Post College Success

May 12, 2012

Becoming Humble

This is the start of my Golf and Life lessons series. I’ll post occasionally about how golf has drastically impacted my life for the better. It won’t really matter if you understand golf or not, the point of the post will be to talk about what life lessons can be learned from playing the game.

So here we go:

Becoming Humble

Humble is defined as marked by modesty in behavior, attitude, or spirit; not arrogant or prideful. When you play golf you will undoubtedly have a period of time when you are playing good. You get hot and string together some pars or possibly birdies. You gain confidence and even start to show some swagger in your game. Then all of the sudden you hit a couple bad shots in a row, and the game humbles you.

Earlier this week I was humbled by the game. I have played some good golf in the past, but right now I’m not playing well. While I want to be cocky and confident, sometimes it’s tough when you aren’t performing to your ability.

Just like in life perhaps in school or at a job. We work hard and are rewarded most of the time with getting an “A” on a test or finishing a project. But every once in awhile we get humbled, and we don’t perform as well as we should have.

Now I am beginning to realize that staying humble in good times and in bad could be the best way to be. Staying modest in my behavior, and in my attitude I believe will not only help me on the golf course, but in my life as well. I feel like the minute we start bragging about ourselves, or start acting like we know it all, is the exact time when things don’t go our way. When we think that we are for some reason better than someone else, we usually get humbled. However, if we are able to stay modest in our behavior and our attitude, good things will usually come our way.

I think a great way to become humble is also to stay patient. I am someone who has learned patience, but I also don’t like waiting around for some things… in lines, traffic, etc. Patience can be learned but patience is something that you must actively tell yourself to do in the moment. If you are unable to stay patient, that’s when stress and anxiety hit.

Stay patient, become humble, and good things seem to come your way.

Dan 5/12/12

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April 21, 2012

Creating a Masters win for your life

Masters Champion.

Two weeks ago Bubba Watson was crowned Masters Champ for 2012. Something that others can never take away from him. If you’ve ever see Bubba play golf, you know that he does it HIS way… the Bubba way. If you follow golf at all you’ve undoubtedly heard sayings such as “Hit it Bubba long.”

Bubba has also endured a lot of criticism for how he swings the club. No PGA teaching professional would ever teach a student to swing that way and it’s easy to criticize. But he does it exactly how he wants to. He hits “shots” rather than trying to make perfect swings.

photo courtesy of Hone Morihana via Flickr

Bubba created a Masters for his life by doing things his way, and I think we all can do this. A lot of it comes down to desire. How badly do you want something to happen? We can all become Masters as we accomplish what we want to in our lives doing things how we want to. This is why Bubba was successful. He hasn’t listened to all the criticism and negative things that others have said and wrote. He has simply done things his way, and that has been good enough to win the Masters! Do you think Bubba Watson would have ever made the PGA Tour if he had listened to how others told him to swing the golf club?

When we listen to what others tell us to do, we stop thinking for ourselves. We start taking more directions and forget how to perform tasks without asking someone else how to do it. We would all be better off if we thought for ourselves and and taught ourselves how to figure things out. I think the most successful people never stop learning and they also have a knack for figuring things out for themselves. Become a master at being you – That will ensure you are happy with yourself and content in the life you are living.

Things I am thinking about this week and Creating a Masters for my life:

Just being myself, and not letting others influence my decision making
Winning at something
Focusing on the most important task

Dan 4/21/12

PS – my blogging has become fairly irregular as of late… but no worries, I’ll be back and better than ever. I’ve been busier than ever getting things done, which has led to less time writing as of late

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April 3, 2012

Overcoming Setbacks

It’s late Spring 2009 and I have been applying to jobs like it’s my job. I really want to find something with solid benefits and pay, and also something that I can see myself doing for awhile. Time goes by and I hear the same things over and over… “We’ve filled that position,” “Sorry but your skills didn’t match what we were looking for.” Those were the good ones, the bad ones were all the answering machines.

