A 61-year-old shares five lessons from four decades of work: avoid toxic coworkers, reject shortcuts, stop assuming people judge you, act despite fear of failure, and build a body of work that outlasts any title.
I'm 61. Here are 5 things I wish I knew when I was 21. Number 1, don't work with jerks. They drain your energy, slow your progress, and poison your joy, no matter how smart they are. Number 2, shortcuts are scams. If it's meaningful, it will take time. Lots of time. The quick route often takes you backward. Number 3, nobody's watching you. You think people are judging you, evaluating you? They're not. They're too busy thinking about themselves. So do your thing. Number 4, you'll regret inaction more than action. It's the risk you don't take that stay with you and gnaw at your soul. And finally, number 5, build a body of work, not a resume. Credentials age. Your work doesn't. People hire evidence, not bullet points. If you're in your 20s, steal this because it took me 40 years to learn it.
