People often come to me and ask me for my advice. Here are my top three pieces of advice:
Use your twenties and thirties to explore and build a foundation
It is so much easier before you have kids to do many things. Whether that’s to travel the world, to work in remote places, to start a business, this is the time to do it. Don’t squander your earlier years because you’ll look back and realise they could have been invested.
Work hard, and know when enough’s enough
When I started MedRecruit I worked 14 hours a day, seven days a week, for five years straight.
It was awesome, until it wasn’t.
Like many business people I burnt myself out working on my mission.
I am all for hard work, but I’m also all for knowing when you need to rest and when you need to play.
Rest and play help us to be better at everything.
Never underestimate the personal impact you are having
Just today I had an employee come to me and tell me about a conversation we had two years ago, and how one thing I said changed the entire course of his life. He had a big decision to make, and I said to him, “Whatever you decide, I’ll back you.”
He told me that for me to believe in him showed him that he should believe in himself, and that set him on an incredibly positive path.
I don’t remember saying it.
How often are the things we say and do impacting the lives of others? More than we know. Be aware that you have the opportunity every day to impact other people’s lives, and that impact can be positive or negative.
Watch your words, for they shape other’s belief in themselves.