Welcome to our Friday Comment Thread. (I've got my hopes up for this one.)
Quick recap: A 25-year-old reader emailed me, concerned about getting stuck in the wrong job/industry/career, and asked, "What advice would you give a younger version of yourself?”
Advice I've heard from readers so far:
"What is your passion? What are you good at? Answer those two questions, find a way to marry them, and GO!"
"Have a goal and work toward it, but expect the goal to change."
"Take care of your health. You'll appreciate it when you're older."
As for me, the short version of my advice to my younger self would be: "Don't worry, just work at it."
When I look back, I worried about a lot of things that now seem like they didn’t matter very much.
I was always a hard worker, but I’ve learned to focus better—put the worry aside, identify the things I can actually change, and just work hard on whatever my current challenge is.
OK. Your turn. What's your advice?
Our 25-year-old reader (along with several other 20-something readers who emailed me after yesterday’s post) would love to know.
Click the “View Thread” or “Like and Comment” buttons below to comment.
———
UPDATE: Earlier tech issues are fixed, and you should be able to comment now. Pls shoot me an email, billmurphyjr@understandably.com, if you have any problems. Thanks!
Hmmm, no comments. Testing anyway. "My advice after 40 years of marriage and 35 years in the military plus 10 years in the private sector: "Don't step on the same landmine twice!" In other words, don't make the same mistake twice, and "Own your mistakes."
The best lessons are learned by just having new and different experiences, both good and bad. Walk through the doors that open for you and find out something new about yourself.
I wish there had been less pressure to know what you want to do. I have changed career paths (all completely different) three times in my life over the past 49 years and loved all of them. You always have choices and your gut usually knows what is right. I recently read that we all already know the choice we are going to make before we even start worrying and trying to decide.
Surround yourself with, and continue to accumulate, people you like, respect, and who share your values and passions. You will find a meaningful purpose, and you will enjoy the journey
Also, don't allow "Imposter Syndrome." You are good enough and the right person to do what you are doing. Others may seem like they have it more together than you do, but they are probably sweating just as much. Be brave and confident that you can handle success and failure. Failure isn't the end, it is a lesson and you can move forward!
Nobody wants to fail, but it is a part of life. Most will treat it as regrettable or even shameful. My advice treat failure as a game changer strategic resource that can help you achieve the greatest success you desire and have fun.
Hello all, please excuse my response as I understood Bill's email blog much differently. My understanding from reading the blog was that this young man really needs more than advice. He needs someone to take a bit of interest and provide guidance in helping him sort out his next career move, maybe help him identify his core skills that will allow him to succeed in life (like a coach, I guess). :)
Advice from me:
Come out of the gates focused (graduating from school/leaving home)
Network with others about Private and Professional likes (start early)
Travel abroad (early/keep a global mindset)
Learn at least 2 languages (at least the basics, helps with openness to other cultures, differences, and maybe obtain an awesome career!)
At some point you will most likely be fired from a job. Don't look at it as if it's the end of the world. Take it as an opportunity to try a new path. You may be pleasantly surprised where you wind up.
Also, business is business and personal is personal. Don't ever intertwine the two.
Find a mentor who takes time to laugh everyday.
My favorite quotes:
"If you don't have the time to do it right, when will you have time to do it again?"
"The difference between 'try' and 'triumph' is a little umph. "
"If I do a job in 30 minutes its because I spent 10 years learning how to do that in 30 minutes. You owe me for the years, not the minutes".
Show up very day (on time or early)! Work hard while you're there. Keep learning and improving yourself. Learn as much and experience as many parts of a company as you can. A wide range of experience pays dividends in greater financial success for you down the road.
A very wise manager once told me, "Take the *long* view of things." Or, in George Carlin's words, "Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things."
Meet as many positive and interesting people as possible. Stay curious and focus on helping and adding value wherever you can. Celebrate the little wins. Show up with a smile and an understanding that everyone is doing the best they can.
