What Advice Would You Give Your Younger Self?

Today is the last day of your working life. You are about to retire.

Your work mates and the companies hierarchy have decided to throw you a party to celebrate. As the party starts to taper off, you spot a person you don’t recognise and walk over and introduce yourself. The man appears to be around 70 years of age, has a receding hairline and grey hair that resembles Albert Einstein’s and keys to a DeLorean. (For the younger generation, it was the car used as a time machine in Back to the Future)

The man tells you he has invented a time machine that can transport you back in time to when you were 15 years old. He says that you will have 30 minutes to spend with your adolescent self. What advice would you give your younger self?

Thinking about the advice we would give our younger selves can influence us in our present occupation and enable us to be a better leader and improved team member.

I have completed the same exercise, and this is what guidance I would offer:

• You were born with a gift. Once you find that gift – and listen very carefully to your intuition and gut instinct, as it will guide you – it is important to give that gift away. At times, your head will lead you one way and your heart another. Don’t suppress your instincts; your gut is right more times than not.
• Those sleepless nights worrying about how it will all work out are a waste, especially with the things that are out of your control. Focus on the things you can control and not on the ones you can’t. Pay attention to the things that impact you directly and not to those that don’t. Preparation in everything you do is the cornerstone of confidence, which in turn is your foundation for success.
• Passion is the true motivation, and it is passion that keeps you going in this hard, competitive world. You will succeed in life when what you do is in harmony with who you are. In turn, you’ll be naturally energized by doing it and become a natural leader of people.
• Doing what you love and finding your purpose will be the things that motivate you to get out of bed in the morning and to look forward to the day ahead. When your work or business complements your personality, you are always going to succeed.
• No one is coming to rescue you. It’s up to you to create whatever life you want. Whatever has to be done, it is you, and only you, who can take responsibility and make it happen.
• In times of adversity, be resilient. Know that deep down you are strong and you will always come out on the other side. Your track record for getting through bad days is 100%, and that’s pretty good.
• People are going to try very hard to change you, to break your spirit. Don’t allow others to impose their fears and limitations on your dreams. You don’t require other people’s recognition, approval, or opinions to be successful. Use their pessimism as ammunition to achieve your ambition.
• Don’t be afraid of failing. Society will dictate and reinforce failure as a negative; however, society is wrong. Fail often and learn from your mistakes. That’s the way you grow and move forward.
• Life isn’t always going to work out the way you have planned – but sometimes it works out better. Be kind and show empathy to people, and when something good happens in your life, it is your responsibility as a leader to send the elevator back down to someone who needs a lift up.

The audio chapter runs for 9 minutes and once you have listened to it, I would love nothing more than for you to share it with your team and people you care about.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0i8elv4p1gjxbgy/Chapter%2014%20-%20What%20Advice%20Would%20You%20Give%20Your%20Younger%20Self.mp3?dl=0
Have a great week ahead.
Ritch