How does the road to success start?
You have to be in the right mindset to begin a prosperous career. You need to get rid of all the negativity in your life and feel confident. Do things that are productive and benefit you:
- Work Out -- When you exercise, you flood your brain with feel good endorphins. You build muscles, which improves your health and physique, which then improves your self-esteem.
- Read -- Pick up something that interests you: a mystery novel, your favorite celebrity's biography, a book on any topic you're passionate about, self-help books, The Bible -- anything that relaxes and stimulates thought. Go to a library or bookstore and browse until you find something that grabs your attention.
- Watch a movie or start a series -- Don't spend your whole weekend watching Netflix, but go see a movie with actors you admire, a director you like or a series that jumpstarts your imagination. In one of my theatre courses in college, it was required to see several plays and movies to analyze the directing, acting and plots of those stories. On multiple occasions, I'd go to the movies by myself to be completely engrossed with the characters. I'd always feel inspired after it.
- Go outside -- What did we all do when we were kids? We played outside: biking, playing basketball, football, a game of catch, walking around a park -- whatever it is that gets you to escape from the stresses of the world and bring you back to simpler times.
- Cook -- Try a new recipe. Following step-by-step instructions that will end with a meal or baked treat gives you that sense of accomplishment, no matter how small.
- Clean -- Throw on your favorite playlist and bust out your sponges. Cleaning does two things: makes your home/room/bathroom/kitchen look and smell cleaner and when your atmosphere is orderly and clean, so is your mind.
- Journal -- Have thoughts? Write them out. I do this a lot. Whenever I feel inspired to write down my ideas, concerns or quotes that resonate with me, I have my journal. I can then revisit them later.
- Go for a drive -- We all have a GPS on our phones so don't be afraid to drive around a neighborhood you don't know. Go get lost. Be alone with yourself and turn off your cell phone until you're ready to come home. I'd recommend driving during sunset or sunrise on the weekends so you can avoid rush hour traffic but more importantly so you can take in the scenes.
- Retail therapy -- Buy yourself a new wardrobe (if your bank account lets you). Buying new clothes and gadgets also gives you a confidence booster.
- Try something new -- Don't be afraid to do something you've never experienced before. You may discover something about yourself you didn't know you could do.
The idea here is to not lose sight of what you love and what makes you, you. Little things and making time for yourself makes all the difference to start making those leaps to success.
Bill Gates was tinkering with computer programming at the age of 13. He later went to Harvard just to drop out only two years later to begin his own business. He had a passion that turned into Microsoft.
Steve Jobs did the same from Reed College. But his thirst for knowledge and world cultures, his start with a job at Atari and partnership with his friend Steve Wozniak, led to co-founding Apple.
The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it, keep looking. Don't settle. -- Steve Jobs
I'm not saying to leave your current education or not to start. Always strive for higher education. Advanced degrees will open more doors. Even Gates went back to Harvard to earn his doctrine after Microsoft took off. Education on all levels is vitally important -- this goes without saying -- but don't let the boundaries of the classroom or the walls of your cubicle stop you from learning, growing and expanding your horizons into a meaningful career.
I'm sure you know what makes your heart beat. You have a fire inside you and when you feed it, that's when you feel whole. This fire is different for all of us. For the salesman, it's reaching out to prospects and enticing them with his pitch. For the teacher, it's educating her students and enriching their lives with lessons and skills. For the actor, it's living in the present and telling a story through the character he plays. Whatever this fire is, find it. Once you do, congratulations! It's time to build on it.