7 Truths I Know at 30 But Wish I Knew at 20

I turned 30! (00:00:00)

• The YouTuber is celebrating their 30th birthday.
• They have been documenting their journey of building their business, growing their YouTube channel, writing a book, and quitting their job to pursue their passion for the past 7 years.
• They have learned many lessons along the way and want to share 7 of them with their viewers.
• It's okay not to have a clear plan for the future.
• Life is a journey of self-discovery and growth.
• Don't be afraid to change your mind and explore different paths.
• Comparing yourself to others will only lead to disappointment and unhappiness.
• Everyone is on their own unique journey and has their own unique strengths and weaknesses.
• Focus on your own progress and be proud of your accomplishments.
• The people you surround yourself with have a big impact on your life.
• Surround yourself with positive, supportive people who will encourage you to grow and reach your goals.
• Be willing to let go of negative people who bring you down.
• Your happiness is your responsibility.
• Don't let other people or circumstances dictate how you feel.
• Take control of your own emotions and choose to be happy.
• Money is important, but it can't buy you happiness.
• True happiness comes from within, from relationships, experiences, and personal growth.
• Don't chase money at the expense of your well-being.
• Your health is your most valuable asset.
• Take care of your physical and mental health by eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep.
• Don't neglect your health for the sake of work or other pursuits.
• Life is precious and unpredictable.
• Don't waste time on things that don't matter.
• Live each day to the fullest and make the most of every opportunity.

2017 - Have a bias to action (00:00:30)

• Despite initial doubts and lack of experience, the author embraced a "bias towards action" approach and started vlogging, resulting in the creation of over 800 videos on his channel.
• The most successful products from his business were created by executing ideas quickly, within a few days, rather than overthinking and strategizing.
• The author emphasizes the importance of taking action and starting something new, even if it means accepting potential failure.
• Focus on the process of creation and enjoyment of the work itself, rather than solely on the outcome.
• If you find fulfillment in the process, the results will naturally follow.

2018 - Enjoy the journey (00:05:05)

• The journey and process of content creation are more fulfilling than reaching specific subscriber milestones.
• Financial success does not significantly change one's core desires and activities.
• Focusing on enjoying the process leads to greater efficiency and productivity.
• Morning Brew is a free daily email newsletter that provides concise and entertaining business news, saving time and offering a more engaging alternative to traditional news sources.
• Staying up-to-date with advancements in AI and social media trends can provide valuable insights for personal and business growth.

2019 - Remove passive barriers (00:09:44)

• Passive barriers, or friction, are small obstacles that can prevent us from achieving our goals or forming good habits.
• Reducing passive barriers can make it easier to achieve our goals and form good habits.
• Making good habits obvious and adding friction to bad habits can help us change our behavior.
• Setting barriers to limit social media usage, such as blocking access during specific hours, can improve sleep quality and reduce mindless scrolling.
• Instead of relying solely on willpower, implementing systems that make it easier to adopt good habits and avoid bad ones is more effective.
• The speaker offers a free 5-day email course called "20 Lessons I Learned in My 20s," which provides four life lessons each day based on their personal experiences over the past decade.

2020 - Design your life intentionally (00:14:40)

• The speaker reflects on their career journey and emphasizes the importance of not relying solely on a full-time job for financial stability.
• They express a preference for working in medicine for enjoyment rather than financial reasons and envision an ideal lifestyle involving only a few days of medical practice per week.
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they unintentionally transitioned into becoming a full-time YouTuber.
• The speaker poses a thought-provoking question about how one would like to spend their time for the rest of their life and suggests making changes if necessary.
• They describe their current fulfilling lifestyle, which includes filming for YouTube, building businesses, and writing books.
• The speaker emphasizes the importance of aligning work with personal values and aspirations and designing a life that feels authentic and fulfilling.
• They envision an ideal life involving creative pursuits, learning, teaching, and building projects with a team, free from the constraints of a traditional office job.

2021 - Enjoy the journey 2 (00:19:39)

• Focusing on the process and enjoying the journey, rather than solely fixating on achieving goals, leads to better results and increased productivity.
• Setting goals outside of one's control, such as the author's desire for their book to be a New York Times bestseller, can cause unnecessary pressure and hinder progress.
• Emphasizing enjoyment and making things fun, as opposed to solely focusing on hard work and effort, leads to a better overall life.
• It's important to constantly remind oneself of the significance of feeling good and making things enjoyable to overcome societal conditioning that emphasizes hard work and effort.

2022 - Less is more (00:24:35)

• The ideal number of active projects or goals to have at a given time is between 3 and 7, as this aligns with the capacity of our working memory.
• Having more than 7 active projects can lead to feeling scattered and burnt out, while having less than that feels more manageable.
• The speaker personally prefers the flexibility and freedom of working from home rather than having an office, and uses WeWork all-access passes for occasional office needs.
• The speaker's goal-setting system involves having a long list of potential goals and a short list of 3 to 5 active goals at a time.
• Having too many active goals can lead to burnout and hinder progress, while keeping the number small allows for more focused progress and a more enjoyable process.
• The speaker had a podcast conversation with Cal Newport, author of "Slow Productivity," who emphasizes the importance of having a small number of active projects and cites examples of highly productive historical figures who worked in this manner.
• Juggling too many things is impossible, and the myth of "having it all" should be recognized as such.
• Reducing the number of active projects leads to more progress, a more relaxed life, and a greater ability to enjoy the process of productivity.

2023 - It's okay to leave money on the table (00:28:08)

• Finding perfect alignment between financial gain and personal enjoyment in content creation is rare.
• Prioritizing enjoyment over money is acceptable, as chasing money can become a never-ending cycle.
• Content creation should be driven by enjoyment, not solely by business or money.
• Focusing on enjoyment and the creative process leads to better outcomes, even potentially resulting in greater financial success.
• Knowing what your audience wants to hear can make the video-making process more enjoyable and fulfilling.