I was thinking this past weekend about where my life has gone and the things I have learned so far. I am entering the middle of my career now (When did THAT happen??) and have learned a few things along the way that would have been good to know years ago.

1. Keep reading books. I have always enjoyed reading. It is a great way to detach and learn about new things or just travel to new worlds. More importantly, good writing has a way of bringing your own life into clearer view. When I hit my mid-20s I got away from reading for a lot of reasons and now that I am back reading I feel so much more aware and observant of the world.
    
2. Stay going to the gym. I am like the vast majority of people. I would go to the gym and enjoy it but when my wife and I first started dating, the gym got replaced in my schedule by the demands of building a relationship. I recently got back in the groove and it is a great release from the day to day stress of life. I should not have stopped going because; honestly, I was being lazy. Now that I am back it feels great and my overall health is improved. Though those 5am wakeups sure hurt some days.
    
3. Travel more. I think I have enjoyed more than my fair share of travel in my young life. I have seen every province in Canada except Newfoundland, been beyond the Arctic Circle and even went on safari in Tanzania. Now that I look back I wish had done more. Been to more places. Seen more countries. Experienced new cultures. Africa was a trip unlike any other I had been on. It opened my eyes to the true beauty of this world. It also showed me that it the physical trappings of life don’t matter but the people we meet and the relationships we build absolutely do. I should clarify that trips to a resort where you never leave the compound does not count as travel. Travel is when you experience the location as the locals do and learn about their lives and customs.
    
4. Go to work earlier. It is amazing how much more productive I am between 8am and 9am. Once the office starts to fill up, productivity slowly declines. We are not capable of pounding out 8 straight hours of quality work. Our brains need those breaks and interludes to reset our focus. But coming in a bit earlier has helped me maximize those productive times.
    
5. Go for walks. Walking is proven to stimulate brain activity. So find time each day to go for a walk. It helps me think better and you will be surprised what you can see [Narrator: Some things you don’t want to see too!] walking around the block. I have a dog and that has really helped me accomplish this goal in the last 5 years.
    
6. Take more chances/Risk more. This is a big one that I have only learned recently. I was raised by an Accountant and if you know Accountants, they view risk as one of the 7 deadly sins. I have learned that risk is an important attribute for success in your life or your career. It matters the amount you risk AND the timing of the chance. What I did learn was that we will never know the right time to take a chance, unless we are willing to test our personal boundaries to find that answer the hard way. Push your boundaries and you will be shocked of what you can actually achieve by risking a little bit more. Through trial and error.
    
7. Question more, opine less. The big one for most of us. Have you ever had a discussion with someone you just met and they asked a lot of questions about you? Did you like them afterwards? I am willing to guess that in the vast majority of cases, the answer was yes. As humans, we like to talk about ourselves. When you meet someone that asks you questions, we have an immediate and strongly positive reaction towards them. We like them more often and work to establish meaningful friendships with people that want to hear about “us”. Now think of the opposite side. Do you have a friend that constantly offers their “opinion” on everything? How do you feel after talking to those types of people? Probably pretty negative and here is the crux of it. Questions allow you to dive deep into something and truly learn more. Opinions are formed in shallow water and only ever skim the surface. As humans, we LOVE opinions [Narrator: see any cable news channel] but the strongest connections we make and the best learning we experience comes from asking questions. My simple math is this: Ask 3 questions for each opinion I give.

I am entering the middle-career stage of my life. There will be much more to be learned, lots of risks taken and I am looking forward to the next 20 years and all that it will add to my life.