I’m thinking about my 18-year-old who’s heading to university in a month, and what advice I’d give him from my career. It’s such a crazy world right now … how can you enter a life of learning and working?
3 things I thought of ..
- Be valuable
- Be visible
- Be open
1. Be valuable
Success doesn’t often come accidentally. You need to be good enough at one or more things to be valuable. This gets you in the door of opportunity, and keeps you inside. Doesn’t matter if this is a J.O.B. or startup or a solopreneur endeavor: be valuable.
2. Be visible
Staying in one spot limits your learning and growth. Be visible so that multiple people and organizations globally see what you do, see what you create, and notice that you are valuable. You may choose to work in one place for 20 or 40 years. You may choose not to. If you want opportunity, don’t hide your light: be visible.
3. Be open
If you’re valuable and you’re visible, you’ll get opportunity. Some of it will look like hard work. Some of it will be illusory. Some will open doors you didn’t even know existed. Open many of those doors. Be a default-yes person, at least sometimes. Walking on many paths will highlight which path you really were made for: be open.
Thoughts?
What else should I tell him?