Steven Jobs is best known as the founder of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), who used his innovative mindset to bring personal computers and the iPhone to the public. He’s left an undeniable mark on the modern world. His innovative spirit and leadership qualities have inspired countless individuals.

His quotes don’t just resonate with the tech industry, either. Many of them apply to professions of all sorts and even everyday personal lives.

Many of these quotes are particularly helpful for those navigating their thirties. Your 30s are marked by many life transitions and career advancements, but there is also a sort of “settling in.” It’s easy to get comfortable and stop moving, but many of Jobs’s quotes encourage us to avoid just that.

We’ll take an in-depth look at ten of Steve Jobs’s quotes that are particularly important for those in their 30s to understand. We’ll explain how this wisdom applies to your professional life and your personal life.

If you’re in a hurry, here are our biggest insights inspired by Steve Jobs:

• Aligning your career and life with your passions is vital to stay happy long-term. If you don’t love what you’re doing, you’re only going to get less happy, not more.
• View challenges as opportunities for growth, not as changes to be feared. Your mind should rest on the solutions rather than dwelling on problems.
• Prioritize tasks and eliminate distractions to maximize productivity and achieve your goals. A clear and focused approach will help you navigate the growing complexities of your thirties.
• Now is not the time to lean away from risk. In fact, your 30s can be the perfect time to embrace risk and try new things. For instance, in investing, your 30s is the perfect time to invest in growth stocks, as you have plenty of time to recover from potential losses. Our free report, “The Next NVIDIA,” dives into the chip industry and can help you make smart investing decisions.

Why Are We Covering This

Steve Jobs was a very big person. He made a lot of headway in the technology industry, and his company, Apple, is still going strong (even if there are many reasons to avoid investing in Apple). Many of his quotes hold true beyond the world of innovation, though. Many even apply well to investing!

1. Your Time is Limited, So Don’t Waste It Living Someone Else’s Life

This iconic quote, delivered by Steve Jobs during his 2005 Stanford commencement address, is a powerful call to authenticity. You cannot life a good life if you spend it living the life someone else would like. Life is short and precious, and you should spend it prioritizing your passions and dreams rather than someone else’s.

It’s vital to listen to your inner voice and have the courage to follow your heart rather than always being influenced by external pressures.

Aligning Life with Passion

Of course, this is often easier said than done. Your 30s is a time marked by many crossroads. You probably have an established career and well-built relationships. However, that doesn’t mean you can suddenly stop making life decisions!

It’s time to evaluate your career choices and decide whether or not they align with what you really want to do. It’s easy to get off your path in your 20s when sometimes just finding a job is challenging. Now, though, is the time to reassess.

Most in their 30s have a stronger sense of self. You may even completely change what you want to do with your life. It’s time to prioritize activities and relationships that bring you joy and fulfillment rather than wasting time on obligations that only drain your energy.

2. Innovation Distinguishes Between a Leader and a Follower

Innovation plays a vital role in leadership.

Steve Jobs was a staunch advocate for pushing boundaries and creating new possibilities. To him, innovation wasn’t just about creating new products; it was about challenging the status quo, thinking differently, and driving progress.

Leaders are those who seek to implement innovative solutions, while followers tend to just copy what everyone else is doing.

Innovating to Success

Even if you aren’t in a product design role, having an innovative mindset is important. The job market can be competitive, and standing out often requires fresh ideas. If you can learn how to be proactive at identifying problems and fixing them, you’ll be a step above the competition.

You can also use innovation to help out in your personal life. It’s very easy to fall into old routines and just do what you’ve always done. However, this doesn’t lead to growth and can make your life unfulfilling. Constantly consider what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.

Don’t let autopilot kick in as you get comfortable.

3. Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

This is probably one of Steve Jobs’s most innovative quotes. It encapsulates the need to stay curious and constantly find new directions to explore. Jobs encouraged listeners to have a desire for knowledge and experience that drove them to the next level.

You also have to stay slightly foolish to embrace the unknown and take risks instead of just enjoying your comfort!

Risk-Taking and Lifelong Learning

You may be out of your 20s, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to quit learning. Risk-taking and learning go hand-in-hand. If you stop taking risks, you probably won’t learn very much. In a world that’s rapidly changing, that isn’t a good thing!

You should avoid becoming overly comfortable, even when you have established responsibilities. You should regularly step outside your comfort zone and pursue new opportunities as you find them.

4. Design is Not Just What It Looks Like and Feels Like. Designed is How It Works.

Steve Jobs believed that how something works was just as important as how it looks. In the world of design, this was a bit of a controversial take. However, a great design is one that not only looks great but also delivers an exceptional user experience.

You don’t want to buy something beautiful only to learn that it doesn’t work well!

Even if you aren’t working in design, this quote can apply to your life.

Problem-Solving with Practicality

Someone who can problem-solve in a practical manner is highly coveted. Learn how to think like a designer, even if you’re working on abstract problems. Those in their 30s have plenty of time to learn about creating solutions that just work.

Things don’t have to be fancy to work well, either. Often, the simplest solution that solves the problem works the best. Thinking critically and cutting through the fluff is vital.

Whether you’re working on a career challenge or personal project, emphasizing practicality is vital.