Take that chance, whether its asking somebody out, trying something new, a job outside your comfort zone. Don't lose the opportunity to smile. You never fail if you try, you just learn things that don't work, and you keep pushing forward.
Don't limit your career path, you never know what opportunities will come up and where they will take you. Unless you want to be in a very specific-tech oriented field, be open to whatever opens up.
Don't be afraid to take on projects that sound interesting, even if they are outside of your job description. They could lead to a whole new opportunity, or show you a part of the business you didn't even know you might be interested in.
My father said to me when I was probably early teens, "Get outside your comfort zone or you’ll never realize your potential." He lived that mindset, he forced all of us to live that mindset, and it has never failed me.
Not sure I would tell myself to do anything that might change the course of history.(leading me not to meet my future husband at the right time!) Life is all about having good relationships, family, friends who support you. It really doesn’t matter what you do to maintain it as there are good and bad things about every so-called career. Hopefully with the right education and enthusiasm work life can be fun and exciting. Keep working, keep learning, keep all options open, keep praying; the power of prayer is amazing. Have trust in God. Lighten up without being lazy. Go with the flow. Be creative in work, play and with friends. Surround yourself with people who like you and whom you like. These people will have similar values, aspirations and hope for the world. Have a happy life while trying to make life better for others. Amazing how helping others will make you happy too!
Follow your gut. Make note of what you excel in. It's probably the same thing that brings you the most satisfaction in life. Make your mark by finding a way to present it to the world in your unique way. Finally, do not let anyone take credit away from you. If you are at a company that does not promote on merit, find another place to work.
I have a 20 year old that is just starting out in her career. My advice to her and everyone else - Network, network, and network some more. After I got my first job out of graduate school through the career center, the rest have been a result of knowing someone and having a connection. It's a small world, get out there and meet people and you never know how it will pay off.
Everything you do makes you who you are in the future so don't change a thing. I would like to think that we all try to do our best all the time so changing anything would be a mute point. (Maybe it is my rose coloured glasses)
Remember...Life is what happens when you are busy making plans so just enjoy it!
1) Begin with the end in mind-- my guidance counselor had it all wrong, how does any 15 yr. old answer the question "What do you want to do?". Take some time to answer this question "How do you want to live?" Not an easy question either- if you love to travel, that's not corporate travel (at least not most corp travel).
2) Develop a reading habit. Start with people skill and communication books.
3) Meet everyone and keep details. i.e. Network. Stay in touch to keep the connections alive.
4) It's a long game, don't be afraid to reset. You will refine your answers to #1 with in a couple of years. Its ok.
5) Learn something from every new gig. Leave better than you started.
Many people over the years have said "do what you like" and you'll never work a day in your life.
Having said that, I've changed careers four times, at ages 23, 29, 50 [when I confirmed what I should NOT be doing] and 52.
The takeaway for me is that your interests and goals will evolve over time and you are not locked in to any given career forever, no matter your age. Explore opportunities to see how they fit with what you like to do and what you're good at.
If your job is making you angry, feeling sick and stressed - step back. What would you like to be doing? Explore options in an area that really interests you. You may initially take a pay cut, but if you feel passionate about what you are doing, your health will improve, your outlook will improve and you'll actually want to go to work every day. Eventually your pay will increase, with better benefits, etc. It may take a while, but money doesn't make you healthy, but a bad match with a job can make you ill.
If you would have told me when I was 20-something that I would have 3 fulfilling careers, each about 12-15 years long, I never would have believed it. I am 61 now, and have the long view. When we are young, we typically think about only what is right in front of us, the next 1-3 years at most. But allow your interests to take you where they will, because following your passion and interests leads you to what you do best, and this pursuit, in turn, will lead you to your true purpose. If you are a faith-based individual, prayer helps a great deal too, because it is my belief and experience that God has perfect timing. When you are doing something that you have a passion for, like-minded folks will cross your path and they will help you, because you are eager and enthusiastic and pursuing your dreams. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You expect good things, you may even expect great things to happen, and low and behold, they will come to you. It is called the "law of attraction."
