by Scott Jagodzinski
As John Steinbeck once said, “No one wants advice – only corroboration.” Wow…that so describes me as a 30 year old. Full of piss and vinegar, charging ahead like a bull in a china shop, only stopping occasionally to consider what others think but really wanting people to simply get on board with whatever agenda I was pushing.
Well, with a couple decades of that under my belt I’ve come to realize a few things. First, if you are somewhere around 30, you’ll fall into one of three categories:
1. You’ve stopped reading this because you don’t take advice.
2. You’ll consider words of wisdom from others but only if you are still on the fence. If you’re leaning one way, you only want advice that supports your conclusion.
3. You listen, consider the advice and actually follow all or part of it. You are a rare breed.
Here’s a little secret: #1 was me as a 30 year old. #2 was me as a 40 year old. #3 is me today as a 50 year old. Want to pull a Tim Ferriss and 80/20 this bad boy? Skip to #3. Today.
The second thing I’ve realized is that there is no substitute for experience. Until you realize that experience comes at a price (time and money). Then you realize there is a substitute for experience. Advice.
Today I had coffee with a good friend who is about 15 years my senior. This guy is one of the most creative, energetic, entrepreneurial guys you’ll meet. He has started and taken two companies public. He does not live in the status quo. I shared a business challenge I was having and guess what…he advanced my thinking by at least 30 days and helped me get to a solution. My 30 year old counterpart would not have even sought advice and certainly would not have followed it.
I’m a business guy so I tend to think of this stuff in that context. But this works in any part of your life. Relationships, health, fitness, faith…you name it.
So like anything new, I always suggest a test before a full rollout. Take any challenge in your life today and reach out to a couple of trusted people who have a few more gray hairs and wrinkles than you. Share with them and ask them for advice. It won’t cost anything, you don’t have to take it, but you just might learn something. Best case, you save time, money and possibly some face.
Scott Jagodzinski is a co-founder of Alchemy, father of 3, and working on getting 100 pushups in under 4 minutes. More on Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagodzinski
