Habits that changed my life
Your habits define who you are. What are the leading habits that help you succeed? Are they transforming you into a better person today? Here are the winning habits that shape your future.
Nine Winning Habits
Hey Pirates, PK Here. Do you have an everyday goal guiding your life journey? For me, it's "to be someone better than I was yesterday." An aim like this, however, can be challenging without the proper habits. Today, I will talk about the nine winning habits that changed my life. These are my core values, philosophy, and the north star ⭐️ that transformed me into who I am today. And if I can do it, so can you. All you need? Commitment. So here they are, the habits that shaped who I am today.
Habit One. Learn.
Remember how I answered the hiring manager during my final interview at Microsoft?
“I haven’t the slightest idea where I’ll be in five years, but if there’s a place that’ll help me become a better, greater person, I’ll be there.”
The growth mindset is the core value that constantly pushes me forward. I've worked at Microsoft, Amazon, and ebay. And I left when I concluded I would grow more elsewhere than where I was then. Learning isn't limited to your workplace, either. I learned Japanese after graduating from college. I studied game development and have made three games so far, one of which won an award. I learned to play drums at age 30. I married my wife because she's someone I can look up to. Be proactive about learning. You should seek your own ways to grow.
Habit Two. Execute.
When an idea pops up in my head, I rarely leave it as an idea; I put it into action. Even if the chances of success are slim, I at least give it a try. How did I respond to my wife's silly idea of starting a YouTube channel? By making content! 👉 A Day in the Life of a Software Engineer WFH. Who would have imagined my channel would grow this fast!? Going back a few years, I wanted a customized way of managing my finances, so I created a bookkeeping app full-stack. Because I didn't have much to do during the COVID lockdown, I googled part-time software engineering jobs. That's how I began working as a mentor and once made more than $5,000 a month from side hustles alone. Guys, if there isn't much to lose, you should just do it. The best way to learn anything is by doing it. Regardless of the result, you'll be amazed to see how much you've grown. Execution is not a skill but self-discipline. Don't be afraid to explore new areas; it's only the first step that's difficult. Remember, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
Habit Three. Copy.
I'm not talking about plagiarism but about imitating the pros. Before getting creative, see if you have the skill to mimic the experts. When I first attempted LeetCode, I had no idea how to solve any problems. What did I do? I copied others' solution, pasted it on my editor, and dissected it until I could understand. There's nothing wrong with looking at the answer as long as you learn from it. The same goes for building portfolio projects. Instead of coming up with an original idea, I replicated a game that already exists: Bomberman. This strategy allowed me to concentrate more on implementing the techniques and less on inventing the game rules. How about drumming? Creating my own beats and fills take tremendous time and effort. Even if I do, it won't be better than the pros! There's a reason why they play the music the way they do. Copying is a quick, effective way to learn anything. Focus on the techniques first; creativity comes later.
“Focus on the techniques first; creativity comes later.”
Habit Four. Read.
It's not a lot, but I've read a dozen books this year. I know. Books aren't fun, but try reading the best sellers on self-improvement. It's because you can access the author's life-long wisdom and secrets in just a few hundred pages! Imagine learning about their success in a matter of hours with a couple of dollars. We're all busy, but try to sneak some time to read. For example, I read while going to work on the bus. I read while waiting in line. And I read before going to bed. An hour of daily reading is usually enough to finish a book in a week or two. Let me share a few that changed my life: Rich Dad and Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris. These books are mind-blowing; I wouldn't be here without these two. I recommend you read them if you haven't already.
Habit Five. Be ready.
Don't leave it to the last minute. Learn to precrastinate and not procrastinate. I made a promise to release a YouTube video every other weekend. It's bloody difficult, but it's one of my top recurring priorities. And I can never keep my promise if I'm not diligent. It takes days to write the script, hours to film, and a few more days to edit to release a video like this finally. For things like this, you can never meet the deadline if you start the night before. The same goes for drumming. If I'm in the lineup, I will practice early, so I'm ready by the time I perform. Procrastinating on things like this is the perfect way to get embarrassed. Plan ahead. Don't play the superhero who can accomplish anything the night before. Instead, learn to deliver the result with perseverance. Consistency beats talent.
Habit Six. Make good friends.
Your friends shape your future. Don't waste time trying to satisfy everyone; you can't. No matter what content I make or what I do, there will always be haters; I don't try to persuade them. Instead, I surround myself with those who truly care for me. One true friend is worth more than a million others. You know what? I'm a busy guy. I barely have enough time to socialize with my full-time job, YouTube, mentoring, etc. If I had to squeeze it, I'd do it to see those I love. Make good friends, guys. Your time is too precious to be with the bad ones. Surround yourself with positive influence. I married my wife because she's someone I can look up to. She's also my best friend 😊. Here's a quote from Socrates: "By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you will be happy. If you get a bad one, you will be a philosopher." I'm glad I'm not a philosopher.
“By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you will be happy. If you get a bad one, you will be a philosopher.”
Habit Seven. Control your spending.
I explain in this video how I spend my software engineering income. The answer is... I don't; I don't live an extravagant life. A good spending habit is the best investment you can make. Before taking out your credit card, ask yourself whether it's necessary. Give it a second thought if you determine it to be more of a want than a need. I promise you; if you live without it now, you can enjoy it on a much grander scale later. Be creative about cutting costs. Visit my website for the apps I use to invest and cut expenses. For example, save $1,000 on Springboard's coding bootcamp with the discount code PIRATEKING. Guys, don't get me wrong. I'm not telling you to live a poor life, but you will be if you can't control your spending habits. Learn to save first, then spend. Wealth isn't defined by how much you earn but by how much you spend.
Habit Eight. Compete against yourself.
Set a goal, and move forward; don't be complacent. But it's not to beat others but to beat yourself. I'll be honest here. I don't have a career ambition; I couldn't care less about climbing the corporate ladder. Whatever I do, wherever I am, I just want to have fun. Maybe that's why I change jobs so often, you know, in pursuit of happiness. Some might argue that I'm unsuccessful because I lack such ambition. But guys, who defines success? Competing against yourself means you define success and not have others define it for you. It's not a moral victory; you determine who you are. Think of it in terms of rock climbing. It's a great workout because it's a fight between your past self and your current self; my definition of victory here is clearing a new course. It's incredible to reach the top I couldn't before! Have a clear sense of what winning means for you. "People who compete against themselves are more successful than those who compete against others because they understand that winning is more than a competition." Test your boundaries. Try to beat who you were yesterday.
Habit Nine. Reflect.
It's easy to overlook things when focused on a goal. What's equally crucial to moving forward is looking back. Is this the right way? Am I going in the right direction? Is there a better way to achieve this? Am I leaving anyone behind? Get in the habit of introspecting. What's the point of winning the marathon if you're alone, right? "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." Most importantly, try to extract an objective conclusion regardless of the result; rationalization is your greatest enemy. There's a difference between winning and thinking you've won. Are you making concrete steps towards winning? Are you not trying to justify the results? Retrospect. Endless reflection will steer your ship in the right direction.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
That's it, pirates. These are the nine habits that transformed me into who I am today. Which one resonates with you the most? Let me know in the comments below. Like and subscribe if you haven't already. I'll see you at the next one. Peace.
Relevant Videos
▶️ A Day in the Life of a Software Engineer... WFH
▶️ Where will you be in 5 years? (Microsoft Interview Question)
▶️ 12 years in the life of a software engineer
▶️ Full-stack Bookkeeping App
▶️ How I made $5000/month from side gigs
▶️ How to Effectively Prepare for LeetCode
▶️ How I would learn to code
