadn’t done it much in the last few years.
This year, I’ve already had 3 dinner parties at my place where I cooked for friends.
And I plan on doing a bunch more.
If you’re like most entrepreneurs, it’s easy to get focused on your work…
And to ignore the things you enjoy doing.
The stuff you enjoy just falls to the wayside.
And you become a work robot.
But if you want a fulfilling life…
One that you enjoy all the time (and not just on the weekends) then you need to do more of what you love.
That could mean spending time at the park with your dog…
Or playing basketball every week…
Or picking up a hobby you used to love but haven’t done in years.
Whatever it is…
Try to do more of the things you love.
I promise your life will be infinitely better because of it.
Anyways…
Thats all I got for ya this morning.
37 things Ive learned in my 37 years on earth.
Hope you got some good nuggets from this.
– Justin
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