Honesty is the most critical trait of the independent thinker.

Honesty about your shortcomings.

Honesty about when you don’t understand something.

Honesty about when others fall short or don’t understand.

Honesty, combined with a relentless desire to improve, create independent thinkers.

You must be okay with being wrong. No, you must love being wrong. You must love finding your flaws, shortcomings, and misunderstandings because once you have found them it becomes much easier to affect change.

Take time to express gratitude for those who helped you find your way and change. Address them personally, sincerely, and thoughtfully.

Change is gradual. It rarely happens overnight. Dedicate to change. Dedicate to improvement. Know that you will not change as fast as you want to but as long as you maintain your sense of direction and desire then it will come.

Your actions are a reflection of how serious you are about obtaining a particular outcome. Serious desires lead to serious actions.

Don’t take things too seriously tho homie. You gonna stress and burn out.

Find the levers of maximum leverage. Find the minimum effective doses. Find the least work that drives the biggest change. Focus on long-term change more than short-term.

But also, eat cookies and sit on the couch. Drink champagne. Celebrate your loved ones. Life is too short to not live, laugh, love. (I love a good cliche)

Happy New Year,

Umar Khan