Good advice goes a long way. It can prove better than money and fame. But it’s not always easy to receive or give. However, there are people out there who have the rare ability to know exactly what to say. Portland-based business owner PhillipKramer has three crucial life lessons to share to help you succeed.

Learn to love work

If one were to look around, it’d be easy to see that the world, generally speaking, has two kinds of people living in it: those who love to work and those who don’t. Phillip believes that to succeed in life, one must choose the former. He says, “It’s not easy to work. It requires us to kill the laziness inside us and go against the wish to just let it hang. It forces us to push past our “comfort zones”. Work helps us understand ourselves better. It teaches us how to coordinate with other human beings and generally learn the ropes of building our lives altogether. To fall in love with work can come with time, and that means it can be for anybody and everybody. The lessons that come from working are universal and applicable in all other aspects of life.”

Become efficient

It’s not just about working like a machine but working in a way that improves you. In turn, this improves your work. In Japanese business philosophy, the term is Kaizen. Simply meaning, “Continuous Improvement.” For Phillip, efficiency is the line that divides good work from mediocre work. He says, “Good work gets noticed. If you do good work and know you are good at what you do, you’ll take yourself to the world. Knowing that you have something interesting to offer to the world is a great antidote to loneliness. It keeps you going. Today, with social media and the internet, there are ample opportunities for anyone who is efficient and creative.” 

Never stop growing

Growth is the current of life. If anything, evolution has taught usthat life is a ceaseless motion of change. As products of evolution, Phillip believes human beings have the distinct opportunity to keep growing emotionally, spiritually, and mentally all through our lives. He says, “Our growth depends on our desire to grow. We can grow by improving ourselves, learning new things, and meeting new people. It all adds up and helps us build a strong personality.”

Life is what we make it. Phillip’s three life lessons can help people plan their lives better and more constructively.