I know, it almost sounds like Y Combinator's motto, "Make something people want", but let's give it more breadth.
You know those phases of life when you feel the need to stop, reset, and start again, and the question you keep asking is: where do I start?
If I had to choose a guiding principle today, it would be this:
Use this life to create value for other people; everything else is a consequence.
If I had to pick two things that are undoubtedly valuable to everyone, they would be time and information.
Put yourself in other people's shoes. Respect their time and help them save time.
For example, whenever you write, whether it's for others or for your future self, remember that someone will be reading. How can you respect their time? Avoid unnecessary words, keep your message clear and simple, and make sure everything you include offers value.
How can you save their time? Share what you’ve learned, but from your unique perspective: your perspective is shaped by your experiences and the time you’ve spent processing information throughout your life. Focus on removing noise and delivering only the signal.
Less noise, more signal. Achieving this takes hard work, patience, and time. But everyone needs more signal. Sharing what you have learned can save others time in many ways, helping them make better choices and making those choices earlier in life.
More generally, in everything you do, remember that other people's time matters. To understand what is valuable to others, especially to those you care about, you have to work on yourself: listen, observe, and pay attention until you can truly put yourself in their shoes. And I repeat: everything else (satisfaction, freedom, fulfillment, meaning) is a consequence.