28-year-old asks some of the most successful people what they wish they'd known at her age

I have sought advice from some of the smartest, kindest, successful, honest, happiest, and thoughtful people I know

What Do You Wish You Knew at 28? (Rex)

28 is going to be an interesting year. I’m about 1.5 weeks into 28 and lots of awesome stuff has already happened.

My team at NextGenVest just launched a free text message service to help students navigate the financial aid and student loan application process.

I went on my first real vacation in 5 years to Costa Rica.

And I’ve started taking up painting on Saturdays to bring some creativity back into each week.

As I entered 28, I thought other people might be better at helping me become a “real adult” than trying to wander through it myself, alone. So I asked some of the smartest, kindest, successful, honest, happiest, and thoughtful people I knew. This is some of the best advice I received:

On Work:

“At 28, I wish I already realized that being a supportive teammate is more important than telling someone how you think they should do their work”

— Josh Elman, Partner at Greylock

“At 28, I’d focus more on focus. Focus on something intently for a real period of time and not letting [your] team get distracted. The older I get, the more wisdom I think those who force themselves and their teams to have no more than 1–3 goals have.”

— Jeremy Johnson, CEO of Andela

“Patience and the golden rule really apply… and do take 10 yrs to pay dividends. So no matter how successful you become, that network will help you do more.”

— Peter Pham, Co-Founder of Science

“Race your strengths; train your weaknesses” — alison rosenthal, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Wealthfront

“Put yourself in situations to succeed. Go to the dinner when you are tired. You need to be in the right place at the right time in order to create your own ‘luck’ events. The more ‘luck’ events you put yourself in, the greater your likelihood for success.”

— @AdamTichauer, CEO of Camp No Counselors

“I really do think 28 is the point at which you can make the shift to become a really well known, established person if you put your mind to it…or another person shifting from gig to gig.”

— Charlie Bonello, Co-Founder of Grand Central Tech

“Don’t be afraid to admit that you were wrong and to start over again.”

— Grant Moon, CEO of VA Loan Captain.

On Happiness:

“Learn that life doesn’t start when you get to your goals, it’s happening now. Life is the thing happening to you as you’re distracted with the future.”

— Nait Jones, Partner at Andreessen Horowitz

“Meditation brings all answers, connects you to your soul, and THAT is the voice to listen to… the soul’s voice. The head is loud and talks a lot… the soul is the quiet whisperer that deserves full attention.

— Taylor Conroy, CEO of ChangeHeroes.com

“Think less and feel more. Treat every situation you are presented as if you chose it. Only keep things in your life that bring you joy and shed the rest. Check email no more than 3x per day.”

— Vikas Sapra, DJ and Founder of Rippl

“The solution is not the Container Store. The solution is less stuff.”

— Diana Fischer, Manager of Employee Engagement at Workday

“The 10 10 10 rule that my mom taught me and I wish I used it more. Basically you evaluate tough situations using the rule of 10 — will I care in 10 days? 10 weeks? 10 years? It helps put everything in perspective.”

— Emily Glazer, Reporter at The Wall Street Journal

“Have the courage to be you…yes, people will judge you, yes it may involve taking scary risks, but the scariest of risks is never knowing who you truly are.”

— Gesche Haas, CEO of Dreamers & Doers

“You don’t have to be perfect, in fact, perfection isn’t real. If you are chasing perfection and are under the impression that it’s a real, attainable goal, you will never reach that goal and will never feel fulfilled.”

— Mark MacDonald, Business Development at Thuzio

On Love:

“Never settle in terms of picking a mate. It’s much better to miss out on someone who would make a “good” wife/husband at age 28 so that at age 35 you end up with someone 1000% great. Slow down the relationship treadmill. This is a life long choice if you do it right.”

— Peter Corbett ✈, CEO of iStrategyLabs

“The most important decision of your life is who you marry” — Mitchell Dong, Investment Manager at Pythagoras Investment Management

On Money:

“Wish I’d been in greater financial control. My now-ex was in charge of the $s. Big mistake!” — Sallie Krawcheck, CEO of Ellevate

All of these are incredibly insightful and beyond helpful. But I have to say my favorite comment to “what do you wish you knew at 28,” might be from Harvard’s Chief Digital Officer, Perry Hewitt:

Hope this is helpful for anyone else turning 28 soon! — @KellyPeeler

Copyright: Medium