40 life tips (because it’s my 40th birthday)
Oh wow, I’m actually turning 40 today. I can’t believe the big 4 0 is finally here. I used to be young my whole life, and now I’m officially not young anymore. That will take some time to get used to…
Anyway, let’s celebrate this joyful occasion with what I’ve learned in the last 40 years. I'm going to share with you 40 life tips, beautiful wisdom, great quotes, practical hacks, and some fascinating mental models that I've picked up over the past decades.
I guarantee there will be a golden nugget in there for you, so grab yourself a drink and a snack, and let’s go through this list! :)
I asked Grok to turn my photo into a version of myself as a 70 year old man with a big white beard. I didn’t expect that Grok would turn me into Gandalf!
But hey, I like Gandalf. If I can be like Gandalf, I would be very content. And a nice extra is that I can play Santa Clause during the holidays ;)
1) Kaizen. Become better. Improve yourself a little bit every day. This compounds immensely, and you’ll gradually become a better man in every facet of your life.
2) Study, learn, try, fail, try again, get better, try some more,… and win. This is the journey of success.
3) Dream BIG: Have some epic dreams, but keep them realistic. They should scare you a little bit because they are so epic, but most of all excite you immensely. Your eyes should sparkle when you think of what could become reality.
4) Create attainable goals: What can you do this year to come closer to that big dream of yours? Write it all down. Dissect it. Make it actionable, time-bound, and realistic.
5) What does that dream cost? How much money does it cost? How many hours of work? How many resources? What do you need to get in order to turn that dream into a reality? Make it so that your dream has a number. Quantify it. Usually it costs less than you think!
6) Create a solid Action Plan. Make an overview with goals you can achieve this year, and then cut it up into months, weeks and days, so that you can work on what needs to be done every day.
7) Take MASSIVE ACTION. You read that right. Have big dreams, huge goals, and a solid plan, and then take massive action on that. Move mountains to get what you want out of life. Shoot for the moon. Kick ass and take names.
8) Know that dreaming big and working hard come with a lot of insecurities, doubt, friction, and naysayers.
9) Know also that these are all signals that you’re doing great. There will always be Resistance when you want to do grand things. Resistance is like an invisible force in nature (like gravity) that wants to prevent you from doing great. Fight that resistance every instance you encounter it!
10) Change your story, change your life. The story you tell yourself about yourself and your future matters. If you don’t like it, change the story. Make it epic. You are the star of your own movie. Get out there, be memorable, and do cool shit.
11) Well-being over Wealth: it’s better to be feeling good and healthy and being broke than being rich and extremely stressed out and sick. Make sure you never burn out in the pursuit of money, your goals, and happiness.
Me in Tokyo, March 2020, during the outbreak of C19, pondering if I’m on the right path. I was. I just didn’t know it then. Have more faith in your journey!
12) “The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts” - Marcus Aurelius.
13) Happiness comes and goes, just like any other emotion. When you have a bad day, know it will pass. Also, when you have a great day, know that this euphoric feeling and day shall also pass.
14) Be in a good mood for no reason. If you can be in a bad one for no reason, choose a good one. Your mindset is a choice. Choose positivity.
15) This is what Hard feels like. No, this is not a '“that’s what she said”-joke. This is for you when you’re going through a rough time to remember that this is that exact time in your journey when it’s tough. Every human with ambitious goals goes through this phase.
16) Yutori: Sometimes, it’s okay to take a breather. Rest is an essential part of the journey. Sometimes you have to take your foot off the gas and slow down. Yutori means to take a deep breath and slow down a bit, for the sake of progress in the long run.
17) Wabi Sabi. My first and only tattoo is on my left elbow, and it says Wabi Sabi. Investigate this concept thoroughly, and it will change your life forever.
18) Hurry up: you think you have time? No, time flies by. Father Time has no chill. Don’t wait until you’re retired to turn your dreams into beautiful memories, you might not even make it that far. Start today!
19) Focus. It’s the main keyword in life. Be vigilant about what you focus on in life. It determines everything. Focus on the right things and discard all other noise. Focus, focus, focus!!! - "Do nothing that is of no use." - Miyamoto Musashi.
