TT12 - A Message To Recent College Graduates

In May of 2016, I graduated college and entered the real world. At that time, I thought I knew what I was doing, but within about a year, I decided to completely change the direction that my life was headed. Since then, I've probably learned more than I did for the first twenty-two years of my life, and I want to share the best advice that I have for anyone entering the 'real world'. First and foremost, remember that life isn't supposed to be easy. You don't graduate from school and then never have a problem or a stressor in your life again. Life is supposed to be hard. You'll face challenges, and when you reach your lowest lows, you'll come out stronger on the other side. Now that we got that out of the way, here's some valuable advice.

1. Commit To Being A Student For Life - At this point in your life, you may be sick of learning. Maybe you burnt yourself out studying for finals, and now you want nothing more than to coast for the rest of your life. I hate to break it to you, but life is a learning process, and you should never stop building on that bank of knowledge. If you really want to thrive, you can't stop learning. And I'm not saying you have to sit down every night and study an algebra textbook. What I'm saying is that you need to commit to learning more. Learn more about yourself, about your passions, about the people around you, about how the world works, and that knowledge will help you excel.

2. Don't Settle - Listen to me very carefully. In fact, please repeat after me. "I will never settle. I will never ever ever ever ever ever ever EVER settle under any circumstances." Got it? Okay, good. Do you realize the exact events in all of history that had to happen for you to be alive on this planet at this very moment? What if your parents 'weren't in the mood' the night you were conceived? What if your great great great great great grandfather died as a young man? What if you were born, but in Soviet Russia in the 1900s? The fact that you are exactly where you are on this earth right now is the most unfathomable thing of all time, and the greatest gift that you will ever have in your entire life, and it is your obligation to make the most of it. One of the worst things that I could ever wish on an enemy would be to work a job that he/she doesn't love for the rest of his/her life. We've become so advanced as a civilization that life isn't about survival anymore, it's about thrival. Even if it takes twenty more years of hard work, do the hard work so you can be happy, instead of just settling for what's easy. I promise it will be worth it.

3. Be Disciplined - No great life was ever made without discipline. You may be ready to wake up, head to work, come home, and relax until bedtime for the rest of your life, but that's not what will make you happy or successful. If you really want to thrive, you need to create and sustain discipline throughout your lifetime. Imagine if a high schooler wasn't disciplined enough to take driving lessons and go for his driving exam; while all his other friends get their licenses and become free to drive where they'd like, he's stuck at home without a ride. Using discipline and doing the hard things now will create an easier and more enjoyable life later. Discipline is one of the only traits that can create freedom.

4. Get A Mentor - Finally, you need to find someone who teaches, motivates, and inspires you. Find someone in your field of interest, and get to know them. That doesn't necessarily mean sitting down for a cup of coffee and opening up to each other, it might just mean listening to this person on a podcast, or reading their book. Find a mentor who provides information that you can use to your benefit. If you want to become a businessman, listen to podcasts by Gary Vee or Andy Frisella. If you need a mentor in golf, read Tiger Woods' book (does Tiger Woods have a book? If so, is it any good?). Finding a mentor will be extremely beneficial on your path to success. Your mentor will be able to share their mistakes, their major wins, and anything else that may help you on your journey.

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