George Washington, the father of America. On February 22nd, 1731, he was born in Virginia and became one of America’s most famous presidents by winning two terms with ease at Mount Vernon Estate near Lynchburg.
In this blog post, we look at some life lessons from George Washington and how we can implement them in our own lives too.
1. Be Humble
Once Washington became a successful military leader during the Revolutionary War, his ego began to inflate, and he started believing that it was deserving of great accolades and honours. This made him less concerned with other people’s opinions and more self-absorbed.
As a result, many people who had once admired him as a leader now lost respect for him.
Washington learned his lesson the hard way that it is always worthwhile to keep your ego in check and be humble.
You should take this life lesson from George Washington too. No matter how successful you are, managing your ego will help you stay grounded to interact with people better. But, on the other hand, when you act arrogantly, it can ostracise people from your life and put you in a situation where you are only surrounded by “yes men” who will never challenge your ill-conceived ideas.
2. Always Be Accountable for Your Actions
Upon becoming president, Washington was so concerned about his reputation that he took responsibility for every mistake the government made during his term.
This is an excellent life lesson that you can apply to your own life to ensure that you are always accountable for your actions and mistakes so that they do not go unforgiven or left unresolved.
3. Put Your Family First
When George Washington’s stepson was accused of being a traitor, he continued to raise him as his son and was there for him as a father should be.
This signifies that Washington, like many other people in power, but their families first even though it could potentially harm them professionally by associating with someone who had fallen from grace. You should take this life lesson from George Washington and put your family first as they need you more than anyone else does.
5. Be the Master of Your Destiny
George Washington knew that he was at the mercy of many different things in life, especially during wartime, but this did not stop him from being the master of his destiny by focusing on what he could influence and control. This is one of George Washington’s most important life lessons because it encourages you to take charge of your own life and not feel helpless when the going gets tough.
6. Be a Role Model for Others
Washington set an example for others by avoiding luxury goods instead of living a simple yet productive lifestyle. No matter how much power or money you have, you should always try to be a role model to inspire others to do more and improve their own lives.
7. Embrace Failure
When Washington realised that his military strategies were failing, he did not simply wait around for it all to happen again in the future because then the same thing would keep occurring year after year. This is a great life lesson that you can take from George Washington because instead of wallowing in disappointment and self-pity, you should embrace the fact that failure has occurred and try to develop a game plan to make sure it does not happen again.
8. Appreciate What You Have
When he became president, one of the things that George Washington was most thankful for was his Mount Vernon estate because he enjoyed spending time there.
You should take this life lesson from George Washington and appreciate all of your blessings because it will help you be more content with what you have in life. So many people are ungrateful for what they have until it becomes too late to do anything about it when they lose everything unexpectedly, so start appreciating what you have now while it is still in your possession.
9. Dream Big but Start Small
There was a time when George Washington found out that all of his military efforts had failed, and he was about to lose the Battle of Brandywine to the British. Still, instead of giving up hope, he went back to his tent, where he formulated a new battle plan that entailed splitting his army into two separate groups to trap the British between them.
This is an excellent life lesson because it proves that even if you fail at something, you should not give up hope and instead focus on what went wrong to come up with a better solution to your problem in the future.
10. Learn to Overcome Adversity
By the time George Washington became president, he had become very experienced with overcoming adversity because of everything that he had already gone through during his lifetime. So this is another important life lesson that you can learn from George Washington because it proves that even if something terrible happens to you, you should not lose hope and instead learn to face your problems head-on.
You should take this life lesson from George Washington, too, because it will help you overcome the struggles plaguing your life right now to become a better person in the future.
11. Accept Losses Gracefully
Washington refused to go after anyone who had betrayed him because he knew that it would only cause more problems for himself. So instead of bringing back the past, he focused on defending America’s future. Not trying to take revenge is one of George Washington’s most admirable life lessons because it shows how you can be happy with what you have in life even when somebody has wronged you.
12. Hold Firm to Your Convictions
Washington was a man of his word, and he refused to let his allies down because he valued their trust in him. So this is another life lesson from George Washington that you should take note of because it shows the importance of being true to your friends and that you should have morals and values that you stick to no matter what.