As much as possible when you are starting out, work at something that you lose track of time when you are doing it. This wonderful, fulfilled feeling you get when you are doing something (and being someone) you love means that it is not like work, it is like play. This work-life satisfaction mingles and merges as one brilliant and energizing phenomenon, helping you become more self-aware. You can begin to see that you are really enjoying something and you are immersed in it; others will see this positive energy in you as well, and want to work with you :-)
Have fun, I would love to be 20-something again to do what I have done all over again! As a few others have stated, you ultimately become who you are meant to be, and every experience plays a part in your unique development to help make you who you are.
Okay, this is only my second (maybe third) time posting on your site. First things first: You have those little stars at the bottom of the site to ask "How did I like today's stories?" My short answer is this; Just eliminate that and leave it at five stars. Your site is too dam'n fun and interesting to read, addictive if anything. Like most of your readers, I go to work everyday to earn a living. When 'Understandably' pops up in my inbox, everything stops for a few minutes so I can scroll down the list to see what piques my interest. (There goes a half-hour). So for me to actually respond to one of your threads is a major distraction to my usually overworked day, but a good one. I read through the comments and found a lot of sage advice that I could agree with and pass along. Before writing my response, earlier this morning I passed your original post (sans comments before fixing the glitch) to my son and his girlfriend. She had mentioned to me his "lack of excitement" about his new job (a major worldwide internet security agency in NYC), just after graduating Rutgers University, after serving in the U.S. Marines. I could copy/past many of the comments below and pass them along to him as my advice. I'm a married man, have five kids, and a growing collection of grand-kids, basically everything I do or have done, in some way is to be a rock in their foundation of life. Sometimes I'm good at it, sometimes, not so good. So when you're 25 years old, I'll tell you this: You have two eyes and ears and one mouth. When you see and hear, your eyes and ears are slightly apart from one another allowing you to take in things in "stereo" each from a slightly different perspective. When you do speak, your words and the way you say them (in love or anger) are you.
Read the Ten Commandments (If people could adhere to all of them, the world's problems wouldn't be. Laugh. Find the beauty in ordinary things. Have a pet. Nothing like a smiling dog greeting you at the door when you come home. Love those around you, friends & family (even those you don't "like", you should still love them). Whatever it is you're doing, do it to the best of your ability. You'll get better at it, and someplace along the line you'll either decide you actually like what you're doing or realize it's time to change direction. Fortunately for me I love what I do. It's not just the skill to do what I do, but the people I meet both as customers, suppliers, workers, the people I randomly see with whom I get to say "Hello" and listen to what's going on in their lives, then share a few words together. Never stop learning. I'll hear about something, then spend the next week or month learning all I can about it.
In closing, be like a Tardigrade. Don't let anything stand in your way. You might feel small, like nobody sees you, but that doesn't mean anything.
“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “Press On” has solved and will always solve the problems of the human race.”
Calvin Coolidge 30th President of The United States.
Trust in yourself and don't be afraid to make mistakes! Those are priceless learning opportunities that become stepping stones in your growth and development and your career. They are inevitable so take every ounce of learning from each and every one. Know that they do not in any way diminish your value, worth or intelligence. Every success and failure are part of the path. - it's what you make of them and take from them that will help you on your path forward.
Don't just meet people -- build relationships. Learn from everyone you meet and take every chance to gain experience. Work hard and help other people along the way. Those relationships and the wisdom gained from experience will be there when you need them.
Play the long game. Keep your eyes focused on your goal. The advice I live by daily is "Be Humble. Be Hungry. And always be the hardest worker in the room." Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson This advice has done me well. The other piece of advice I often give my employees is "your job is not going to fulfill you so become so skilled, so vigilant, so flat out fantastic at what you do that your talent cannot be dismissed." I heard this on a podcast several years ago and jotted it down. Unfortunately I do not remember who or what podcast. But I have given the advice often.
