Conviction

Conviction as I see it is navigating life with the specific knowledge of what you can and cannot change. It leads to an incredible, indistinguishable ability to enjoy any moment handed to you.

It's not learned in the classroom. It's not something money can buy. You can gain conviction through just two variables: Time and Experience.^[1] Everyone gains conviction with time but experience can accelerate it.

I have come to believe that the ages of 24 and 25 are incredibly unique. You're still young with so much creativity and energy, but you have the wisdom of being two years into the “real world”, away from the bubble of college.

But the more interesting thing about 24 is you can look at everyone your age and notice their patterns of thought that got them to where they are today in life, and you can use that model to predict their next couple years. This prediction muscle begins forming at this age I believe. And it only grows stronger.^[2]

This is incredibly valuable because your 20s is inherently about making the key decisions that will set you up for the rest of your life.

Therefore your ability to define the variables, see with clarity the factors that go into the right or wrong decisions in your 20s is the most important muscle to nurture in yourself, while detecting it in others.^[3]

And you have to be very vigilant.