5. The Only Way to Do Great Work is to Love What You Do.

There is an intrinsic link between passion and excellence. Steve Jobs knew that truly exceptional work was only possible by those who had genuine enthusiasm for the job. It’s much easier to problem-solve and work hard when you love the work you’re doing, and that’s the sort of effortlessness you should be looking to achieve.

Job Satisfaction

In your 30s, job satisfaction often comes to the forefront. You’ve gone through entry-level positions, and now it’s time to figure out what job you’d really like to do. This quote is perfect to help you emphasize passion when trying to find the perfect position for you.

Your job satisfaction and performance will likely be highest when your work aligns with your passions. If you’re unhappy in your current role, there is still plenty of time to explore other options.

You don’t just want a job that works. You want one that is also fulfilling!

6. It’s More Fun to Build an Empire Than to Run One

This quote isn’t as well-known as other options, but it’s one of our favorites. Steve Jobs had a true entrepreneurial spirit and a love of the creative process. Building an empire gave him extreme excitement. He got to overcome challenges and shape a vision into reality.

However, running an empire requires more mundane management and administration. While some people do love this, others don’t. Steve Jobs obviously favored the initial creation process.

Entrepreneurship

But what does all of this mean for you? Many people have a love for creation, but they may not like the management process. That’s okay! If you’re inspired to start your own venture, now is the perfect time to do so!

On the other hand, if you’re more in love with the everyday management part of the business, that’s okay, too! Every inspirational entrepreneur needs someone behind the scenes to keep all the cups spinning.

The important thing is to find which role works for you. Don’t rush to invent if it isn’t for you.

7. Sometimes When You Innovate, You Make Mistakes. It is Best to Admit Them Quickly, and Get on With It.

Innovation carries risk, and risks often lead to mistakes. It’s just how innovation works! Whenever you’re trying something new, you shouldn’t lean away from failure.

Jobs understood that failure is an inevitable part of the creative process. Rather than paying attention to your mistakes, you should figure out when something is obviously not working and move on!

Resilience

In your 30s is the perfect time to make mistakes. You have plenty of time to learn from them and lots of time to use the wisdom you glean from them.

You should encourage a mindset of resilience and perseverance in the face of setbacks. Yes, it’s hard to fail, but that doesn’t mean you should completely avoid risk. Mistakes are how we learn. Without them, you won’t learn much. While you shouldn’t jump on every risk, you shouldn’t avoid them, either.

This also means promoting a culture of honesty and transparency in your workplace and at home. Others make mistakes, too. The important thing is that they’re addressed openly.

8. Focus is About Saying No.

Jobs was a staunch advocate for prioritization and eliminating distractions. Being successful isn’t about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things. By saying no to countless opportunities, you can concentrate energy on where it really matters. High-impact projects and goals are where your attention should be, not on every opportunity that comes across your desk.

Say No to Juggling

In your 30s, you’ll probably be introduced to many new responsibilities. You may see a promotion or two, which will put more on your plate. You’ll probably have many different responsibilities at home, too. Now is the perfect time to determine your core priorities and eliminate distractions that hinder that progress.

The best time management strategy is to have less to do! Say no to anything that isn’t important to avoid trying to juggle. Once you start juggling, balls start getting dropped, and that’s when things really start going downhill.

Ultimately, making conscious choices about your time is one of the most important things you can do in your 30s.

9. That’s Been One of My Mantras: Focus and Simplicity

This quote only delves further into simplicity. Jobs believed that everything should be as simple as possible. Often, this is harder than making things complicated, as you have to clean up your thinking before you can make anything simple.

Simplicity requires a lot more effort and balance than many people realize. It’s a skill you’ll need to develop, and your 30s is a great time to start developing it. Figuring out how to clarify your thoughts and think practically about a problem is essential for problem-solving.

Clarity and Simplicity

Products and services should be simple. They should be easy to use and be the shortest route to whatever problem they’re solving. However, it’s also true that your life should be simple and clear.

When you start working on many different responsibilities and challenges, things can easily become overwhelming. In your 30s, you’re probably starting to get a taste of that. But now is also the perfect time to ensure that you’re clear about where you’re going and have a simple plan to get there.

Make sure you’re clear on your goals when it comes to your professional and personal life. Simplicity often leads to increased efficiency, especially when you pair clear goal setting with pruning everything that doesn’t add to that goal.

When you know where you’re going, it’s much easier to say “no” to things that just don’t fit.

10. Innovation is the Ability to See Change as an Opportunity – Not a Threat

Steve Jobs is best known for his ability to innovate, but he didn’t get there overnight. He believes that innovating is just about seeing change as an opportunity instead of a threat. When you start trying to see the benefit of a change instead of trying to stop it, you’re able to solve new problems and avoid getting left behind.

Staying Adaptable

You’ve spent your whole life learning, but those in their 30s still have plenty of years ahead of them. The world is changing faster these days, so you shouldn’t be surprised when change appears on your doorstep. Learning to see this change as an opportunity instead of as a threat is difficult but vital.

You should try to embrace change as much as possible. Use it as a catalyst for personal and professional growth. If you can learn how to make change work for you, you’ll be years ahead of the competition.

Viewing change as positive also encourages a solution-oriented mindset. You cannot stop change, but you can solve the problems change brings. Whenever a new technology is invented or people’s habits change, there is always a new problem that develops. See if you can solve it.

This quote is all about resilience. Don’t get blown over by the winds of change; learn how to build new sails.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.