What I would have told myself would have been to "trust your gut and start your business". I waited so long to start my business I wasted 20 years of growth (personal and professional). I spent those 20 years building other peoples companies instead of my own. I always thought I was too young to be taken seriously. That was my own insecurities. The only other thing I would have told myself (and anyone else) is to READ. Read anything and everything you can get your hands on. I try to read one book a month along with Inc., Fast Company and Entrepreneur magazines. It really does make a difference reading how other people handle certain situations.
Be kind, take risks, get to know your values, and be open to the possibility that success doesn't look like the picture in your head. Maybe the right job situation isn't one full-time job, but multiple part-time roles. And trust your gut. If alarm bells are going off 10 days into a new role, they'll be deafening by day 90.
Advice for this random 25-year old? Wear sunscreen. Or just have him/her listen to "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) by Baz Luhrmann (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVQeP5vRP5E). Advice to *my* 25-year old self? Emigrate to New Zealand.
Not sure where I read it, but has stuck with me and benefitted me for 30 years of entrepreneurship. "If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room". Never stop listening and learning.
I resonated with your comment about worrying too much about issues when I was younger that seem today to be not so urgent. However, when I lived in India for 3 years I learned a valuable skill - detachment. Find a way to unwind each day, so that you close your eyes content with the day's progress. Sure, keep the big dreams and visions of the future. But don't let your 'monkey mind' swirl around-and-around and drain you of the vital internal fortitude it will take to make those big dreams come true.
I believe that you should surround yourself with people stronger than you, they pick you up (or push you up!) and make you strong, while weak people pull you down and weaken you.
Hmmm, no comments. Testing anyway. "My advice after 40 years of marriage and 35 years in the military plus 10 years in the private sector: "Don't step on the same landmine twice!" In other words, don't make the same mistake twice, and "Own your mistakes."
I am 40, and still looking for advice, LOL! My advice, seek advice sooner from the older generations!
The best lessons are learned by just having new and different experiences, both good and bad. Walk through the doors that open for you and find out something new about yourself.
I wish there had been less pressure to know what you want to do. I have changed career paths (all completely different) three times in my life over the past 49 years and loved all of them. You always have choices and your gut usually knows what is right. I recently read that we all already know the choice we are going to make before we even start worrying and trying to decide.
Keep close relationships that will support you through various decisions. Take more risks. Be a life-long learner.
Surround yourself with, and continue to accumulate, people you like, respect, and who share your values and passions. You will find a meaningful purpose, and you will enjoy the journey
Small steps every day. Take action and keep going when you fail. Knowledge brings possibilities, experience brings belief.
Also, don't allow "Imposter Syndrome." You are good enough and the right person to do what you are doing. Others may seem like they have it more together than you do, but they are probably sweating just as much. Be brave and confident that you can handle success and failure. Failure isn't the end, it is a lesson and you can move forward!
Focus on what you want to do and the skills and experience that you want to gain before moving on to other roles.
Nobody wants to fail, but it is a part of life. Most will treat it as regrettable or even shameful. My advice treat failure as a game changer strategic resource that can help you achieve the greatest success you desire and have fun.
Don't work for a company that rewards hard work with simply more work. Work for a company that rewards hard work with appreciation.
Hello all, please excuse my response as I understood Bill's email blog much differently. My understanding from reading the blog was that this young man really needs more than advice. He needs someone to take a bit of interest and provide guidance in helping him sort out his next career move, maybe help him identify his core skills that will allow him to succeed in life (like a coach, I guess). :)
Advice from me:
Come out of the gates focused (graduating from school/leaving home)
Network with others about Private and Professional likes (start early)
Travel abroad (early/keep a global mindset)
Learn at least 2 languages (at least the basics, helps with openness to other cultures, differences, and maybe obtain an awesome career!)
Keep your circle of friends manageable
Thank you Bill and others for your time.
