Chloe Swarbrick turns 28 – she shares 28 things she’s learned

Chloe Swarbrick shares 28 things she’s learned in her 28 years. Photo / Michael Craig

Chloe Swarbrick has achieved a lot in her life already – a high-profile run in the 2016 Auckland mayoral election, becoming an MP the following year at 23 and in 2020 becoming MP for Auckland Central.

She celebrates her 28th birthday today and has penned 28 things she would tell her younger self.

1. The coolest and most interesting people to talk to are those who know things you don’t.

2. Sleep is important, actually.

3. Your little sister will teach you the value of patience. She’ll annoy you to death growing up, then role model patience with her own daughter.

4. Tell other people your boundaries and expectations in relationships, early, whether they be work, romantic or friendships. Ask other people theirs. It’s a lot less awkward than you think it is to ask instead of guess.

5. Although you grew up thinking you would understand the world when you became an adult, it turns out your parents were making it up when they were raising you. The way we do almost everything is totally made up, and it can be re-made.

6. The system is a set of rules created and perpetuated by people who tend to benefit from them. They will fight with everything they’ve got to make it appear natural and normal. It is not.

Swarbrick pictured in 2017. Photo / Bevan Conley

7. Te Ao Māori offers the world to Pākehā who want to understand our place in it. Knowing who you are, where you came from, how you came to this land and your place in partnership with tangata whenua is a gift.

8. If you want quick change in your neighbourhood, work with your local authority. Council is far more powerful than you think, particularly because – unfortunately – so few people pay attention to it.

9. Get into nature. You never regret it.

10. Long-term, enduring political change has to be a movement, not a moment.

11. Whatever you do, you’ll find someone who doesn’t like it or doesn’t like you. Being upfront about who you are and what you believe in will help front-load any of that. That front-loading still may not be pleasant, but hey, it’s efficient.

12. Self-discovery isn’t some process of peeling back the layers and discovering this “inner” you. You are not an onion. You are a group project.

13. Skipping meals doesn’t really save you time. Eat.

14. The best solutions are found in the community. Often, people are already solving these problems. Find them and throw your weight behind them.

15. Like Dad always says, it really is this simple: different people see different things differently. Understand their perspective and argument before trying to counter it.

16. It’s a cliche because it’s true; nobody is perfect. If you want to change things, you will work with people whom you disagree with.

17. The hardest time to hold your values is when you’re challenged; the most important time to hold and model your values is when it’s hard.

18. You don’t need boxes or labels for everything, but sometimes those organising methods can be useful. As with your ADHD diagnosis, it’ll help you understand a whole lot.

19. Improving the world around you and self-improvement are not mutually exclusive.

20. Saying “no” is something that weighs a lot more on your mind than anyone else’s.

21. Inspiration is a mirror, not a pedestal.

22. You do not have to respond to everyone on Twitter. That’s it. That’s the tweet.

23. Be your friends’ biggest hype man. Remind them of their potential and that you love and believe in them.

24. Do the physio exercises. There’s a reason they’re the expert and you’re not.

25. As much as you may want to and as much as you may try, you cannot debate everyone on everything, everywhere, all the time. Let other people do it, or just live to fight another day.

26. Media is a mediation of reality. Read beyond the headline. Consider who wasn’t asked for their view on the issue.

27. Critical thinking is not the same thing as being a critic.

28. When you’ve got writer’s block, start writing anything, even if it’s gibberish. You can work with material. You can’t do much with a blank page.