10 Transferable Lessons from the Geniuses of the Renaissance

1. Always be relentlessly curious

1.1. There isn't a single deeply “successful” person who’s not passionately curious about at least one thing.

2. Seek knowledge, just ‘cause

2.1. Try things just out of sheer enjoyment

2.2. Be interested in knowing more

3. Observe the world around you

3.1. Take the time to just sit and observe every little detail of what’s happening around you

4. Dig deeper

4.1. Don't barely scratch the surface on anything

4.2. Do extensive research on how best to learn and go deep into the details.

5. Don’t rush things

5.1. Leonardo Da Vinci took years to finish anything if he finished them at all.

5.2. Most great ideas come from not thinking about the idea at all. We’re all familiar with the “Eureka” moment(s).

5.3. Do not let this be a source of inaction

6. Don’t be a one-trick pony

6.1. Skills you learn in one area creates mental chunks in your brain that helps create connections towards other skills.

6.2. The more skills you learn, the more creative you become when solving problems.

7. Don’t believe that “impossible” is impossible

7.1. It’s thanks to people crazy enough to think we could go to the moon that we actually went to the moon.

8. Create for yourself

8.1. We work for someone and entertain ourselves afterward. We rarely do things for ourselves. Change that

8.2. Do things you want to do rather than things you could

9. Collaborate

9.1. Don't think you can do everything on your own

10. Document everything

10.1. Make lists. Document things you’ve learned. Things you want to learn. Record your small wins.

10.2. Just let your brain run free and dump ideas on paper.

11. Conclusion

11.1. Thriving is not about becoming the next genius, it’s about becoming a better person, for yourself and the people you care about.