At some point you will most likely be fired from a job. Don't look at it as if it's the end of the world. Take it as an opportunity to try a new path. You may be pleasantly surprised where you wind up.
Also, business is business and personal is personal. Don't ever intertwine the two.
Find a mentor who takes time to laugh everyday.
My favorite quotes:
"If you don't have the time to do it right, when will you have time to do it again?"
"The difference between 'try' and 'triumph' is a little umph. "
"If I do a job in 30 minutes its because I spent 10 years learning how to do that in 30 minutes. You owe me for the years, not the minutes".
Go be awesome!
LM
You might need to take one step back to take several forward.
Show up very day (on time or early)! Work hard while you're there. Keep learning and improving yourself. Learn as much and experience as many parts of a company as you can. A wide range of experience pays dividends in greater financial success for you down the road.
Choose an interesting career/company/manager instead of a higher salary, especially when you're young.
A very wise manager once told me, "Take the *long* view of things." Or, in George Carlin's words, "Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things."
Learn everything you can, wherever you are, before you move on (which you will). It'll come in handy somewhere down the road.
Meet as many positive and interesting people as possible. Stay curious and focus on helping and adding value wherever you can. Celebrate the little wins. Show up with a smile and an understanding that everyone is doing the best they can.
Take a breath. Take another. Practice prioritizing the magic of the journey over any specific outcome.
Take that chance, whether its asking somebody out, trying something new, a job outside your comfort zone. Don't lose the opportunity to smile. You never fail if you try, you just learn things that don't work, and you keep pushing forward.
Don't limit your career path, you never know what opportunities will come up and where they will take you. Unless you want to be in a very specific-tech oriented field, be open to whatever opens up.
Don't be afraid to take on projects that sound interesting, even if they are outside of your job description. They could lead to a whole new opportunity, or show you a part of the business you didn't even know you might be interested in.
My father said to me when I was probably early teens, "Get outside your comfort zone or you’ll never realize your potential." He lived that mindset, he forced all of us to live that mindset, and it has never failed me.
Not sure I would tell myself to do anything that might change the course of history.(leading me not to meet my future husband at the right time!) Life is all about having good relationships, family, friends who support you. It really doesn’t matter what you do to maintain it as there are good and bad things about every so-called career. Hopefully with the right education and enthusiasm work life can be fun and exciting. Keep working, keep learning, keep all options open, keep praying; the power of prayer is amazing. Have trust in God. Lighten up without being lazy. Go with the flow. Be creative in work, play and with friends. Surround yourself with people who like you and whom you like. These people will have similar values, aspirations and hope for the world. Have a happy life while trying to make life better for others. Amazing how helping others will make you happy too!
Sent from my iPhone
Follow your gut. Make note of what you excel in. It's probably the same thing that brings you the most satisfaction in life. Make your mark by finding a way to present it to the world in your unique way. Finally, do not let anyone take credit away from you. If you are at a company that does not promote on merit, find another place to work.
I have a 20 year old that is just starting out in her career. My advice to her and everyone else - Network, network, and network some more. After I got my first job out of graduate school through the career center, the rest have been a result of knowing someone and having a connection. It's a small world, get out there and meet people and you never know how it will pay off.
Everything you do makes you who you are in the future so don't change a thing. I would like to think that we all try to do our best all the time so changing anything would be a mute point. (Maybe it is my rose coloured glasses)
Remember...Life is what happens when you are busy making plans so just enjoy it!
So many good answers already.
1) Begin with the end in mind-- my guidance counselor had it all wrong, how does any 15 yr. old answer the question "What do you want to do?". Take some time to answer this question "How do you want to live?" Not an easy question either- if you love to travel, that's not corporate travel (at least not most corp travel).
2) Develop a reading habit. Start with people skill and communication books.
3) Meet everyone and keep details. i.e. Network. Stay in touch to keep the connections alive.
4) It's a long game, don't be afraid to reset. You will refine your answers to #1 with in a couple of years. Its ok.
