23 Things I Learned at 23
Reflections From My Vanvleet Year (aka My Happiest Year Yet)
Welcome to v365, an annual reflection inspired by Hamza Khan that I started last year. This is 23.
1. Audit Your Life Ruthlessly
There’s a lot of noise in our lives that we don’t need. That noise can also take the form of our bad habits. If it’s not adding value to your life or bringing you happiness, why bother spending time on it? You’re not getting that time back.
2. Mentors Can Accelerate Your Life
Napoleon Hill said that you can borrow knowledge and experiences from people who are more successful than you. Working closer with my mentors have opened doors for me that might have taken longer for me to open on my own. Nurturing mutually-beneficial relationships with my mentors has helped accelerate my overall trajectory. Find your tribe.
3. Your Success Might Bring Out the Worst In People
Someone once told me that the people I need to worry about are the friends that never like my Instagram posts. Funny (and maybe petty) but it’s definitely worth taking note of the “friends” that never seem to celebrate your wins but will be the first to ask for favours. Stay vigilant.
4. Your Truth Might Not Be Popular
I get scared when I see someone working and I’m not. This is totally against the “anti-hustle” culture out there. But, this is my truth.
I genuinely enjoy working and creating (with a bit of a competitive spirit). It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s what brings me joy. Others might not agree with how you move but don’t let that stop you.
5. Don’t Let Anyone Have Leverage On You
There’s good debt and there’s bad debt. Buying a house is good debt. Buying a brand new car is bad debt. Similarly, there’s good and bad debt when you owe people things.
I don’t ever want to be in a position where a debt (financial or otherwise) I owe to someone allows them to have a say over my next move.
Work to reduce the amount of leverage people have on you. Leverage is power. Power is freedom.
6. Lay One Brick Perfectly
You can’t build a house with a shaky foundation. Don’t risk mislaying your bricks just to get to your dreams faster.
Lay one brick at a time. Make sure each one is perfect.
Take your time. You’ve got plenty of it.
7. This Is Your Time to Be Selfish
In our 20s, most of us don’t have obligations to others. We might only recognize this gift of freedom until we no longer have it.
Fill you calendar up with investments in yourself. Go to that event. Enroll in that course. Grab that coffee with so-and-so. Break off that draining relationship.
Put you first. An empty tree will have no fruits to give others.
8. It’s Supposed To Be Uncomfortable
Why do so few people attempt to summit Mount Everest? Because it’s painful.
The trails behind the most successful people in the world are littered in blood and tears. Nothing worth having comes easy.
9. Outsource Your Weaknesses
How much is one hour of your time worth?
Let’s say you set an hour of your time at $100 and you have to learn a new skill for a project you’re doing. You estimate it’ll take you 4 hours to learn enough of that skill and another 2 hours to implement it. You just spent $600.
If someone can do it faster and cheaper than you, hire them.
The objective here is not to save you money, but to redirect your time to things only you can do well. But, you know, time is money.
10. Define Your Competitive Advantage
Look at yourself like a business. What are your unique set of strengths that differentiate you from your peers? Why should “customers” (employers or prospective clients) choose you?
It’s okay if you don’t have a clear idea of what that is yet. But you do need to start working to create a portfolio that exemplifies your value proposition.
11. Understand the Art and Math of Your Work
Every job has a technical side and a creative side. Now, the breakdown may not be strictly 50/50, but it still exists in some mix. Your role might lean more to one side than the other. However, having a working knowledge of the opposite side will allow your outputs to be a lot more relevant and effective.
Create models and formulas that’ll help you balance the ying and yang of your work.
12. Speak Up To Be Heard
People aren’t mind readers. Speak your mind and be direct. If you haven’t communicated your thoughts or feelings, you can’t expect people to know what you’re thinking. Don’t mince words.
13. Your Context Changes Your Perspective
18-year-old Astawa was so sure that he wanted to be an entrepreneur and completely ignore post-secondary schooling. Now, 24-year-old Astawa is surrounded daily by highly educated entrepreneurs. I’ve definitely got a different perspective.
Don’t close doors definitely for yourself. The things you want and need will inevitably change as you experience more of life.
14. Ride Your Inertia
Newton’s laws don’t just apply to objects. You know when you get into a flow state at work? You’ve got that happening at a macro with your life, too.
Remember: A hustler hustling stays hustling.
15. Shoot For the Moon
Because if you miss you’ll land on the stars.
It’s true. Just to give you a small example — a year ago I set out to publish a weekly series called #5Things chronicling lessons I learned from building the City of Brampton and DxM Creative. I was not weekly with it at all. However, I did still hit publish more times in the last year than I have ever before.
Even though I missed my goal, I still put myself in a better place than I was when I set the goal.
16. You’ll Understand Your Parents When You’re Older
Hate to be your third parent here, but they were right when they said you’ll understand when you’re older. As I go through my own trials and tribulations, I often find myself shaking my head as I think back to the times I wasn’t a very pleasant son.
I can empathize with their actions and reactions more now. It didn’t make sense to me when I was an ungrateful teenager, but I’m starting to get a glimpse into the pain they went through.
Our parents are humans, too.
17. Be Your Plan B
In 2019 and beyond there is no such thing as job security. The reality of it is that the higher you climb on the corporate ladder, the more vulnerable you become to being suddenly let go. Over the past year or so I’ve seen countless managers and directors get cut out of the blue.
9–5 ain’t as secure as our parents remember it to be.
Be your backup plan.
18. Money Gets Boring
Income is one of the bases of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Once you’ve satisfied that need, you’ve got the privilege of moving up the pyramid. At that point, I’ve discovered that the thrill of a cheque just doesn’t hit the same anymore. It’s at this point when you’ll start to uncover your true calling.
19. Some Moves are for Dollars, Some are for Brand
Understand when it makes sense to do things for free. Some of the best transactions you might be a part of won’t include money.
20. Have a North Star, Not a Plan
Here are a couple of things I wouldn’t have believed if you told me them when I was 18:
- You’ll be working to build the City of Brampton
- Studying towards a Masters might be on the horizon
- You’ll be using your skills to help new Canadians find gainful employment
Plans change. It’s futile to plan in excruciating detail for such long ways out. Instead, try to identify your north star.
What sort of work do you want to be doing? Why do you want to be doing it? Who do you want to be doing it with?
Letting go of the pressure of having to stick to some arbitrary blueprint frees you up creatively and emotionally to give your all today.
21. Act on Inspiration
Motivation is a fleeting emotion. That’s why we need to move quick to capture it. The next time an idea strikes you, whip out your phone and get to work. You won’t regret it.
22. This Isn’t About You
As action packed as this year was from me, I’ve had my fair share uncertainty.
My work, my hustle, my grind– none of this is about me. If I’m successful, that success belongs to everyone around me. My wins are their’s. If I can build a great company, that success is the inspiration for the next generation. If I can become a South Asian Canadian economic development leader, that belongs to every other person of colour.
Personally, I think it’s self-centred to not give your all to because you’re not “passionate” about XYZ. I’ve been granted the privilege to be in the spaces I’m in. I have a chance to blaze a trail for everyone out there that looks like me. As soon as I realized that my work and success isn’t for me, everything changed.
23. Life Is a Series of Promises You Make to Yourself
Sleep on this one.
Wow, thank you for reading this far. I share my lessons because I know how much reading content like this helped me chart a path when I was younger, so, I hope you found value in the 1,000-some words above. If you did, I’d love to hear from you. Slide into my DMs on Instagram. Tell me what made you stop scrolling.
Talk soon,
Astawa
P.S. Instalment 24 is now live! Read 24 Things I Learned at 24 at astawa.ca
