Lessons Learned in 2008: Do's and Dont's
2008 was a landmark year for several people, including me, and I learned a great many lesson throughout the year.
I've cataloged them into the areas of "do's" and "don'ts". They are things that I've learned throughout the year that I feel may be useful to others.
DO:
1. Quit your job when it is appropriate.
For instance: when you have found something better or when you can't stand it to go in for even one more day.
2. Throw great parties.
Some people don't get invited to a lot of things, so they instead invite others in what they have. I'm one of those people, and I love sharing. People remember you for that. If you do get invited somewhere, be gracious, offer something, and don't leave a mess.
I can't say that all my parties are great, but I had a good time, I enjoyed bringing people together, and I think others enjoyed being together, too.
3. Honor and cherish your grandparents.
I lost two this year, and I am grateful for every moment I was able to spend with each of them. Life is short. And nobody is ever ready for it to end when it does. Take advantage of the time you have to share with people while they are alive. Learn from them, hear their stories, and listen to what they have to say, even if you don't always agree with it.
4. Change your lifestyle.
Give your life a whole shake-up. This is a six-parter:
-Try new things.
In trying new things, you will break your current social cycle, you'll meet new people, you may even accomplish something you've always wanted, but never had the guts to do before.
-Expand your network.
In the process of trying new things, you will meet new people. It is essential that you make a good impression. People will remember you, they will refer to you, and in doing so, you will be connected to more people than you were before. Take names, phone numbers, and email addresses, and keep up contact with people. Find opportunities to help others, and others will be inclined to help you.
-Pursue your dreams.
In your own personal quest for greatness, you're going to have to do things differently than people before you or around you, and that is going to ruffle a few feathers. You'll get questioned and you'll get criticized, but don't let it bother you. You have to accept your strengths and weaknesses just like everybody else, and as long as you have a passion for what it is you want to do, and you have the will to follow through with it, that's all that matters.
-Follow through/up.
If you have made a decision for yourself, see it through to completion. Don't skimp or cut corners. Work hard to finish what you started. You'll feel like you accomplished something and then when you turn around and look back, you'll find you actually did.
And when you are expecting people to get back to you, and they don't, don't be afraid to pick up the phone and call them. If you have a legitimate reason to talk to them, they shouldn't be startled when they hear from you. It's when you call them without a good reason that they start to wonder about you.
-Document your progress.
One thing I did very well this year is document my progress. There is not a single idea, theme, or shred of creativity that I came up with this year that I did not write down somewhere. I may not have things completely organized as of yet, or published in the order I would like (for you blog fans, I apologize I have slacked off in recent months), but writing things down is the first step towards bringing your ideas to fruition, and I can organize and develop ideas later, but if I don't have them written down, most likely they will be gone and forgotten.
Writing things down accelerates your creative process, it helps you remember things, and it keeps you in the habit of writing, something which you lose the value of if you don't do it.
Writing things down also serves as a first back-up, in case the action you're writing about fails. Backing up information is very important, because things will fail, and you don't want to be left stranded when they do.
-Accept advice.
Sometimes you get advice without asking for it. People want to share their ideas with you or their input. Even if you don't care for what they are saying, or if you don't think their opinion is particularly applicable to you at the current time, take what they have to say in gratitude. Accept it. It is good to know they think you worthy of their opinion and that they would like to try to help you out, even if only in wisdom. Besides, you never know when their advice might be applicable later.
5. Minimize.
Find the things you want to focus on in life, and get rid of the excess clutter, or at least put it in storage until you have more time to use it. I never realized how much my room and my life was cluttered until I started getting rid of excess stuff. I kind of pulled a St. Francis of Assisi this year with a lot of my possessions. I haven't reached sainthood yet, but I'm trying.
Donate to charity, give to friends, make some money off eBay. If you're not using something, chances are there is someone out there who could, and they might appreciate you even more.
This also works with tasks. Multi-tasking is wonderful when it can be accomplished, but sometimes it causes more anxiety than fulfillment. Focus on small things you can accomplish one-at-a-time before you try to do a hundred things at once.