5) Learn something from every new gig. Leave better than you started.
6) Seek a mentor.
If you want something, ask (nicely). Sure they might say no, but they might say yes. Be prepared for either.
Many people over the years have said "do what you like" and you'll never work a day in your life.
Having said that, I've changed careers four times, at ages 23, 29, 50 [when I confirmed what I should NOT be doing] and 52.
The takeaway for me is that your interests and goals will evolve over time and you are not locked in to any given career forever, no matter your age. Explore opportunities to see how they fit with what you like to do and what you're good at.
If your job is making you angry, feeling sick and stressed - step back. What would you like to be doing? Explore options in an area that really interests you. You may initially take a pay cut, but if you feel passionate about what you are doing, your health will improve, your outlook will improve and you'll actually want to go to work every day. Eventually your pay will increase, with better benefits, etc. It may take a while, but money doesn't make you healthy, but a bad match with a job can make you ill.
If you would have told me when I was 20-something that I would have 3 fulfilling careers, each about 12-15 years long, I never would have believed it. I am 61 now, and have the long view. When we are young, we typically think about only what is right in front of us, the next 1-3 years at most. But allow your interests to take you where they will, because following your passion and interests leads you to what you do best, and this pursuit, in turn, will lead you to your true purpose. If you are a faith-based individual, prayer helps a great deal too, because it is my belief and experience that God has perfect timing. When you are doing something that you have a passion for, like-minded folks will cross your path and they will help you, because you are eager and enthusiastic and pursuing your dreams. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You expect good things, you may even expect great things to happen, and low and behold, they will come to you. It is called the "law of attraction."
As much as possible when you are starting out, work at something that you lose track of time when you are doing it. This wonderful, fulfilled feeling you get when you are doing something (and being someone) you love means that it is not like work, it is like play. This work-life satisfaction mingles and merges as one brilliant and energizing phenomenon, helping you become more self-aware. You can begin to see that you are really enjoying something and you are immersed in it; others will see this positive energy in you as well, and want to work with you :-)
Have fun, I would love to be 20-something again to do what I have done all over again! As a few others have stated, you ultimately become who you are meant to be, and every experience plays a part in your unique development to help make you who you are.
--Call me "no regrets" Rosie --
Okay, this is only my second (maybe third) time posting on your site. First things first: You have those little stars at the bottom of the site to ask "How did I like today's stories?" My short answer is this; Just eliminate that and leave it at five stars. Your site is too dam'n fun and interesting to read, addictive if anything. Like most of your readers, I go to work everyday to earn a living. When 'Understandably' pops up in my inbox, everything stops for a few minutes so I can scroll down the list to see what piques my interest. (There goes a half-hour). So for me to actually respond to one of your threads is a major distraction to my usually overworked day, but a good one. I read through the comments and found a lot of sage advice that I could agree with and pass along. Before writing my response, earlier this morning I passed your original post (sans comments before fixing the glitch) to my son and his girlfriend. She had mentioned to me his "lack of excitement" about his new job (a major worldwide internet security agency in NYC), just after graduating Rutgers University, after serving in the U.S. Marines. I could copy/past many of the comments below and pass them along to him as my advice. I'm a married man, have five kids, and a growing collection of grand-kids, basically everything I do or have done, in some way is to be a rock in their foundation of life. Sometimes I'm good at it, sometimes, not so good. So when you're 25 years old, I'll tell you this: You have two eyes and ears and one mouth. When you see and hear, your eyes and ears are slightly apart from one another allowing you to take in things in "stereo" each from a slightly different perspective. When you do speak, your words and the way you say them (in love or anger) are you.
