I'm 25 and feel like I am wasting my life. How can I start building a legacy?
I've been asked this question recently via social media. Although I never felt like I was "wasting my life" I certainly know the feeling of "am I doing enough to reach my ambitious vision"?
Here are some things I thought about:
1. "Get out of your hometown"
It does not matter where on earth you live currently. You have a lot to gain from changing your location. You will leave behind old negative habits. You will break off toxic relationships (and stay in touch with the healthy ones). And you will gain new perspectives that will turn you into a different (and better) person. A you2.0.
So pick a country or a city.
Pick a date.
Execute.
2. "Get in touch with one person a day"
Do you know why I love my IDGAF attitude? Because it allows me to get in touch with people that I do not know without hesitating for a second.
Connecting with interesting thought leaders, MDs, gurus, etc. that I did not know previously is what lead to 50% of my internships, gigs, and even my current occupation in Shanghai (building a startup bridge between China and Europe).
Make sure to provide value upfront though when getting in touch! Nothing worse than receiving a message from someone you do not know requesting a random favor from you.
3. "Get in shape"
So many of my peers, past colleagues and business people stop doing sports at a certain point in their careers. Personally, I think that's a big mistake.
I believe in pushing both body and mind. Come on, even the Romans knew that "Mens sana in corpore sano".
And if you do not want to "push" your body hard: There is no excuse for not fitting at least 30 mins of moderate sports into your busy schedule every second day.
4. "Get paid for doing what you are passionate about"
The truth for many professionals is this: They have a job. And they have hobbies that they are passionate about.
My goal has always been to make the overlap between these two as large as possible by:
- Identifying what I am passionate about
- Getting good enough at it to get paid for doing it
With my current move to Shanghai I feel like I am very close to making job and passion overlap.
Nevertheless, this feeling will have to stand the test of time as my career is just starting to accelerate.
What would your advice to this 25 year old lad be?
Kevin, thanks for sharing!
German Quality - Chinese Speed
5yI enjoy your attitude on point 1 to 3. You also provide concrete advice on the networking side and the exercising side. Agree that you should chose a profession that you believe in (4). This being said, I enjoy working with professionals with rich vertical experience in one specific industry or expertise, i.e. software designers, mechanical designers etc. What do you do to provide value to your company apart from spreading motivation messages? (no harm intended, I really want to understand!)
Quality Engineer at Ebusco®
5yGreat job! Rules I also live by. Also one motto I apply to almost anything in life, Do the RIGHT thing NOT the EASY.