Will 2011 be the year that you break out of your “safe” career path? The year that your dream becomes a reality?
How can you take advantage of the New Year to break out and start influencing? Here are a few ways:
Believe in yourself
Have a great idea for creating something or making others’ lives easier? Why don’t you do something about it?
You might have doubts in the back of your mind, and that’s understandable. But if you have a passion that you’re not pursuing yet, then maybe 2011 is your year to start.
Find a mentor who’ll push you to reach your potential
I don’t know where I’d be today without the help from several mentors throughout my career. When I started building my business, I went to them for advice, guidance and encouragement along the way. I still turn to them when I could use a nudge in the right direction or re-affirmation that I’m doing the right thing. It helps to have a non-biased party to talk with when you need some form of support.
Realize that education is important, but not the most important thing for your career
Just because you’re still attending college or freshly out of high school doesn’t mean you can’t start your own business, influence others, or create something for yourself. It’s no longer expected – or realistic – that every high school student will attend college, graduate, and move onto a “traditional” job with a salary and benefits.
Recently, I was reading author Scott Gerber’s book, Never Get a “Real” Job: How to Dump Your Boss, Build a Business and Not Go Broke, when something he said struck me:
“Congratulations on your perfect SAT score and graduating Magna Cum Laude. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but no one cares… To survive in the real world, there is a different set of secret weapons on which you’ll need to rely: hustler instincts, the intuition for problem solving, and good old-fashioned perseverance. These traits will enable you to open closed doors, surpass your competitors, and make things happen.”
And he’s right. It takes more than “book smarts” to make an idea into a career—but many people have done it. To be successful as an entrepreneur or freelancer, you’ll need to have different kinds of “smarts”– ones that you can accumulate by being open to learning about the aspects of a business or industry you know little about.
How do you learn these things?
- Read a variety of blogs daily: business, industry, current events, entrepreneurship, finance, etc.
- Buy (or borrow) the latest books on business
- Learn from industry experts, fellow entrepreneurs, successful large and small businesses, mentors, peers and employees
- Attend conferences, webinars, and teleseminars hosted by thought leaders and industry experts
Learn to accept failure like a pro
It’s inevitable that you will fail as a young entrepreneur. But don’t let that get you down. Instead, be adaptable and accepting of the feedback. As Gerber said in his Entrepreneur.com column once, “Your ability to plan for the worst-case scenario and maneuver around unforeseen circumstances will be the keys to finding success as your own boss.”
(Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/17025281@N00/2076184216)