Read the Ten Commandments (If people could adhere to all of them, the world's problems wouldn't be. Laugh. Find the beauty in ordinary things. Have a pet. Nothing like a smiling dog greeting you at the door when you come home. Love those around you, friends & family (even those you don't "like", you should still love them). Whatever it is you're doing, do it to the best of your ability. You'll get better at it, and someplace along the line you'll either decide you actually like what you're doing or realize it's time to change direction. Fortunately for me I love what I do. It's not just the skill to do what I do, but the people I meet both as customers, suppliers, workers, the people I randomly see with whom I get to say "Hello" and listen to what's going on in their lives, then share a few words together. Never stop learning. I'll hear about something, then spend the next week or month learning all I can about it.
In closing, be like a Tardigrade. Don't let anything stand in your way. You might feel small, like nobody sees you, but that doesn't mean anything.
“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “Press On” has solved and will always solve the problems of the human race.”
Calvin Coolidge 30th President of The United States.
If somebody wrote it, I didn't see it: "If you love what you do, you'll never have to work a day of your life."
Trust in yourself and don't be afraid to make mistakes! Those are priceless learning opportunities that become stepping stones in your growth and development and your career. They are inevitable so take every ounce of learning from each and every one. Know that they do not in any way diminish your value, worth or intelligence. Every success and failure are part of the path. - it's what you make of them and take from them that will help you on your path forward.
Approach each job as if it is a field trip not the final destination. You are there to learn. (You might stay a while or indefinitely).
Be humble.
Don’t burn any bridges. Relationships are everything.
Business IS personal.
Leadership is horizontal. Be one.
Don’t settle.
Don’t worry.
Don't just meet people -- build relationships. Learn from everyone you meet and take every chance to gain experience. Work hard and help other people along the way. Those relationships and the wisdom gained from experience will be there when you need them.
Love your workplace;
Get to work early;
Really enjoy your work;
Look for better ways to do your job;
If none of the above fits you are in the wrong job!
Play the long game. Keep your eyes focused on your goal. The advice I live by daily is "Be Humble. Be Hungry. And always be the hardest worker in the room." Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson This advice has done me well. The other piece of advice I often give my employees is "your job is not going to fulfill you so become so skilled, so vigilant, so flat out fantastic at what you do that your talent cannot be dismissed." I heard this on a podcast several years ago and jotted it down. Unfortunately I do not remember who or what podcast. But I have given the advice often.
Never stop learning, always be willing to take on something new and enjoy the journey.
What I would have told myself would have been to "trust your gut and start your business". I waited so long to start my business I wasted 20 years of growth (personal and professional). I spent those 20 years building other peoples companies instead of my own. I always thought I was too young to be taken seriously. That was my own insecurities. The only other thing I would have told myself (and anyone else) is to READ. Read anything and everything you can get your hands on. I try to read one book a month along with Inc., Fast Company and Entrepreneur magazines. It really does make a difference reading how other people handle certain situations.
Be kind, take risks, get to know your values, and be open to the possibility that success doesn't look like the picture in your head. Maybe the right job situation isn't one full-time job, but multiple part-time roles. And trust your gut. If alarm bells are going off 10 days into a new role, they'll be deafening by day 90.
Advice for this random 25-year old? Wear sunscreen. Or just have him/her listen to "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) by Baz Luhrmann (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVQeP5vRP5E). Advice to *my* 25-year old self? Emigrate to New Zealand.
Not sure where I read it, but has stuck with me and benefitted me for 30 years of entrepreneurship. "If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room". Never stop listening and learning.
I resonated with your comment about worrying too much about issues when I was younger that seem today to be not so urgent. However, when I lived in India for 3 years I learned a valuable skill - detachment. Find a way to unwind each day, so that you close your eyes content with the day's progress. Sure, keep the big dreams and visions of the future. But don't let your 'monkey mind' swirl around-and-around and drain you of the vital internal fortitude it will take to make those big dreams come true.
I believe that you should surround yourself with people stronger than you, they pick you up (or push you up!) and make you strong, while weak people pull you down and weaken you.
Relax, most of yesterday's problems seem trivial from today's perpective.
Focus on influence and making a difference instead of a career and wealth. While the latter are fun for awhile, the former will leave a legacy.