- Don’t fear being alone–“It’s better to be alone than in bad company” – George Washington.
- Don’t get stuck in the muck of the past–everything is built from the present.
- Don’t think life is always fair–become vulnerable; set expectations
- Don’t worry about what people think–be courageously you
- Don’t feel sorry for yourself–embrace the suck and be better, not bitter
- Don’t worry about things you can’t control–control your response. ‘Let go and let God’
- Don’t resent others successes–celebrate and learn from others
- Don’t shirk responsibility–the price of greatness is responsibility
- Don’t give up–keep on keeping on, pivot & rest as beneficial
- Don’t fear hard work–if it was all easy, you wouldn’t be necessary yet if it’s all hard, you are doing something wrong
Since repetition is the mother of learning:
- Don’t Fear Being Alone
Solitude is a superpower.
Leverage your time alone to:
- Tame your thoughts
- Control your emotions
- Become comfortable with silence
“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” ― Buddha
- Don’t get ‘stuck in the muck’ of the past
Everything is built from the present.
“If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.” – Lao Tzu
Be in the here and now.
- Don’t Think Life Is Always Fair
You become vulnerable when you set expectations.
Root yourself in a brutal world:
- Earn each day
- Prove your worth
- Never let comfort conquer you
Appreciate what you have, but never expect it to be constant.
- Don’t Worry About What People Think
Never seek others’ ‘approval’.
Be courageously you.
Focus on being the best version of yourself, and the score takes care of itself.
- Don’t Feel Sorry for Yourself
Embrace the suck.
Feeling sorry for yourself:
- Builds a habit of self-pity
- Prevents you from taking action
- Leads you to expect negative outcomes
It’s simple. If you’ve chosen the wrong road, turn around.
- Don’t Worry About Things You Can’t Control
When faced with obstacles, ask yourself 3 things:
- Is this essential?
- Can I control this?
- What are 2-3 actions I can take now?
Control your response to events.
That is where your power lies.
- Don’t Resent Other People’s Successes
There are:
- 32.5 million small businesses
- 22 million millionaires
- 607 unicorns
… in the US alone.
It’s a positive-sum world out there.
Not just for wealth, but for:
- Health
- Growth
- Happiness
8. Don’t Shirk Responsibility
Walking towards responsibility is the fastest path to progress.
Build a mindset to:
- Drive change as a leader
- Assume extreme ownership
“The price of greatness is responsibility.”
- Don’t Give Up
Most people give up too early.
As a founder, you learn that your product is never dead.
Learn to experiment with:
- New pricing models
- New acquisition strategies
Giving up builds a crack in your resilience that will cave in crucial moments.
- Don’t Fear Hard Things
Never adopt an assumption that a task is “hard.”
Frame your thinking around the topic as being simple:
- You got this
- You’re a warrior
- You’re a great problem solver
My motto:
“This is easy work.”
– Matt Gray