OK, let’s suppose, for a minute, that I got the chance travel back in time to relive part of the past. If I got to do either high school or college over again, what would I do differently? I’d first like to think I’d need a good reason to do so before tackling the question.

That’s actually pretty tricky because where I am now is a result of both, in different ways. I’d say that I would have rebelled more in high school. Instead, I really believed everything that my parents said about how hard academic work would pay off (which is only partially true – social skills help too) in having great relationships, and that people that value intelligence would come around, despite the awkward nerdiness – i.e. no need to change for other people. I say it’s partially true because being smart only gets one so far, but being smart and witty is a good combination.

Being able to carry on, socially, means you become approachable so that people can see your true self. If you’re just some know-it-all who can’t carry on a conversation with a layperson, you’re going to struggle. I did (and still do) and hopefully will come through it relatively unscathed. I’m far from perfect, but I hope a bit wiser for the experiences.

Here’s the inspiration for this bit of introspection:

https://twitter.com/DeskPM/status/525595268972961792

Would you do either over again? Let me know.