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27 pieces of advice for my younger self (that I wish I knew sooner)
Finally hitting publish on an article I wrote it in November 2025, the same week I turned 27 AND left Google.
Will I ever return to corporate?
If all goes well, probably not.
Beyond the career changes, the past year has been an incredible journey of growth personally as well.
Here are some lessons I’ve learned (mostly the hard way) over the last 27 years. Let’s get into it:
Scared money doesn’t make any money
If you are scared to take risks, you’ll never see outsized results.
A crush is a lack of info
You pedestalize that person or that job you really want because you simply don’t understand them/it well enough.
Consistency is a superpower
The only real way to lose is to stop.
Being unproductive is productive
We’re humans, not robots. Rest is productive.
Do it for the love of the game
Best results occur when you do something because it excites you like nothing else can.
Focus should hurt
Prioritize relentlessly and say no to attractive distractions.
Just ask her out
You literally have NOTHING to lose and EVERYTHING to gain.
Health is more than physical and mental
Health involves more than just a gym routine and meditation. A deep sense of meaning, purpose, and belonging matter more than you think.
Judgement is the ultimate skill
Judgement matters more than pure work ethic. If you don’t know how you should be using your time and what decisions matter, you’re “busy”, not productive.
Your parents did their best
They did their best with whatever information they had available to them. It’s not worth being upset with them over something that happened decades ago.
Play infinite games
The goal is to continue playing games you care about. Celebrate milestones, but recognize they aren’t everything.
Double text people you care about
No, you don’t desperate. It doesn’t matter that you texted them twice or they didn’t respond, they’re just busy.
The moat of low status
Every expert once started as a beginner. Looking dumb while trying > not trying at all.
Help 1 person, not 100,000
If you try speaking to everyone, you speak to no one.
Cherish your relationships
The people in your life make your story more colorful.
Pray more and meditate on scripture
Have the humility to recognize what you don’t know. Put your faith in God and trust his plan.
Learn your friends’ love languages
It will improve the quality of your relationships.
Take feedback well, but don’t follow all of it
Everyone has an opinion on how you should live your life, but only you have to live through it.
People ahead of you will never criticize you
Your worst critics are those who secretly wish they were you.
A fit body, a calm mind, a house full of love
If you have all 3, you are insanely rich.
Be generous and love abundantly
Give first without expectations, and they will reciprocate.
Don’t take yourself so seriously
We’re here for a good time, not a long time.
Do things that don’t benefit you
Find more fulfillment in selfless actions.
Be unashamedly yourself
Wear your heart on your sleeve…life is too short to hide your true self.
Act with love in everything you do
Everyone is going through something (you just don’t know it). Be kind.
Have a rock solid “Why”
Have a “why” that goes beyond your work so that when sh*t hits the fan, you don’t lose hope.
Healing takes time
Be patient with yourself. It might feel like there’s no end in sight, but things change quickly.
Much love,
Matt