352: 37 Things I Have Learned in My 37 Years

<p>I wish I was half as smart now as I was at 16!</p> <p>But learning everything you <em>don't</em> know is part of the process.</p> <p>One thing I love about my work is I feel like I learn new things every day. Sometimes they're small little tweaks and hacks, and other times they're broader strategies or ideas.</p> <p>I originally drafted this list 7 years ago, after my 30th birthday, but decided it was due for an update.</p> <p>(I updated it at 35, too, but keep learning more!)</p> <p>For context, that was pre-Side Hustle Nation, pre-podcast, pre-kids, and pre-almost everything I'm working on now. I'd been a full-time entrepreneur for 4 years already at that point, but my business had seen lots of ups and downs.</p> <p>Turning 30 had hit me harder than I expected it to, and I'm guessing it was because I really wasn't where I wanted to be. I'd been battling with flaky developers, fighting with the state Assembly in Sacramento over affiliate marketing tax laws, and we were in the process of short-selling our home -- which had been a major source of stress.</p> <p>Seven years later, that stuff is thankfully in past, and I’m in a better place today.</p> <p>That's not to say I'm completely stress-free, but <strong>I'm incredibly fortunate</strong> to have a healthy family and to get to work on stuff I love every day. Each year that goes by makes me more and more aware of that fact.</p> <p>But the life I have today didn't happen overnight. It's the result of literally decades (well, at least 2) of entrepreneurial education, trial and error, hustle, and if I'm being totally honest, luck.</p> <p>In any case, here are 37 life lessons I've picked up in my 37 years on this planet.</p> <p>Enjoy!</p>