When you are opened up to the possibilities of what the world has to offer, your thoughts become limitless. Once I found out about entrepreneurship, I had hundreds of ideas running wild inside of my mind.
Believe it or not, I constantly wish that I had started 4 or 5 years earlier than I did. I started my journey as an entrepreneur at 17. Today, I’m only 21 and many people tell me that I’m so fortunate to have found this path at such a young age.
However, every entrepreneur wishes they had started earlier. That holds true for even me. Through the last 4 years, I’ve experienced and learned a lot.
In this article, I shared 7 tidbits of advice I wish someone gave me when I was younger.
1. Read About Things You Enjoy
Growing up, I hated reading mainly because the books were forced upon me. I didn’t have much say in what I could or couldn’t read since the curriculums at my school had created this list for me.
Looking back, I could have learned so many valuable things if I had read more. I would tell my younger self to go to the local library and pick up books that were of interest to me. I’d forget all about the schools curriculum and just read about things that I could learn from.
2. Don’t Let Doubt or Fear Kill Your Dreams
Growing up, I didn’t always take a risk or do something out of my comfort zone. There were many reasons for it such as fear or a lack of confidence.
However, I now know that the biggest regret is not taking the risk at all. I would go back in time and experience the things I was too scared to do. Every experience is unique and can provide something valuable.
3. Take Action
Growing up, I had ideas of my own. 17 wasn’t the age when I had my first entrepreneurial idea, they dated back to the time I was 9. However, different reasons limited me from taking action.
I shared some of the excuses people make, which hold them back from achieving their dreams in my TEDx talk. I now understand that you have to take massive action on your ideas. As long as you try your best and have fun doing it, nothing else matters.
4. Surround Yourself With Smart People
I didn’t always make the best decisions growing up. I often hung out with trouble-makers who in return caused me to get in a lot of trouble of my own. Needless to say, I wish I had known that the people you hangout with matter a lot.
I would tell myself to surround myself with intelligent people who would motivate me and inspire me to do more. After becoming an entrepreneur, I surrounded myself with other likeminded individuals who have challenged me and helped me in more ways than one.
5. Follow the Path You Want
My younger self was constantly in a struggle between my teachers and parents. My parents wanted one thing and my teachers wanted another while I had zero say in my life.
Instead of trying to create my own path, I was stuck following someone else’s. Worst of all, I didn’t try to change that. I decided to half-ass my way through life hoping for the best. Looking back, I now know that it is important to truly do what you want.
6. Don’t Stop Growing
Growth is just like learning. It never stops and the moment you stop, something will go wrong. As a young person, growth is the most important tool you can utilize to better yourself.
Looking back, I wish I had constantly pushed myself to grow and become better from each experience. It’s hard to do when you’re young, but every moment is an opportunity to become a better person.
7. Time Is The Greatest Currency
I believed from a young age that money was the greatest currency and that it was also very important to have. This stemmed from the beliefs my parents held as well as the general chatter that you would hear from others.
However, I have now realized that time is the greatest currency. You can always get more money, but you cannot recover lost time. Make the best of every minute that you have in life!
Conclusion
In this article, I shared 7 tidbits of advice I wish someone gave me when I was younger. What would you tell your younger self?
photo credit: ArloMagicMan via photopin cc
