Lessons on turning 40
Originally sent exclusively to The Letter subscribers on June 9th. Want to be the first to get my personal newsletter in your inbox every Monday at 7am? Subscribe for free here.
Hi gang,
The next time I put pen to paper and flutter through my thoughts with you, I’ll be in a new decade of life, my years on this world will start with a 4; I’m not bothered about climbing the age mountain, I think having children gives a degree of infinity to life.
I was certainly mortified about turning 30, but with this big birthday I have love and warmth - things are good.
I even still fancy my wife - a lot! Pass the sick bucket!
The years of wisdom and experience are piling up on me like equity does in your house.
Funny, as you get older you start getting invisible wealth and riches as the compounding compounds and the commodity of time gets scarcer with every sleep. That’s life.
So what has 25 years in business taught me? (yes, I really did start at 15).
I thought I’d share my nuggets that I’ve learned along the way.
So here's some of them to tickle your taste buds.
The world’s always innovating. Innovate or evaporate. You must innovate with it.
Pull that plaster off. Have the awkward conversations you're putting off; you’re going to have it anyway - why the delay?
A bad year or a bad time is solved if you want it to be solved. It’s down to us if we want to repair or live in despair.
The way you think leads to the results you’ll get.
Learning to think bigger and better gives you a distinct advantage.
Most people think so small. I had a chat with one of my bank managers the other day; we’ve just borrowed £10.3 million from them; he said it's not small potatoes any more, is it? I thought it is.
I only think it's £10m. I’d rather it was a billion. I’m not joking.
Who you hang around with means a lot, more than you’ll ever know.
Remove mood hoovers and replace them with optimists; and make sure it's those that have actually done some stuff.
Learn marketing and human psychology - you’ll quickly learn they’re like hands in a glove.
Content and personal brand is like a magic potion to opening doors and rocket fuel for your business; if your motivation is the rocket - personal brand is the fuel to keep you motivated.
Plus, when you have a dose of notoriety; even if you’re just famous to a few, the best version of people turn up to help you.
Even you, you become better and want to live up to your hype - I started exercising because I was showing up online and wanted to shed the fat!
Once you are crowned expert, you’re seen as the best, you have authority; so you have to live up to the better you.
On that note, heavy is the head that wears the crown. Get used to responsibility as you'll only end up getting more of it.
People and circumstances will always let you down.
So what. Get over it. Moaning is boring.
If it’s to be, it’s up to me.
It’s all my fault if it doesn’t work out.
We’re all a little bit shit and yes, everyone’s shit does stink.
No one’s perfect, I’ve met millionaires and billionaires, paupers and princes.
I’ve met my heroes on occasion, I’ve been pleased as punch on some occasions and punched with disappointment on others.
We’ve all got flaws. We all get anxiety and frustration, bad days, wins and losses.
Embrace it and embrace it fast and you’ll be winning.
Build bridges when people let you down, forgive them.
Good things happen to good people, those that medle in wrongs always get their dues - even if it's not obvious, you'll always have a better night's sleep knowing you did the right thing - especially when no one else is watching.
Action is usually the antidote to the anxiety of life.
Tomorrow, I’m running my theatre show, if you're coming, I'll see you there.
I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, it’s a talk from yours truly followed by Q and A.
It’s me presenting these antidotes of life and having a giggle.
I’ve barely thought about it. It wasn't always like that; 10 years ago, I’d have been shitting myself. Now I can walk on stage in front of 1000’s of people like making a cup of tea or popping to the Co-op.
I’ve done so much of this stuff, I can just go on command. I know public speaking boils some folk into a fret of anxiety to stand on stage, this anxiety has left me like a fart in the breeze.
10,000 hours of action and purposeful practice allows me to do this.
It allows me to be at home on stage like I feel comfortable farting in front of friends.
Like buying companies or raising money or solving challenges and business turnaround or generating revenue. Practice and action.
The 3 points to a great person:
As we said in last week's letter - Has done. Can do. Will do.
I have done it. I can do it and boy, I will do it again. Get to this stage, master a skill and a craft then multiply that rocket fuel of super success, let's use our resources because it's not your lack of resources it's your lack of resourcefulness that get you to the moon.
When you become resourceful and you'll become so valuable the universe will pile you with opportunity and all the resources you'll ever need.
Action. Action is what makes us entrepreneurs.
Most are dreamers. We’re dreamers and doers.
So what are Dreamers and doers with 10,000 hours behind us? Well, your the next big thing.
See you on the other side of the big 40.
Talking of age, I found my first grey pubic hair this week. It was in a kebab.
To your continued success,
James
PS. If you did fancy a 1-on-1 with my quarter-century of business wisdom, this is your one (and only) way in 👉 Gold Ticket to Business Masterclass