It’s been ONE year since I left corporate.

I’ve got 15 critical lessons I’d like to share:

​

1. “Burn the boats” is a power move

Saying goodbye to my paycheck was a forcing function for better accessing that “other 90%” of untapped personal potential that psychologists talk about.

​

2. High-achievers lead with their head (mostly ignore heart)

This used to be me. Only when I permitted myself to be heart-led did I recognize, embrace, and unleash my gifts on the world (and receive appropriate rewards).

​

3. All your eggs in the corporate basket is super risky

All the layoff news alone should petrify you. And the rise of AI makes it more urgent. You must learn to earn income on your own (NOT just plugged into another’s system).

​

4. We create optionality for optionality’s sake

Credentials, prestigious companies, and impressive titles. Every box checked is another option to be cashed in later. Problem is, we never cash them in (it’s a state of infinite “life” deferral).

​

5. Energy is everything

It’s even more important than time. Once you understand and design your life for max energy, your entire path and worldview changes for the better. Now, I feel ALIVE.

​

6. Focus your corporate efforts on “efficient leverage”

Treat corporate as the tool that it is by emotionally detaching and getting hyper-efficient in delivering the right outcomes. Package your skills, relationships, and accomplishments and leverage them externally — whether that’s a job upgrade, personal brand, or side business. Be efficient inside corporate and leverage those gains for exponential growth on the outside.

​

7. We cling to “security” and ignore “prosperity”

Psychologists show that losing $100 is WAY more emotional and influential than gaining $100. Our subconscious and irrational addiction to security prevents us from making bets that could lead to exponential prosperity. Just think of that job hunt you didn’t execute and that business you haven’t started. All those potential compound gains will never come to fruition without bold action.

​

8. Most people secretly hate the work they do

It’s a hard thing to admit to yourself, but it’s clear from my conversations over the past year that a large percentage of high-achievers can’t stand their work (and it destroys their personal lives). If given the option, they would leave immediately. Let this sink in. Do you have something you need to admit to yourself? It might be a game-changing moment.

​

9. Your can’t want what you haven’t seen

One reason we stay on the default path is because we can’t conceive of anything else. Before I joined entrepreneurial masterminds years ago, I had ZERO clue what those people were about. But after investing to learn their mindsets, strategies, and lifestyles, my brain locked onto a whole new range of possibilities. Lesson: seek out new people and ideas that excite (and scare) you. Your brain will start wanting different things.

​

10. A new life is a few relationships away

Most people succumb to default relationships: immediate family and colleagues (whom they didn’t hand-pick). And then you’re unwittingly programmed to want what they want. But instead, if you build relationships with a few people who are where you want to be, your growth becomes inevitable.

​

11. We’re paralyzed by irrational fear

In personal risk evaluation (e.g., switching careers, starting a family), we naturally obsess over the downsides and generally neglect the potential upsides. Realize that all you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of that fear. Make some calculated big bets.

​

12. Space is the place where miracles happen

Time, energy, and mental capacity: you must create this type of space in your life. Your chaotic days are severely hampering your dreaming, creativity, and action-taking. Design your life for max SPACE.

​

13. You’re uniquely positioned to help your past self

You know that person better than anyone. You know how they think, feel, and act. And realize that there are thousands of your past selves out there dying for your help. Position yourself to help them. Change their lives. Monetize (earn your due income) in the process.

​

14. Full-time entrepreneurship is NOT for the majority

My stance is that MOST people should keep their day jobs (as long as they fully optimize for freedom). As I’ve learned, full-time entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. You’ve got to be all-in mentally and emotionally, which takes a lot of pre-work to get to this stage. But having a side business? You better believe I’m an advocate that ALL professionals do this. Going forward, learning how to make a dime on your own is a critical life skill.

​

15. Nothing changes without skin in the game

If you pay money, you pay attention. And I’m talking BIG money (not spending $27 on an eBook). This is how human psychology works. If you need a massive transformation in your life, prepare yourself to invest an uncomfortable amount of money (with the right resources). That’s how change happens.

​

BONUS: Fixate on the gain, not the gap

There are two ways to measure your progress in your career and life: GAP mentality vs. GAIN mentality. GAP thinking means you’re measuring yourself forward, against an unachievable ideal in the future (you’ll feel negative and always stuck in external comparison). GAIN thinking means you’re measuring yourself backward, by gauging progress from yesterday (you’ll feel positive, because you recognize your growth).

​
I hope those lessons help!

In summary, I can say that I’ve never felt more ALIVE than I do right now. And that’s all due to listening to my inner voice, designing for freedom, and taking bold action that I know will make my future self (and my family) proud.
​

Lastly, if any of these lessons resonate, realize that you’re one conversation away from everything changing. It’s time for your breakthrough.