20) Nobody cares. This fact is worrisome at first, but freeing later when you realize that you can do whatever you want in life. People are very much occupied with their own lives, so they hardly notice you. And even if they notice you, they will keep going with their thing after 5 seconds anyway. Nobody cares, do whatever you want to do!
21) Hard werken hard genieten. This is my favorite Dutch mantra, which means: Work very hard, but also enjoy life with equal intensity. If you work really hard, you should also have a lot of fun in your off time. This is a healthy balance, and I assure you, a lot of fun!
22) Have a growth mindset. Don’t be that stuck-up arrogant twat that thinks he’s figured life out. Leave the fixed mindset behind you. Continuously strive to improve in all aspects of life. And never forget; there is always more to discover, learn, and explore. Life is a never-ending Rubik’s Cube.
23) Go get yourself a good wife/partner. It’s essential for literally every aspect of your life. Find someone with a good heart.
24) Stop eating that shitty food, you know it’s garbage. Eat unprocessed healthy food that primarily comes from nature, like avocado, bananas, eggs, walnuts, steak, coffee, tea, and water.
Me at 38 in Hong Kong, living the life I’ve dreamed of years before. I’ve actually become a world traveler and travel photographer. 2024 was definitely one of the best years of my life.
25) Grow the fck up.
26) Stretch. Yeah, really, stretch. I hate it, but if I don’t stretch every other day, I’m a stiff mess. I can feel like I’m 80 if I skip stretching. Do it, and you’ll feel a whole lot better.
27) Drink water. I can’t believe I have to say this, but many people hardly drink water. Drink 2-3 liters a day, capiche?!
28) Expel nasty people from your life. Mean, toxic, lying, demonic f*ckers should have no seat at your table. Be relentless with these kinds of people in your life, because the quality of your life depends on it.
29) You gotta stop with the drugs. I know they are fun and even mind-blowingly epic at times, but you gotta stop after a certain age.
30) Minimize alcohol. I will never completely stop with alcohol, but after a certain age you really have to minimize your alcohol intake. If you have a beer or two during dinner on Saturday, sure, but not a whole crate on Tuesday.
31) “Look at the rainbows! Look at those pretty clouds! Look at those nice flowers!” - My mom. She taught me to see beauty. Thanks mom.
32) My dad taught me a relentless work ethic. His dedication was fascinating, bizarre, and also inspiring. Thanks dad.
33) Take photos of everything. Document your life. Photos are a gateway to your memories of that particular moment. Without them, memories fade away with time…
Also, take videos. Especially if you want to hear the voice again of certain people who have left us.
34) Travel the world as much as you can. It’s the best thing you can do to learn more about the world, people, and yourself, mostly. It’s a fast track to expand your mind and perspectives. It truly broadens the mind, as they say.
November 2024, 07.00am, at the most beautiful serene place in the world, Mount Fuji. I might look grumpy here, but that was because I didn’t have my coffee yet. I was actually incredible happy here. All of my dreams had come true!
35) Eat well. Try everything. The world has so much fantastic food to explore and discover. It will be one of the most fun things you’ll do. Watch out, though, you can get fat really fast! ;)
36) Wear sunscreen, wear a condom, wear a helmet. It’s just a play of words, but what I’m trying to say is that you should protect yourselves at all times in any situation. Life is precious and you shouldn’t waste it with trivial shit like diseases, accidents, nasty people, and so on.
37) Smile: it’s the most beautiful thing about you! Never forget that. Don’t you ever lose it. Whatever happens, keep smiling (read: keep having fun, chase dreams, be silly, dance to great music, feast with friends, and so on).
38) God will someday enter your life. For some at an early age, some on the last day of their life, and some whenever it’s fitting. When the time comes for you, you’ll know. Accept God with open arms, and thank me later.
39) God is the Universe, and the Universe is God. Once you understand this, you’ll connect it all. Take your time with this one until you truly get it.
40) And last but not least; please, enjoy your life. Enjoy it to the fullest of your abilities. Take every chance you get to make it memorable. Make sure you lie on your deathbed with a big, contented grin on your face.
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That was it. I hope you picked up a golden nugget or two. If you liked this list, please subscribe to the email newsletter and follow me on social media. Thanks.
Cheers to you, and cheers to me, I’m 40, whoeehoeeee !!!
Me, at 32 in the Colosseum in Rome, worried about the future that actually was 10x more epic and fun than I could have imagined.
