Protect the things that make success worth having

Greater achievement should not mean less time for your craft, less control over your schedule, or less freedom to enjoy your life. Don’t sacrifice time, autonomy, and happiness to prove you’ve made it; you may already possess the very riches you’re chasing. Step off any treadmill that takes more than it gives.

Ask what age your reaction belongs to

When you feel hurt, betrayed, or challenged, pause and ask whether the intensity of your response fits the situation. If it feels more like a frightened or furious child taking over, an old wound may be shaping the present. Recognize it, separate then from now, and let your adult self decide what to do next.

Pay attention when life quietly improves

We notice new problems immediately, but improvements can become normal before we recognize them. The unreliable phone signal starts working, the nagging pain disappears, or a once-difficult task becomes easy, and life gets better without fanfare. Pause occasionally to notice what is no longer going wrong.

Find or build the support group you need

Everyone benefits from a circle of people who have faced similar struggles and can offer advice without requiring a lengthy explanation. If the right community doesn’t exist, create it. Chances are, others have been looking for it too.

Participate while your actions still matter

When you look back on difficult political or social periods, you probably won’t wish you had worked more; you’ll wish you had spoken more honestly, helped more people, and resisted what you believed was wrong. Act now in ways your future self can respect.

Trade some news for timeless ideas

We consume more information than earlier civilizations could have imagined, yet much of it is obsolete by tomorrow. Spend less attention on the daily churn and more on history, literature, poetry, philosophy, and mythology. The stories may be old, but the human problems inside them are remarkably current.

The sooner you make a choice

The sooner you make a choice, the sooner you can make an adjustment. Are you willing to be uncomfortable for 5 minutes? Exercising is easier once you've started the workout. Conversation is easier once you're already talking. Writing is easier once you're in the middle of it. But many rewards in life will elude you if you're not willing to be a little uncomfortable at first.