28 lessons learnt in 28 years

It’s my birthday! 🎉

I am turning 28!

It’s been the most exciting year of my life. I traveled to some of my dream destinations, let go of the corporate world, got married, went full into my business, worked with extraordinary clients, and started planning my next venture.

Needless to say, I have learnt a lot. Especially in the past 5 years.

So today, this is just one of the gifts I have for you:

28 lessons I learnt in 28 years.

(One cliche title, I know! 🥲 But I’ve been looking forward to it since the first issue of The Productivist. You’ll love it too.)

The second gift is revealed at the end of this newsletter.

Let’s go! 👏

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Before we begin: Here’s what you might have missed last week

• In issue #14 of The Productivist, I shared what truly productive rest means.

• You learned the 7 essential types of rest: physical, mental, social, sensory, spiritual, emotional, and creative.

• You discovered my top 5 recommendations of productive rest activities based on the 7 types and how you can incorporate them into your life to feel more rested and balanced.

To access the full issue, click here.

Big idea: Start collecting your lessons

1. Whatever you do, do it well.

2. Whatever you start, make it your own. Don’t do it like everybody else. Authenticity is prerequisite to a fulfilling and successful life.

3. You’ll never look good trying to make someone else look bad. Kindness is attractive.

4. You are responsible for teaching people how to love you. The way you treat yourself and the boundaries you uphold are the first examples of what loving you should look like.

5. You don’t have to subscribe to other people’s definition of fun.

6. You will never be criticized by someone ahead of you.

7. The pain of self-discipline will never be as great as the pain of regret.

8. You are responsible for regulating your own feelings. You are not a child, stop blaming your bosses or the news for your mood and behaviour.

9. Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. You are what you repeatedly do.

10. 90% of the time you spend with your parents is over by the time you leave for college. If you are lucky to have a loving family - because it is truly a privilege - cherish every moment you get to spend with them.

11. If a proposed activity doesn’t add to your health, your happiness, your relationships, or your wealth - it is taking away from it. Politely decline.

12. The most important skill in communication is hearing what isn’t said (non-verbal cues).

13. Don't wait for the feeling to come; take action to create it. It's always easier to generate emotions through action, rather than relying on feelings to prompt action.

14. “Maybe later” is the obstacle. The whole world is stuck in waiting. Show up now.

15. Your health is your first foundation.

16. Emotions are not in your control. Giving meaning to those emotions is. Emotions go away within minutes unless you give them meaning. With meaning, emotions become feelings that impact your thoughts.

17. Struggle and deadness of the day disappear when you take command of your life. It becomes much more easy and fun when you take responsibility to show up for yourself.

18. You are not lazy. You just focus on things that don’t matter. You just forgot who you are building everything for.

19. 100 percent of the time is easier than 95 percent of the time. If you want effortless transformation, create and stick to the rules, not preferences.

20. Extraordinarily successful people have moments of self-doubt, bad habits, gaps in their knowledge, procrastination issues, imperfect routines, insecurities, and imposter syndrome too. But they also know that all of these things are perfectly normal. That is the difference.

21. You won’t rise to the level of your goals. You will fall to the level of your energy.

22. Knowing when to quit is a valuable skill. Stop focusing on the sunk cost (the past) and make a decision like the rest of your life depends on it (because it does).

23. Let go of having to be in control. The only thing worth controlling is the level of importance you give to things.

24. Learn from the elders: wake up at 6AM, have your last meal by 5PM, and go to bed at 9:30PM - feel amazing.

25. Nothing is more predictable in this world than an unpredictable distraction. Learn to say NO.

26. Life is too short to not do what you love.

27. Your dreams must be bigger than your drama, distractions, and discouragement.

28. You asked for it. You are responsible. Earn it. Enjoy it.

Gift to you: Chaos to Calm Blueprint

What if the definition you give to a successful career is exactly what prevents you from achieving it?

Many high achievers, just like you and me, often find themselves on the wrong path of overwhelm and burnout.

They never get a chance to pause, look at their chaotic life from a bird’s-eye view, reflect on their habits and choices, and learn the mindset needed to achieve a fulfilling, successful, and balanced lifestyle.

And this is precisely how I can help.

This week, you can meet with me personally for a 60-90 minute one-on-one session to ensure you don’t waste any more time in a world where you are always stressed and questioning your own decisions.

And you don’t even have to commit to 499 USD.

Only today, you can book it for just 28 USD!
(Because I turned 28 today, luckily for you! 😉)

This is your opportunity to show up for yourself this week.

I am only available to meet 5 people. Make sure you are one of them!

Let’s get you on the path towards an extraordinary life you deserve.

Tiny Habit: Measure yourself

Define your own scale.

Do you want to be happier?
Do you want to create more impact?
Do you want to stick to your schedule better?

On a scale from 1 to 10, how did you do in either of these?

Now, wrap up every week (if not every day) asking yourself this question.

Place it in your working memory and embark on your improvement journey.

The Productivist Question

I can’t help it, but ask myself this question today:

Am I getting better at life?

I encourage you to not wait until it’s your birthday, but ponder on it today.

Maybe you should start measuring yourself to know for sure. 👆😉

That’s a wrap!

I hope you enjoyed this special edition of The Productivist.
If you haven’t, do not tell me today, wait until tomorrow! 🥲

I appreciate you!

Cheers,

Valeriya

PS: Accepting gifts at 22 Avenue de… just kidding! 😅