5 Things I'd Tell My Younger Self

I couldn’t move without wincing in pain.

“What is going on?” I thought to myself.

Coming back from my trip to New York - I was ecstatic. Filled with energy. Ready to get back to my daily routine and conquer the world.

The night before, I grabbed my notebook, outlined my plans for the week, and wrote down my priority tasks for the following day.

But now? Now I couldn’t get out of bed without a sharp pain shooting through my lower back.

3 days later…

Luckily, it was only a minor pinched nerve - and now I’m completely fine. But in the moment, it scared me.

(Side note: Put a pillow under your knees when lying down, it helps relax your back. Thanks, grandma!)

Needless to say, for the past 3 days I’ve been at home resting and trying not to move too much. It gave me a lot of time to catch up on some writing.

Below, are 5 “mini essays” that I wrote for my Instagram page that I’d like to share with you. Enjoy!

1) There are no adults

This past week I was in New York - and I got to meet people I’ve been interacting with online for the past few years.

One guy I met had 1M+ followers, another guy worked with a multiple best-selling author (like multiple multiple), and another guy had several billionaires on his podcast.

But one of the biggest takeaways I gained was that no one knows what they’re doing. Of course, some have things figured out a little more than others — but for the most part, we’re all just grown-up kids pretending to know what we’re doing.

We’re all winging it.

If you want to do something, just do it. You don’t need to have all the answers. Just pick something and start. The path becomes clearer as you walk it.

2) The best things in life can’t be bought

A fit body. Real friendships. Peace of mind. Mastery of a craft.

These things can’t be bought, they must be earned through daily effort, daily sacrifice, daily struggle. That’s what makes them rare. That’s what makes them valuable.

They’re the ultimate status symbols because you can’t shortcut your way there.

The hard route is the only route.

3) Action is the best mentor

Most people never learn anything because they get trapped in ‘tutorial hell’. Another book. Another course. Another YouTube video. They spend all day “learning” but never learn a thing.

True learning happens when you start a real-world project, run into a problem, try things to the point of insanity, stick with it, and then finally gain an insight to figure it out.

You don’t learn, then start. You start, then learn.

4) You need more reps

It’s simple. You need more shots on goal. More reps. More attempts. You almost have to be a little bit insane. Over and over until it works. The only way you fail is if you stop.

Don’t give in to your emotions. Don’t let one failure keep you from trying again. Focus on the next rep until you strike gold.

In life, business, and relationships -- the best in the game simply have more reps than you.

Do more. Do better. Until success is inevitably yours.

5) Max your stats

Run faster. Lift heavier. Do more than you thought you could do.

Book that flight. Send that text. Start that business. Go all in on what inspires you.

Laugh more. Hug longer. Love deeper. Shamelessly and wholeheartedly give love to those who are important.

Say no. Let go. Block, mute, and unfollow negative influences.

Reflect on what you want out of life. Then live like you only get one chance to play, because you do.

Life is short. Max your stats.

See you next Sunday,

Jay Yang

PS — If you want more content like this, drop a follow on Instagram. I’ll be sharing more mini-essays like the ones you just read.

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