11 Lessons From Gaining Weight

In 2018, I gained 15 kilos and went from being “the skinny guy” to “the fitness guy.” Here are 11 work-related lessons I learned from that process:

1. Results take way longer than you anticipated. You must learn to be patient.
2. “Being patient” sounds easy, almost poetic from the outside. You will not know what real patience is until you face the deep frustration that’s inherent of the process.
3. Give little attention to detractors. They quickly become admirers once you succeed.
4. The little attention you give to detractors should be invested in hearing their criticisms with an open mind. Most of the time they’re at least partially right. 
5. To sustain hard work over a long period of time, you must learn to find joy in it. Otherwise you will tend to quit, or worse: abandonment will slowly creep in, making you stop without ever acknowledging that you did.
6. A great way to start finding joy in hard work is to learn more about it. Knowledge is intoxicating, especially if you get to experiment with it.
7. Consistency beats intensity. Two years of hard work will always beat two months of crazy effort.
8. Sometimes you will need a break, embrace it. Do not worry about a few days/weeks of absence if you’re consistently putting the months/years in.
9. Simplicity beats complexity. Dedicate your efforts mainly to the things that work for the many and avoid the complex things that work for the few, especially if someone is trying to sell you something (caveat: omit this rule if you are world-class at what you do. You should then try complex things that work for the few, as you are part of the 1%).
10. YouTube is possibly one of the best inventions of human civilization with regards to knowledge and growth. Use it often. 
11. Teach what you learn. Teaching and explaining your philosophy is the best way to crystallize it in your own mind.