6. Get yourself in shape.
People will take notice, they'll look at you differently. Not only will you look better, but you will feel amazing. I can't really describe how I felt after I lost 40 pounds, but I've never had as much energy as I do now, and I've never felt more confident in my endeavors.
(Note: this takes dedication and extreme self-discipline. If you ask me how I did it, I will probably not give you a straight answer because every person has to find out their own will and way to success and feel comfortable with themselves doing it.)
If you succeed, though, it will change your lifestyle and your way of thinking. It will clear your body as well as your mind.
7. Surround yourself with people who share your same ideals and goals.
Even if these people aren't doing the exact same thing as you, it will help you succeed if you find people who act similarly to you and who motivate you to do things. You may not help each other out all the time, but when you work together, you will keep everything in motion and in a good direction.
Think of it as a car engine. Not all the cylinders fire at once, but they rotate and take turns firing. They work together to keep the car running.
8. Be there.
You don't get as much out of an experience by just looking at the pictures or reading about it later. And it means so much to people if you actually show up to something, especially if it was difficult for you to get there or if you were unexpected. Being there physically makes a much bigger impression than just corresponding over the phone or the computer.
More importantly, you experience the things you are supposed to experience first-hand. Things happen once in a lifetime. If you miss something, you may not be able to regret not being there, but if you show up and experience something, you'll be able to remember it and talk about it the rest of your life.
9. Listen to Andrew Bird
Armchair Apocrypha was probably my most listened to album of 2008. The lyrics are dark and harrowing at parts, but man can that guy whistle.
10. Grow up.
It's ok, you're twenty-four now.
DON'T:
1. Carry your wallet in your back pocket, especially when surrounded by a crowd of people.
I knew this before, but decided to test my luck repeatedly, until it was actually lifted from me. Fortunately for me, I retrieved it.
2. Relentlessly pursue a girl who has a boyfriend/just broke up with her boyfriend, no matter how much you think you like each other. She needs time and space. If you you don't give her both those things, you won't even give her a chance to think about you, and you will only wind up embarrassing yourself.
Also, it might help if you weren't so weird.
3. Send out mass emails.
When people get mass emails that they haven't asked for, they hate it. Or so I've heard.
4a. Waste money on things that won't pay off later.
Everything that I bought in the last six months, I would consider an investment. It will either provide learning or money in the next six months...hopefully.
4b. Accumulate more debt, if you already have enough.
This is an unfortunate situation to be in that starts off slow, but accelerates very quickly. Unless you can efficiently manage your debt (which, most people can't, pinpointing why they are in debt to begin with), you shouldn't acquire more to add to the damage.
Case in point: the state of the U.S. economy, my own personal finances. I will probably be paying for this year for some time. Good thing I've got a back-up plan...
4c. Expect a bailout.
Sure, it'd be great if you got it, but you shouldn't be counting on it. That is a very bad habit to practice.
5. Pussyfoot around.
Don't be wishy-washy, don't waver. Take direction. Be affirmative, and confident in your decision-making. This can take a long learning process to achieve, but when you can stand behind your actions without any doubt, only then will people be able to take you seriously. And that's what you want, isn't it? When you're unsure about something, people are unsure about you.
6. Question a good thing when it happens to you.
If you're fortunate enough to befall a happy accident, go with it. Don't stop it from happening in the middle of it, and question the status of it. Chances are it won't happen again any time soon.
7. Fall behind current events.
You'll regret it. Especially if you want to have a say in what's going on, or if you want to be involved with/get ahead of the rest of the world.
Election? What election?
And lastly...DON'T
8. Under any circumstances, borrow your brother's 1991 Pontiac Bonneville, drive it across the country, to keep it in New York, hoping to use it before he turns 16, even if only for a few months. It will get towed (twice) and stolen. You will have to go through a monstrous debacle to get it back, and it will end up costing you more than the value of the car for the three months you have it (or one and a half months, as the case may be).
So there you have it. That is my year 2008, in a nutshell. I experienced a whole lot, and I learned at least twice as much. With any luck, it will help propel my year 2009 as one of my most productive years yet.
