Proverbs for the Professional

I’ve written a few proverb lists over the years. Here’s a curation of those, plus some new ones that apply to the professional. No matter where you are, what you do, and what role you have, these are for you. 

1. The same old mistakes form the walls of your prison. New mistakes pave the highway forward.
2. Multitasking is a myth. 
3. You don’t have a time management problem. You have a time priority problem.
4. Avoid hanging out at the corner of bitch and moan. 
5. Be willing to get punched in the face. 
6. The one who gets ahead is the one who takes responsibility. Especially for the failures.
7. Compete.
8. Follow the money, power, and status, but learn to navigate all three without becoming owned by any.
9. Color outside the lines. Walk on the curb. Run with scissors. Not all the time, but sometimes.
10. Creative tension is how great teams get better. Embrace the disagreement.
11. Always assume the other person doesn’t mean harm and that you misunderstood.
12. Consensus does not equal truth.
13. Curiosity and the desire to explore keep you young and make you more valuable.
14. Bring your passion with you. 
15. Value doesn’t necessarily mean hours or KPIs. Be valuable. 
16. Legacy isn’t a name on a building. It’s the effect you’ve had on the people around you.
17. You are a work in progress. So is everyone else. Remember that before casting the first stone.
18. Learning how to recognize, confer, and use status is a superpower.
19. Don’t be snowed by credentials. Respect everyone. 
20. The best method for learning is to teach someone else.
21. Do things that make you feel like an impostor. That feeling means you’re growing.
22. Inspiration shows up more often in the middle of the work than in the middle of the night.
23. It’s OK, maybe encouraged, to geek out on tools.
24. You don’t have to start in the mail room, but pay attention to those who have. Their perspective is likely a magnetic pole to which you should be attracted or repelled.
25. Leave your colleagues feeling, “I want to work with this person.” That’s not the same as, “I’d love to hang out with this person.”
26. Once you learn how work works, you’ll never worry about machines taking your job.
27. Professionals play hurt.
28. Professionals show up when it counts.
29. The leader isn’t necessarily the name in the box at the top of the chart. Be a leader. At the very least, lead yourself.
30. Teach others to do your job.