13. Do Not Prove Your Ego’s Dominance
During the Seven Years’ War, Washington was desperate for a battle. Still, he did not want to overreach his boundaries and take on anything too difficult because it would have been detrimental to himself and the American colonies. This is an important life lesson because it shows how Washington knew his limits and was not arrogant enough to prove his ego’s dominance.
14. Remain Low-Key when Necessary
George Washington did not exactly have an outgoing personality, so much of the time. He would remain in the shadows because he thought it was the best way to serve his country. This is a very important life lesson from George Washington because it shows that even if you have a high position in society, you should not flaunt your wealth and power to get the admiration of others.
15. Do Not Expect Too Much From People
Like many other people before him, George Washington knew how cruel human beings could be, and he made a point of not expecting too much from them because they were only going to let him down in the end.
This is an excellent life lesson that everybody should consider before they begin making plans with anybody because you never know when somebody might backstab you if their interests are not aligned with yours.
16. Know When to Quit
At the Battle of Fort Necessity, George Washington realised that he had bitten off more than he could chew and knew when it would be best to quit. This is another life lesson from George Washington that proves he was not too prideful or arrogant to walk away from his problems.
You should take this life lesson because there might come a time when you do not think you can handle your problems anymore, and if this is the case, it would be best to give up and walk away from what you are doing.
17. Do Not Let Money Dictate Your Decisions
George Washington never let money dictate his decisions because he knew that serving America was more important than just making money. Taking this life lesson from George Washington can help you find purpose in your own life because it shows how money is nothing but paper.
18. Always Be Prepared for Death
George Washington knew that he could die at any moment, so he made sure to be prepared both physically and mentally for his death. This is another excellent life lesson from George Washington because it proves that he always thought about the future and his legacy.
19. Always Do Your Best
Even when things were not going in his favour, George Washington always did his best to harvest as many crops as possible, which showed how hardworking and dedicated he truly was. You should take this life lesson because no matter what you are doing in life, it will always be better to give your best than just half-assing it.
20. Do Not Be Afraid of Change
George Washington had to deal with many changes throughout his lifetime, but he did not let this stop him from moving forward and doing what needed to be done. This is a great life lesson because it shows that everybody needs to embrace change instead of being afraid.
21. Never Grovel in Front of Other People
George Washington did not prostrate in front of other people no matter how powerful they were, an excellent life lesson. You should never feel like you are below anybody else just because they have more money or power than you do.
22. Be a Straight Shooter
George Washington did not sugarcoat things because he believed in being a straight shooter and telling people the truth even if it was mean or hurtful. This is an excellent life lesson that can help you get ahead in life because nobody likes somebody who sugarcoats things all the time because they are not being truthful.
23. Do Not Covet Other People’s Possessions
George Washington knew that he should not be jealous of other people’s possessions because this would lead to unhappiness. This is an excellent life lesson that everybody should consider before they begin envying somebody else because it could lead you to lose all of your friends.
24. Be Adequate in Everything You Do
George Washington made sure to be adequate in everything he did so that people would not find any faults with his work which is an excellent life lesson for everybody because it shows how being mediocre will get you nowhere in life.
25. Never Surrender Your Dignity
When George Washington was forced to surrender at the Battle of Fort Necessity, his pride did not allow him to do anything but continue fighting, which is an excellent life lesson that proved how much George Washington valued his dignity. You should take this life lesson into account because no matter what problems you face, it is always best to be dignified and never give up.
26. Maintain Your Honor
George Washington still chose to fight even though he was outnumbered three to one at the Battle of Monongahela, an excellent example of how George Washington valued his honour. If you want to maintain your honour in life, be sure not to do anything that might tarnish your reputation.
27. Never Abandon Your Men in Battle
When the Continental Army retreated at the Battle of Long Island, George Washington chose to stay behind because he knew that his men needed a leader who is an excellent life lesson for everybody to learn from about always being there when needed.
28. Keep Your Promises No Matter What
When George Washington was still a young boy, he made his mother promise that she would rear him always, which is an important life lesson about keeping the promises you make to people even if they are difficult to keep. You should consider this, especially when you make something embarrassing or incredibly difficult for yourself, because it will be worth it in the end.
