The day I became a better designer I understood that — communication is at the base of everything. Design is communication. Translating design decisions into business decisions is valuable. A beautiful design doesn't help the client to achieve their business goals. User experience doesn’t happen on a screen, it occurs in the mind. The design is not you and you are not the design. The rejection is only a rejection of an idea and getting it wrong is part of how you do your job - it’s part of the process. Working with people way smarter than me speeds everything. By asking the right questions we expose ourselves and others to information and clarity we might otherwise not get. Reaching out to mentors is a game-changer. Reinventing the wheel is a waste of time. The right tools save a huge amount of time.