You’ll figure it out
When I think of it, the best advice I’ve received in recent memory is actually quite simple and in terms of advice, actually not too clear.
I can still remember when it happened: I was at work, maybe three years ago now, discussing pants of all things. At the time, I was still religiously wearing clothes similar to what I wore through high school and college: cargo pants, a t-shirt, sometimes a button-up shirt. One of my co-workers was more or less making fun of the cargo pants and when I tried to defend myself, he asked why I needed so many pockets. I had some lame reply, something about carrying my cell phone and a handful of other knick-knacks.
All of the sudden, the teasing ended with a bit of a knowing look and half grin and the reply: “You’ll figure it out.”
Now, relating this story here, it sounds lame. I’m talking about pants of all things after all, but slowly, over the years I eventually did “figure out” the pants thing. I don’t think I even own a pair of cargo pants anymore. More importantly, I figured out the weight of the advice.
I’ve consistently been one of, if not the youngest guy at the office pretty much since I started. As much as I’ve been trying to keep my head above water and do my job to the best of my knowledge, I’ve grown up quite a bit within those walls.
I still have the impatience of youth, the desire to know everything there is to know, do everything there is to do, immediately, right now. But perhaps the best advice I’ve received is just to allow in your mind that some knowledge won’t immediately reveal itself and that some things come with time.
It holds true with life and with pants.