Are you listening to your own advice?

In 2016 I was working a full-time job for a company as a web developer in Sydney, Australia.

One day, during a lunch break, a co-worker mentioned that he had an idea for an app that would be like Instagram for audio snippets. He said he would love to build it, but it was just a dream. I thought it was an interesting concept.

“You should quit your job and do it. What’s the worst that could happen?” I said. We both laughed, but I realized this was something I had actually wanted to do myself but had never followed through with it.

I thought to myself, would I be willing to do it?

Here I was, working a typical 9 - 5 job, with a long held dream to build a successful software business. I had been talking about it for years, but I had never taken any action.

I was giving out my opinion, but I was unwilling to do it myself. How could I take myself seriously if I wouldn’t even follow it? I was giving advice that I wished I would take.

Six months later I quit my job and started working on an app (that went nowhere), but it opened my eyes as a developer/entrepreneur that I could indeed build and ship things.

That was followed by a new job (that turned out to be the best job I’ve ever had) and building an app on the side, then leaving that job to move to America, working for a startup, and building another 3 apps, 2 of which are now profitable.

To this day, when I find myself giving advice, I try to catch myself and ask, am I following this advice? It has helped me make adjustments and catch mistakes I might have otherwise missed.

Are you listening to your own advice?