My 38 in 38

Each week I send out a special “Motivation Monday” email to our Lucky13Fitness members.  


Recently, this message highlighted 38 life lessons that I’ve learned over the years… to celebrate my 38th birthday which was on October 6th.


I got some amazing feedback from it, so I thought I’d share it with you!


I hope you find meaning, motivation, and inspiration somewhere within these 38 points:

1. 1. Don’t take it personally - most likely the negativity from others isn’t about you, it’s about them. Let it roll.
   2. Live with gratitude- if you make a habit of saying “thank you” when you get up and before you go to bed, your life will be 1000% x more rich.
   3. Pain fuels gain- some of the most difficult times in my life have served as bedrock from which new strength, perspective, and growth have come.
   4. There’s always tomorrow- tomorrow is a new opportunity to start again toward your dreams.
   5. Surround yourself with people whom you aspire to be like- always be the small fish in a big pond. Lots will be learned that way.
   6. Don’t Believe everything you hear- especially advice from family members. Just because they love you doesn’t mean they know what’s best for you
   7. It’s not an expense, it’s an investment in yourself- your #1 and most primary investment should be the person you see in the mirror. 
   8. Be more interested than interesting- make good impressions, be curious and learn to love listening.
   9. Never give up- run far away from anyone who tells you that you should give up on your dreams or goals for a more sure path
   10. Dream big- even if you fail to hit the ideal point, you’ll be far better off than you were at the starting line
   11.  You have to go through 1, 2, and 3 in order to get to 10- yes, set your eyes on the big goals but make sure to stop and appreciate all the wins along the way
   12. You must be in the mindset to accept success- if you don’t believe that your own success is even possible, you can be 100% certain that it will never happen
   13. Be of service- life is all about being of service to others. The more you can give and serve, the more reward you’ll reap in return.
   14. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is- the quick fix is 99.999% not the best long-term solution. 
   15. Have patience- the quick fix won’t take long but it won’t last.  The thing that takes a while will deliver 100-fold… so be patient.
   16. Be a student of your calendar- if you fail to plan, then plan to fail.  Set a schedule and live by it.
   17. Do not over schedule and under commit- when you make a COMMITMENT, it means you’ll see it through under any and all circumstances. Be careful what you commit to.
   18. Learn how to say NO- saying no to something now means saying YES to many better things in the future.  Say no today so that you can be open to those opportunities.
   19. Be consistent and persistent - take action every single day (consistent) no matter what (persistent)
   20. Your #1 goal in life should be to reach your full potential- most people have never even stopped to wonder what that is.  Don’t be one of those people. 
   21. You’ll never feel worse after a workout- so just go move your body
   22. Don’t live by the A+ / F- mentality- shoot for a B+ overall and you’re doing pretty well in life. 
   23. Don’t let your past be an excuse that dictates your future
   24. Rise above- above negativity, disbelief, haters, naysayers, doubt, fear.
   25. Never stop learning- read, listen, write, observe others whom you emulate and respect.
   26. Mistakes are our best teachers- learn from every single one of them
   27. Don’t get caught in “analysis paralysis”- there will never be a “perfect” place/time/situation to start working toward your dream. Start today.
   28. When you ask a question, LISTEN to the answer- don’t spend your time defending your current situation when you ask someone how you can be better.
   29. Ask for help- nobody knows it all. Ask others to guide, help, and educate you
   30. Stand tall- don’t let others’ opinion of you color the opinion you have of yourself.  Be proud of who you are.
   31. Count the W’s- do something every day to make it a “win.” Life success happens by counting how many daily W’s you can string together in a row.
   32. Be different- what’s right is not always popular, and what’s popular is not always right.
   33. Choose your friends wisely- show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.  Choose wisely.
   34. Learn to love learning- life learning is so much more enriching than what we remember school to be.  Start reading again. Take a class. Sign up for a workshop. Pursue the things that interest you.
   35. Experiences > Stuff- always choose the experience… it’ll last much longer and be much more meaningful.
   36. Money is an accelerant- it makes you more of what you already are…that goes for others as well.  
   37. Dare to be bold- have opinions that are strong, and share them proudly. Dare to be blue in a sea of red… dare to choose Z when everyone goes for A. 
   38. Live with intention- set intentions for each day, meal, activity, etc.  Train your brain to carry out the intentions you set for your life.

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