How to Succeed in New York… Or Any Big City

The old adage goes something like: “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” But how exactly do you “make it” in New York City?

What are the steps towards success in a city like this?

Here are 10 simple tips to succeeding in the city so nice they named it twice.

1. Be Open

New York City, like any urban megacenter, is an incredible melting pot where—within the confines of one city block—you can interact with all types of people on every walk of life.

The first step towards becoming successful in this environment is to simply acknowledge and be open to this innate variety and plethora of perspectives and have a willingness to learn.

2. Be intentional

One of the most detrimental qualities one can have in a big city is hesitation.

It will not wait for you.

Said another way, be intentional in your decision-making process—it’s crucial. Intentionality equates to confidence, grit, and most importantly, a willingness to fight stagnation at all costs.

3. Expect the unexpected

The complexities of an urban mega-center like New York are impossible to fully grasp. This means that you will inevitably encounter situations that no level of preparation or education will prepare you for.

This could be as innocent as stumbling into a water-balloon fight in Washington Square Park or as serious as a suddenly suspect situation in an unfamiliar neighborhood.

Your ability to expect your world to be unexpected will improve your likelihood of success in any situation.

4. Prepare for nothing to work

This relates to #3 in that you should get into the habit of preparing for certain key infrastructural components of the city (like the subway system) to simply not work when you need them to.

The solution here is to always have at least two ways to get from Point A → Point B. Plan this into your travel time estimates and act accordingly.

5. Be resourceful

The beauty of living in a city of abundance like New York is that within mere blocks there’s a very good chance you’ll be able to find a store that sells whatever you need.

But to take full advantage of this abundance, you still must be resourceful in finding out how all of these individual goods and services work together in the most effective way for you.

Those who “do it the right way” here in New York are the ones who have combined their intentionality with finding their own dedicated resource centers (i.e. a go-to bodega, a local hardware store, a neighborhood grocer, etc.).

6. Embrace the mayhem

One of the earliest signs of discontentment with New York is a sense of being overwhelmed by the mayhem. The idea that there are simply too many people, too many cars, too many rats, too many sirens, etc.

To succeed in New York City you must acknowledge and embrace this mayhem. The moment you begin to internalize it is the moment you’ll slip into a state of disillusionment with the city.

7. Save up to splurge sporadically

This one is important. But first let me be **very **clear: New York City is not cheap by any means. But what it lacks in affordability, it makes up for in activity abundance and quality.

For many, living in New York City will be the closest proximity they’ll ever be to this amount of high-quality entertainment and “only-here” activities.

To be successful here, one should strategically save up every once in a while to splurge sporadically on an “only-here” event. Whether it’s a Broadway show, an SNL taping, or a Shakespeare concert in Central Park, the possibilities are truly endless.

If you end up leaving the city, you’ll be remiss to look back on your time here and think “I wish I took advantage of all it had to offer.”

8. Have thick skin, not deaf ears

New Yorkers aren’t exactly the most nuanced in their constructive criticism and feedback—don’t take it personally. Work towards having thick skin, but not deaf ears.

What I mean to say is that while you should temper your sensitivity to a slightly higher degree of resistance, New Yorkers mean well and there’s a meaningful benefit in actively listening to their thoughts.

9. Cherish the slower moments

It’s no surprise that everything moves faster in cities. The cars, the people, the priorities. That’s why it’s even more important to explicitly cherish the slower moments. A walk in the park on a sunny afternoon. A rainy cab ride through SoHo. A bike ride across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Don’t let the constant speed of your surroundings inhibit you from turning your speed dial down every once in a while for a brief respite.

10. Look up

Finally, don’t forget to look up—both figuratively and literally.

Literally, be cognizant that your phone is not going anywhere and that your walk to work may be made all the more pleasant by actually keeping your head up and engaging visually with the world around you.

Figuratively, don’t let the city grind keep you down. Always look up and remember that you’re here for a reason even if it isn’t clear what exactly that might be.

So enjoy the journey, embrace the sonder, and keep moving forward. Believe me, success—in whatever capacity suits you—will follow.