Alright, so I hit the big 4-0 this year. I could bore you with 40 profound life lessons, but let’s be real, you’d scroll past by lesson five. So, here are the highlights – the ones that actually stuck (and yes, that’s lesson one: keep it snappy, folks).

The Old Markers of “Making It”

When I started my career, the definition of “making it” was very clear. You got your own office (with a door you could close), a reserved parking spot and company phone, and maybe – if you were really killing it – a stack of printed business cards to hand out (to family, no less). That was the dream. That was status.

Fast-forward to today, and those markers are pretty much obsolete. The office is shared, the parking spot is irrelevant because you shouldn’t drive to work anyway, and the business card has been banned. We’re green, we’re caring, even my dog has an office spot. And the biggest plot twist: working from home used to be pure fantasy. Now, it’s just… Tuesday. Times, they are a-changin’, and so is the definition of “experience”.

The Real Education

Because let’s be brutally honest: the stuff that makes me vaguely competent after 20 years isn’t on any official CV. No fancy certifications or LinkedIn badges here. We’re talking about the messy, hilarious, and occasionally mortifying lessons you only get by actually doing the work.

I’ve learned that the express lane to a new skill involves someone dropping a task on your lap that makes you think, “Wait, is this even in English??” The super-express lane? That’s when you make a mistake. A public one. The kind you deploy live and immediately feel your soul shrivel. Nothing, and I mean nothing, teaches like pure, unadulterated panic.

The Power of Documentation

Next up: writing everything down. This isn’t about being organized; it’s about survival. People forget. Responsibilities vanish into thin air, yet timestamp is timeless. If you’ve got the email, the note, the screenshot – you’re golden. Otherwise, if no one remembers whose job it was, congratulations, it’s now officially yours. Welcome to the club.
I know that meetings have their place — they keep us aligned, document decisions, and make sure everyone gets the same message. But let’s be honest: the really interesting information often surfaces elsewhere. It’s at the coffee machine, during a smoke break, or while waiting for the kettle to boil. Miss those moments, and you’ll probably hear about something only after it’s already in motion. The funny thing is, when information doesn’t come through a formal channel, people sometimes tune it out or don’t register it as “official.” I’ve done it, you’ve probably done it — and then we both learned the hard way that informal doesn’t mean unimportant.

Soft Skills, Hard Truths

I’ve also learned the subtle art of saying nothing. There’s a lot of power in silence during a meeting—nodding along while others argue, and then being remembered as “the calm one who probably had it all figured out.” (oh, I so did not.) And connected to that, I’ve discovered the quiet strength of saying “I don’t know.” At 25, it felt like failure, but at 40 it feels like honesty—and often someone else will jump in with the answer anyway.

Of course, mistakes happen. I’ve cried at work, and I’ve seen others do it too. The lesson isn’t about avoiding those moments—it’s that you come back stronger the next day. It’s like emotional weightlifting: every tear builds resilience. And when things get tense, humor has saved more projects and more relationships than any process or tool ever could. A sarcastic comment at the right time is sometimes better than a strategy document.

Then there are the “mornings-after.” Sometimes it’s a party, sometimes a concert, sometimes just that one last episode of GOT or Red Dead Redemption 2 level that kept you up until the birds started chirping. Either way, you drag yourself to work running purely on fumes and industrial-strength coffee. The survival kit is always the same: more coffee, blessed silence, and if absolutely necessary, sunglasses. It happens. And you learn that even on three hours of sleep, you can somehow still get the job done. Miracles do happen.

Dress codes? Oh, I’ve survived five. The “suit and tie,” the “business casual,” the “jeans are fine,” and the glorious “let me show you my personality with my band shirt” years. The definitive lesson: sneakers are always the answer. And one decent jacket can cover a multitude of fashion sins (and goes great with my favorite Misfits shirt).

The Biggest Lessons: Perspective

If I had to sum it up, though, the biggest lessons are about perspective. Nobody regrets taking a vacation. Weekends are sacred – guard them with your life. Your boss? Turns out they’re just another human, often winging it just like the rest of us. Titles matter far less than the people you work with. And honestly, some of the worst jobs teach you just as much, if not more, than the “best” ones.

At 40, I’ve realized that health — both mental and physical — is the foundation everything else rests on. The KPIs, the goals, the big wins at work… none of them can really be achieved or enjoyed if you’re running on empty. Take care of yourself first, because that’s what makes all the other successes possible.

No One Has It Figured Out

And perhaps the most important lesson of all: no one, not a single soul, actually has it all figured out. Not at 25, not at 40, and probably not at 60. But hey, you’ve stumbled this far, you’ll stumble through whatever’s next. And that, more than anything, is the real achievement worth toasting.

So here’s to the next 40 — not all of them spent working, I hope. But if they are, I’m glad it’s at OnePropeller, in sneakers, with people and values that make the whole ride easier (and funnier).