Key Takeaways from my 14th Year in the World

Today I turned 15 years old, and I want to take this time to write about my learnings. It was an incredible year; my book came out, I joined the Knowledge Society, consulted for companies like the UN, vastly grew my network, spoke on a world-class stage, and met lifelong friends. I also started developing my passions, namely in the intersection between nanotechnology and sustainable energy. It was more than I could have imagined and I’ve gained so much knowledge and value that I want to share with you. Here are my top takeaways from my 14th year in the world.

Stop Making Excuses

Before this year I feel like I made a lot of excuses for myself, usually because of my age. Why learn to code? I could do it later. Why try and get an internship? I was too young. Why reach out to experts? I wasn’t old enough to be taken seriously. It’s really easy to make excuses. Have that boss mentality. Stop thinking you’re worse than anybody else. Know what you have to offer — know your strengths and weaknesses so that you can bring value to everything and everyone in your life, and don’t let anything prohibit you from chasing your goals. If you truly want something, stop letting excuses get in the way. Just start, and start now. It’s never too early to start.

Think Unconventionally

A lot of teenagers have a path that they, or others, have carved out for themselves. Do well in school, go to university, get a job, make money. Happiness = big houses, fancy cars, and being able to show off what you do. My advice: define what success means to you, and strive to get to that point. It’s easy to go along with the tides, and think what society as a whole thinks, but is that who you are? Is that really what you want for yourself? My broad goal in life is to achieve fulfillment and long-term happiness, continuously gaining value from what I do while helping others and making a real difference in the world. That is going to look different from person to person, and of course, from situation to situation. I have privilege, and it’s important to acknowledge that. However, the moral of this portion is, choose your own path that will give you a life you actually want. Not for other people, not for Instagram likes, not for recognition — but you.

Grow Your Network

Before this year I don’t think I ever realized the importance of networking. I mean, I’d heard phrases like “your network is your net worth” but I’d always thought it was something I would do when I was older. How was I even supposed to start now? Call someone up? Why would they listen to me? What I found out is that people are really willing to help. If you go on LinkedIn, search up a specific field you may want to contact experts in, and reach out to around 20, it’s likely that at least one might respond. I’ve been totally bewildered by this fact. I’ll message someone legit, and sometimes they’ll respond and hop on a call with me. When I meet these people, I then add them to my newsletter (after making sure to get their permission), ask if they can keep in touch, and, if they’re someone I really look up to and could learn a lot from, I’ll ask them to mentor me. It can be scary to ask, but again — just go for it. What is there to lose? Consider the worst and best-case scenario. Worst case: they say no. Nothing changes. Best case: they say yes, you gain value and knowledge, you forge an important relation, and maybe you get opportunities like job shadowings or internships down the line if you prove yourself. I would say the best-case outweighs the worst case. By a lot.

Build Projects

Where we go wrong with school is that in many cases we lack applying the skills that we learn. We can memorize facts and numbers and copy them out on a test, or we can fully understand a physics or mathematics concept, but what do we do with that? How do we ensure we don’t forget it? The key lies in building projects. That’s where growth will accelerate. That does start with exposure, of course. I exposed myself to different areas of emerging technology this year, and from this, my interests began to form, like fusion energy. I then read more into fusion, wrote my own articles, and started doing hands-on work. I started learning physics to comprehend more complex technicalities, and then a passion developed. This doesn’t have to be a part of the school. You can do this on your own time because if you truly love it, it won’t feel like work. It will be difficult, guaranteed, but I’ve found the projects I’ve built rewarding, fulfilling, and fun.

Be a Polymath

“Smart” is a pretty vague word, but generally, when you talk to someone you classify as smart, you’ll notice that they know a lot about many different topics. This is a perfect segue from the building projects section because you should build projects in different areas. Don’t build one project in machine learning, like the experience, and settle on that for the rest of your life. Experiment with a variety of sectors. Be knowledgeable in a variety of subjects. This will allow you to become wise (although of course, other factors like your values play into this). The cool phenomenon about this is that if you have an abundance of niche skillsets, then you can come up with ideas nobody’s ever thought of where you intersect them. Therefore — expose yourself, build projects, and learn as much as you can. What you do should challenge and push you, but also bring you joy. Being a polymath will help you stand out.

Love Failure

We as humans hate failure because it seems scary. We seek instant gratification because that’s what feels good. However, we must understand that a stigma has been created around the term “failure”. It’s portrayed as something ugly when really it fosters growth. Don’t restrict yourself from reaching for the stars because you’re afraid it may not work out. Hating failure = not speaking up, or doing what you really want to do, or asking for that thing that could 10x you. Hating failure, or shying away from it, is a big hindrance, so learn to love it. Easier said than done, of course, but try to avoid playing it safe all the time, and sticking with what you know. Get out of your comfort zone. That’s how groundbreaking and unconventional ideas are created.

Stay Humble and Grounded

Last, but certainly not least, it’s important to stay humble and grounded at all times. Sometimes when people start being successful in their eyes or receiving opportunities, they get proud and cocky. They forget how they got to where they are and who played a role in their journey. Consistently reflecting and showing gratitude can help you to prevent this. I like to keep a gratitude journal, and I also meditate one-two times a day. Remember that having accomplishments doesn’t make you better, or superior, to anyone else. Maintain your values and social conscience in what you do. While doing so, stay away from being overly jealous — jealousy is normal, but celebrate others’ accomplishments. You’ll feel better in doing so.

I hope this was helpful and I’m so excited for what my 15th year brings! See you next time :)

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