I've cataloged them into the areas of "do's" and "don'ts". They are things that I've learned throughout the year that I feel may be useful to others.
DO:
1. Quit your job when it is appropriate.
For instance: when you have found something better or when you can't stand it to go in for even one more day.
2. Throw great parties.
Some people don't get invited to a lot of things, so they instead invite others in what they have. I'm one of those people, and I love sharing. People remember you for that. If you do get invited somewhere, be gracious, offer something, and don't leave a mess.
I can't say that all my parties are great, but I had a good time, I enjoyed bringing people together, and I think others enjoyed being together, too.
3. Honor and cherish your grandparents.
I lost two this year, and I am grateful for every moment I was able to spend with each of them. Life is short. And nobody is ever ready for it to end when it does. Take advantage of the time you have to share with people while they are alive. Learn from them, hear their stories, and listen to what they have to say, even if you don't always agree with it.
4. Change your lifestyle.
Give your life a whole shake-up. This is a six-parter:
-Try new things.
In trying new things, you will break your current social cycle, you'll meet new people, you may even accomplish something you've always wanted, but never had the guts to do before.
-Expand your network.
In the process of trying new things, you will meet new people. It is essential that you make a good impression. People will remember you, they will refer to you, and in doing so, you will be connected to more people than you were before. Take names, phone numbers, and email addresses, and keep up contact with people. Find opportunities to help others, and others will be inclined to help you.
-Pursue your dreams.
In your own personal quest for greatness, you're going to have to do things differently than people before you or around you, and that is going to ruffle a few feathers. You'll get questioned and you'll get criticized, but don't let it bother you. You have to accept your strengths and weaknesses just like everybody else, and as long as you have a passion for what it is you want to do, and you have the will to follow through with it, that's all that matters.
-Follow through/up.
If you have made a decision for yourself, see it through to completion. Don't skimp or cut corners. Work hard to finish what you started. You'll feel like you accomplished something and then when you turn around and look back, you'll find you actually did.
And when you are expecting people to get back to you, and they don't, don't be afraid to pick up the phone and call them. If you have a legitimate reason to talk to them, they shouldn't be startled when they hear from you. It's when you call them without a good reason that they start to wonder about you.
-Document your progress.
One thing I did very well this year is document my progress. There is not a single idea, theme, or shred of creativity that I came up with this year that I did not write down somewhere. I may not have things completely organized as of yet, or published in the order I would like (for you blog fans, I apologize I have slacked off in recent months), but writing things down is the first step towards bringing your ideas to fruition, and I can organize and develop ideas later, but if I don't have them written down, most likely they will be gone and forgotten.
Writing things down accelerates your creative process, it helps you remember things, and it keeps you in the habit of writing, something which you lose the value of if you don't do it.
Writing things down also serves as a first back-up, in case the action you're writing about fails. Backing up information is very important, because things will fail, and you don't want to be left stranded when they do.
-Accept advice.
Sometimes you get advice without asking for it. People want to share their ideas with you or their input. Even if you don't care for what they are saying, or if you don't think their opinion is particularly applicable to you at the current time, take what they have to say in gratitude. Accept it. It is good to know they think you worthy of their opinion and that they would like to try to help you out, even if only in wisdom. Besides, you never know when their advice might be applicable later.
5. Minimize.
Find the things you want to focus on in life, and get rid of the excess clutter, or at least put it in storage until you have more time to use it. I never realized how much my room and my life was cluttered until I started getting rid of excess stuff. I kind of pulled a St. Francis of Assisi this year with a lot of my possessions. I haven't reached sainthood yet, but I'm trying.
Donate to charity, give to friends, make some money off eBay. If you're not using something, chances are there is someone out there who could, and they might appreciate you even more.
This also works with tasks. Multi-tasking is wonderful when it can be accomplished, but sometimes it causes more anxiety than fulfillment. Focus on small things you can accomplish one-at-a-time before you try to do a hundred things at once.
