I just turned 21. And after 3+ years on self-improvement⦠hereās exactly what Iāve learned.
Started at 17. No discipline. Addicted to dopamine. Insecure. Overthinking everything. Just pain⦠and potential. Today? Iāve improved, definitely, but Iām still figuring it out. Iāve stacked enough Ls, gym sets, journal pages, and late-night YouTube rabbit holes to say this: Hereās everything I wish someone told me when I started: 1. Motivation is a scam. Itās not coming to save you. Rituals > feelings. Structure > vibes. 2. Exercise builds your mind, not just your body. Discipline, confidence, and self-respect come from one more rep, and martial arts allow you to see who you truly are. 3. Dopamine runs the game. Your brain is a chemistry lab. And most people are tweaking out on TikTok. Master this and you win by default. 4. The version of you you admire? Heās not found, heās built. Brick by brick. Day by day. Through boring, painful, beautiful consistency. 5. No one is coming to hold your hand. And thatās a good thing. The day you take full ownership is the day you finally grow. 6. Goals are cute. Standards are lethal. You donāt rise to your dreams. You fall to your systems. Your habits. Your environment. 7. Journaling is therapy for people who donāt want therapy. Youāre not ātoo busy to reflectā - youāre just scared to face your thoughts. 8. Clarity beats grinding. 10 hours unfocused is just glorified procrastination. Know what you want. Then move like itās already yours. 9. People will fall off. When you start levelling up, it threatens those who arenāt. Let them go. Youāre not here to be understood. Youāre here to be undeniable. 10. Every day is a vote. For who you are. For who you become. Your life is just the sum of the habits you keep when no oneās watching. 3 years deep. Still hungry. Still learning. But I hope this helps the 17-year-old version of me who might be reading this. Drop your age + how long youāve been on self-improvement š Letās build a brotherhood in here. Fr. And remember āyour decisions today will define your tomorrowā.