29. Keep Things Private as Much as You Can
George Washington kept his letters private as much as he could, which is an excellent life lesson for everybody because it can help you avoid revealing things about yourself that you do not want the world to know. So if you would rather keep to yourself, if there are some aspects of your life, then make sure you do not let other people find out about them.
30. Be a Role Model for Your Children
George Washington knew how important it was to be a role model for his children, which is an excellent life lesson because everybody should want their children to learn from their mistakes and strive to be better at everything they do in life. So, if you are a parent, make sure you consider this because it can help change your children’s lives for the better.
31. Do Not Let Your Ego Get in the Way of Leadership
Even though George Washington had an impeccable ego that allowed him to believe that he was destined to become a leader, his ego did not get in the way of his objective, which is an excellent example for everybody to follow when it comes to maintaining their ego in the face of adversity.
32. Be Prepared for Anything
When George Washington was attacked by the French and Indians at Fort Necessity, he had not prepared for anything but a victory which is an excellent lesson about being prepared for anything that might come your way. You should consider this if you want to be successful because nobody can predict what will happen tomorrow.
33. Do Not Feed Your Vices or Bad Habits
George Washington knew that his vices and bad habits would only lead him to failure, which is an excellent lesson for everybody to learn how to stay away from temptations and bad habits. If you want to be successful, then try not to feed your vices and bad habits because it will only open the door for failure and regret later on in life.
34. Be a Decisive Leader
During the Revolutionary War, George Washington was an excellent example of how leaders should lead their troops because even though the odds were against him, he chose to fight and do everything in his power to win the battle instead of giving up, which is an excellent life lesson about being a decisive leader. If you want to be successful in life, always opt for doing something instead of nothing when it comes time for action.
35. Always Lead By Example
Before the Revolutionary War, George Washington led by example before he could lead his troops which is an excellent lesson for everybody to learn from. If you want to be successful in life, always try to lead by example because people will respect everything you do, whether it is positive or negative.
36. Be Willing to Learn from Your Mistakes
When George Washington made mistakes, he learned from them, which is an excellent life lesson about dealing with failure when it happens. If you control what you are doing, then make sure that you do not let your ego get in the way because it can help prevent future failures.
37. Do Not Let Yourself Be Intimidated
When George Washington was attacked by the French and Indians at Fort Necessity, he refused to back down even though they outnumbered him, which is an excellent lesson about keeping your composure when you are surrounded by people who want to harm you. Even if someone tries intimidating you, do not let it get under your skin because it can only lead to failure.
38. Display and Nurture Leadership Skills in Everything You Do
George Washington led his troops in the Revolutionary War. When they were victorious, he displayed and nurtured his leadership skills, which is an excellent lesson about how you should lead every aspect of your life. If you want to be successful at something, you should learn to be a good leader.
39. Do Not Give Up Even If You Think You Will Fail
George Washington never gave up even when he thought that the American Cause would fail, which is an excellent lesson about seeing things through and never giving up because people will respect everything that you do no matter what happens. If you do not give up, everything you do will have a greater chance of success.
40. Never Lose Your Sense of Humour
George Washington always took the time to make sure that he was able to laugh and smile no matter how intense the situation could get, which is an excellent lesson about never losing your sense of humour because it can serve as a way to reduce stress and make you feel better in tough situations. If you want to be successful in life, then do not lose your sense of humour because it can only help you get through the hard times that success brings.
41. Make Time for Loved Ones
George Washington always made sure that he had time for his family, which is an excellent life lesson about making time for the most important people in your life because they will always love you unconditionally. They will be there to give you support when you need it. If you want to be successful in life, make sure that you have a good support system with family and friends because achieving success will not feel as fulfilling without them.
42. Never Let Adversity Keep You Down
If adversity strikes, brush yourself off and continue fighting for what you want, which is an excellent life lesson about being resilient when it comes to failures. You will be able to pick yourself up from the ground and continue going after your dreams. If you can handle all types of adversity, you will have a better chance of success in life.
In conclusion, George Washington was a great man, and he has taught us many lessons about how to be successful in life. If we can find out what we need to learn from his mistakes, there is no reason we will not be able to become successful like him.