6. Get yourself in shape.
People will take notice, they'll look at you differently. Not only will you look better, but you will feel amazing. I can't really describe how I felt after I lost 40 pounds, but I've never had as much energy as I do now, and I've never felt more confident in my endeavors.
(Note: this takes dedication and extreme self-discipline. If you ask me how I did it, I will probably not give you a straight answer because every person has to find out their own will and way to success and feel comfortable with themselves doing it.)
If you succeed, though, it will change your lifestyle and your way of thinking. It will clear your body as well as your mind.
7. Surround yourself with people who share your same ideals and goals.
Even if these people aren't doing the exact same thing as you, it will help you succeed if you find people who act similarly to you and who motivate you to do things. You may not help each other out all the time, but when you work together, you will keep everything in motion and in a good direction.
Think of it as a car engine. Not all the cylinders fire at once, but they rotate and take turns firing. They work together to keep the car running.
8. Be there.
You don't get as much out of an experience by just looking at the pictures or reading about it later. And it means so much to people if you actually show up to something, especially if it was difficult for you to get there or if you were unexpected. Being there physically makes a much bigger impression than just corresponding over the phone or the computer.
More importantly, you experience the things you are supposed to experience first-hand. Things happen once in a lifetime. If you miss something, you may not be able to regret not being there, but if you show up and experience something, you'll be able to remember it and talk about it the rest of your life.
9. Listen to Andrew Bird
Armchair Apocrypha was probably my most listened to album of 2008. The lyrics are dark and harrowing at parts, but man can that guy whistle.
10. Grow up.
It's ok, you're twenty-four now.
DON'T:
1. Carry your wallet in your back pocket, especially when surrounded by a crowd of people.
I knew this before, but decided to test my luck repeatedly, until it was actually lifted from me. Fortunately for me, I retrieved it.
2. Relentlessly pursue a girl who has a boyfriend/just broke up with her boyfriend, no matter how much you think you like each other. She needs time and space. If you you don't give her both those things, you won't even give her a chance to think about you, and you will only wind up embarrassing yourself.
Also, it might help if you weren't so weird.
3. Send out mass emails.
When people get mass emails that they haven't asked for, they hate it. Or so I've heard.
4a. Waste money on things that won't pay off later.
Everything that I bought in the last six months, I would consider an investment. It will either provide learning or money in the next six months...hopefully.
4b. Accumulate more debt, if you already have enough.
This is an unfortunate situation to be in that starts off slow, but accelerates very quickly. Unless you can efficiently manage your debt (which, most people can't, pinpointing why they are in debt to begin with), you shouldn't acquire more to add to the damage.
Case in point: the state of the U.S. economy, my own personal finances. I will probably be paying for this year for some time. Good thing I've got a back-up plan...
4c. Expect a bailout.
Sure, it'd be great if you got it, but you shouldn't be counting on it. That is a very bad habit to practice.
5. Pussyfoot around.
Don't be wishy-washy, don't waver. Take direction. Be affirmative, and confident in your decision-making. This can take a long learning process to achieve, but when you can stand behind your actions without any doubt, only then will people be able to take you seriously. And that's what you want, isn't it? When you're unsure about something, people are unsure about you.
6. Question a good thing when it happens to you.
If you're fortunate enough to befall a happy accident, go with it. Don't stop it from happening in the middle of it, and question the status of it. Chances are it won't happen again any time soon.
7. Fall behind current events.
You'll regret it. Especially if you want to have a say in what's going on, or if you want to be involved with/get ahead of the rest of the world.
Election? What election?
And lastly...DON'T
8. Under any circumstances, borrow your brother's 1991 Pontiac Bonneville, drive it across the country, to keep it in New York, hoping to use it before he turns 16, even if only for a few months. It will get towed (twice) and stolen. You will have to go through a monstrous debacle to get it back, and it will end up costing you more than the value of the car for the three months you have it (or one and a half months, as the case may be).
So there you have it. That is my year 2008, in a nutshell. I experienced a whole lot, and I learned at least twice as much. With any luck, it will help propel my year 2009 as one of my most productive years yet.
posted by Leland J. Fischer at 2:17 AM
