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| Credit: Bob Mankoff of the New Yorker Goals don't start themselves |
Why is talk cheap?
One will think Nike is paying me, but, sadly, they are not. Doing and talking are two different things. Talking is easy whether you are good at it or not. Anyone can do it. Doing is difficult. Self-start doing is harder.
While at a conference many speakers take the opportunity to talk about what their audience should do. Beautiful ideas are spoken. Inspiration is felt up and down the isles. Yet, many do not provide a plan of action or encourage their listeners to take action. Being told what to do is preferable for it is a mainstay in a young person's life: go to school, get good grades, go to college, get a job, have kids. Then those kids repeat the process. These imperatives are common and are dictated by parents.
No one is stopping you from living your life's wish, only yourself. With the right know-how, determination, and time you will become what you always wanted to be. These things do not require a degree. Being stuck in a dead-end job or doing something you'd rather not be is your fault and no one else's.
No one said you have to remain within your area of study--only recruiters or HR executive say so. The days of companies being picky over candidates for jobs is over because the economy is booming. HR executives like making ridiculous requirements for entry level positions like three years of experience minimum required because they want the most qualified candidate while paying that person the least possible. Nowadays the US economy continues to climb in job growth. People once not looking for a job are now out and about. Companies are complaining about not having skilled workers filling roles while Millennials (hate using generation labels) are the most educated generation according to a Pew Research study.
Just do it!
If you want it bad enough, you will get it. Put together a plan, do some research, find alternatives, set a timeline, a goal, and objectives for reaching that goal. Go for it!
You can do this. I know you can because I have doubted myself, too. This means you are not challenging yourself. This can be corrected. Nobody talks about this.
Just be reasonable with yourself. This is said not to discourage you. Not everyone will be an astronaut, but there are a lot of people that support that astronaut to get into space.
Money is an obstacle, this is true and cannot be ignored. People have bills to pay--they will not pay themselves. Not everyone can live with their parents or move back home. Saving money is important as a safety net and will enable you to do what you wish.
Good things come over time. No one became a doctor overnight. Or, the cliche: Rome wasn't built in a day. Prestige is not earned outright. Dedicate yourself to the dream. Immerse yourself until you have become one with the dream. Mastering the saxophone, working as an accountant, and learning simple-Chinese will not accomplish your goal so much as working as a barista and spending the remainder of your time training to become a helicopter pilot will achieve your goal.
Failure will happen. This is natural. Sometimes quitting is right. It is better to know what does not work. At least you gain that bit of knowledge.
Quitting mid-goal is common and natural. When the tough gets going, don't quit--just do it! And keep going. Tough times are when you grow the most. This is important to consider.
See what I did there? I am talking about a goal, not goals.
But it is important to start with a goal. Attending a conference and or reading a self-help book will not do you any good if a goal does not result. Start your first goal small like read 30 pages every day for 30-days, or say hi to someone you have never spoken to every day for 30-days.
Matt Cutts, former Czar of search engine spam at Google and currently works for the Department of Defence as a project manager, communicates goal setting simply, concisely, and brilliantly in a Ted Talk. I highly suggest watching it.
Change is difficult. Complacency is an easy trap to fall into. Catch yourself when boredom strikes because you are thinking about yourself too much. Go out and do something new for it's the only way you will grow.
My goal is to read two books every month for twelve months. More will come. I challenge you to set a goal right now. Don't tell me about it or put it off. No matter how small or silly just remember to just do it!
-Tyler
