5 Lessons I Learned from My Dad

With Father’s Day being on Sunday, I thought I’d share five lessons I learned from my dad. My father and I are fairly similar in temperament (mainly meaning that we’re both introverted) but he’s helped me learn that no, being introverted isn’t the raw end of the deal along with plenty of other life lessons.

USE A TOOL

You can’t do everything by yourself or with your own bare hands. It’s ok to ask for help. This generally take the form of getting a wrench or a knife but it also can relate to people and how you live your life. You won’t ever have all the knowledge but it’s ok to have other people share their knowledge with you.

I have the tendency to be a little headstrong and always wanted to do everything by myself growing up, and this is a phrase that I heard often.

MAKE A LIST

If you ever need to remember more than two things, you will forget. Write them down. This has been proven to me more times than you can imagine! This has turned me into a list person much like my father.

People joke about list making all the time but it’s a really good way to organize your thoughts (and not just your groceries). At university I would always make a list, outlining all my thoughts, before writing a paper. I do the same now with blog posts! It cuts your writing time in half because once all your thoughts are down on paper you can focus on them one at a time and organize them appropriately rather than getting sidetracked inside your own head.

DO IT WHEN YOU THINK OF IT

Procrastination is a bad habit that (in most of us, myself included) needs constant work. If you keep telling yourself “oh I’ll do it later”, chances are you won’t do it later. If something is urgent, or simply needs to get done, follow Nike’s advice and just do it. This applies to things large and small.

Want a small example from my life? I’m really bad about putting the reusable grocery bags in my car. I always think “oh I need to do that. The next time I go out to my car, I’ll grab them.” Do I ever remember? Nope. If I had taken 2 minutes at the time, it would have been done. Now I’m stuck paying for grocery bags. (I’m feeling a little salty about this one while I write, can you tell?)

TAKE THE LEAD

If there is something you really want, you have to take the lead. Want that promotion? Ask for it. Want to have that life? Work for it. As a natural introvert (more on that later), I tend to not step forward and ask for the things I want in life. My father has pushed me time and time again to always take the lead on things that I’m passionate about, whether that means auditioning for the most prestigious ballet school in the country or asking for a raise at work.

Not much is just handed to you in life so if you don’t ask, then of course the answer will be no! And if you are scared of asking, in most cases, know that the worst that can happen, is getting a no. But sometimes, you’ll get a yes (and often the respect of people that you were daring enough to ask at all!)

TIME ALONE IS TIME TO RECHARGE

I take after my father in the fact that we are both introverts. My mom on the other hand, is about as extroverted as it gets. However, I know that lots of us introverts feel the pressure to suppress these tendencies and act extroverted all the time, which can be/is totally exhausting. It’s ok to take that time to yourself. It’s not being anti-social, it’s not being rude. For us introverts, time alone is time to recharge so we can be our best selves.

I hope you all have a great Father’s Day this weekend. If you want to read 5 Lessons I Learned from my Mother, just click here!

Until next time,
Ana Luiza