I recently got a message from a young man who asked me, “What are the best lessons I can learn right now, as a teenager, to set my future up for success?”
I thought that was a really great question to ask. I mean, when I was a teenager, I didn’t even have the wherewithal to ask that kind of question because I was too self-centered to even think about my life that far ahead.
Yet what he asks applies to more than just teenagers…
If you’re an entrepreneur that likes to think forward, then here are the key things you need to know. Yes, even if you’re not a teenager.
Network Now
First, you need to network and get to know people, because your net worth is only decided by your network.
Yeah, you might live in wherever—let’s say Tulsa, Oklahoma—but it really doesn’t matter where you live, because you’ve got an iPhone or an Android, which means you’re connected to the world. Start leaving comments on the Instagram accounts, YouTube accounts, Facebook accounts, of the people that you want to be like and want to be connected with.
Make those connections early and come with a giving hand. Leave comments, leave feedback. Show them how much you appreciate them, because when you do, you start getting on these people’s lists. You get on their radar, and before long, they start interacting with you.
Eventually, you grow your network and create bigger opportunities for yourself and your business. That starts right now with choosing the right people to reach out to.
Develop Mental Strength
Next, I want you to start building emotional resilience.
The biggest problem I see with the younger generation right now is that they have no emotional resilience. It’s easy to hurt their feelings. It’s easy to make them feel like an outcast. It’s easy to make them feel like they’re being bullied.
Build thick skin, young men and women. Be emotionally tough and mentally strong.
Listen, people are going to talk shit. You’re going to have haters, especially if you decide to be an author, a thought leader, a musician, or an entrepreneur. When you make a bigger impact on the world and on the masses, you’re naturally going to face doubt and criticism from others.
And what happens when people don’t build up emotional resilience and mental toughness to get past the shit that people say? They suffer for the rest of their lives, limping along…
But when you are mentally tough, nothing—and I mean nothing—can interfere with your vision. You’re a badass that can’t be broken, that finds success in any circumstance.
Give, Give, Give
The third and final tool to add to your tool belt right now is to come with a giving hand at all times.
See, think about this. In general, most young people are designed to be selfish, as I told you. Like I was a selfish young kid. It’s just how we’re programmed to be.
But what if you actually serve others instead? Rather than thinking, “What can you do for me,” what if you start asking, “What can I do to help you?”
Come with a giving hand. The more you start helping and serving others, the more you’re going to have a distinct edge and advantage in the future.
Those three things together will push you ahead as you enter the entrepreneurial world. Of course, that means you’ll be able to make more money and have a lot more meaning on this planet—and you’ll do that faster than the rest of your competition.
Committed to your success,
Bedros