After awhile it is frustrating. Extremely frustrating. Exhausted from all the time I have spent searching and seeking a great job fit, I had to stop for a bit and look at what I was doing. My return on investment from all the time I spent searching was exactly 0. Right when I thought I was getting somewhere, perhaps with an interview, I heard bad news. Most all recent graduates have been here and this is exactly how job seekers feel right now. Setbacks…and more setbacks.

courtesy of music2work2 on flickr

I really think to overcome setbacks there are a few things that we can do. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in a job search, but in any area of life. Check these out.

1. Change your medium – If something isn’t working like you think it should, and your ROI (return on investment) is very little, it’s time to get creative and find different ways of accomplishing what you want to get done.

Email vs. Phone call
Letter vs. In person visit
Online submission vs. Personalized letter

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity. Try different communication methods and then expect positive, and different outcomes.

2. Don’t listen to what others tell you – You’re an adult, you can overcome this yourself. Others are most likely going to try to hold you back and tell you all the reasons why you’re idea isn’t good enough or why you should or shouldn’t do something. You know what’s best for you, and that’s what matters.

3. Develop a “Your loss” mindset – When someone tells you “no” or things don’t go your way, don’t hang your head and dwell on it for days/weeks. This is not healthy. I’ve done this and it does absolutely no good for your confidence. Pick yourself back up, get back to work and give yourself some credit. Tell yourself “This didn’t happen for a reason, and the reason is that something better is out there for me.” It’s their loss, not yours.

I also try to fill my days doing something else to get my mind off of the setback. Exercising, working on other projects, or having dinner with friends – all ways that have worked for me to get my mind off of a setback.

What has worked for you?

Dan 4/3/12

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March 27, 2012

Hitting the open road

Two weeks ago I went on an adventure. It was a short adventure and one that I have made before to Tuscaloosa, AL for some get (out of the cold) away time from the state of Iowa. This was my third time making this trek and I always enjoy going and visiting my roommate from college who lives down there now. I have always drove down and it ends up being about a 12 hour drive which I find to be a pain in the butt but well worth it once I am there.

The thing about driving 12 hours whether you are by yourself or with someone else is that you have a lot of time to think. You won’t constantly be talking to someone or singing your favorite tune, so that leaves some serious time for thought and reflection.

Photo curtesy of deejayres on Flickr

So that’s what I did.. I thought.. and thought. Pretty normal for me, but it helps take my mind off the drive. I thought about what I had been doing the past few years of my life and how that has shaped me into the person I am today. I thought about where I am going and why now more than ever I need to embrace uncertainty and enjoy the ride.

It has been quite a ride for me already over the past few months. I went from leaving work at 5 each night to go home and work on personal projects, blogs, and trying to figure out how to live out my dream existence… to now living that out each day. It’s definitely one thing to think, write, and talk like you know what you want to do, but it’s a completely different thing to actually go do it and wake up each day excited to go to work and want to become the absolute best at what you do.

My drive continued and I thought about how I left the corporate world and took a pay cut to start doing something I was passionate about. What I had realized from my time in cubicle land is that I am not built for a cubicle. Some of us are, and that’s fine. I’m not. I remember getting up at least once an hour to go talk with others (procrastinate) or take a lap around the building. At lunch I would go run for 35 minutes or go out for lunch to get away from my double screen monitor. It wasn’t that I hated what I was doing, it was more like I just didn’t care because I had no passion for what my company did.

I thought about my days now and how they match up so much better for me as a person! I think on some level we all wish we could be back in college. We enjoyed the lifestyle, the freedom, the opportunity to meet people. I believe a lot of people are going back to school right now for this exact reason. They don’t want to sit and work from 8-5 so education must be the key to unlocking their potential. It could be, but many will find themselves in the exact same boat even after a Masters degree. My job right now pretty much feels like I am back in college, but I don’t have to go to class and I don’t have to study! I have found my passion, tada… golf, and I have found a freedom in my schedule to finish projects how I see fit. Passion and freedom are key ingredients for my success and happiness in a career!

So what do you miss about college? What are your key ingredients for success in a job? When is the last time you hit the open road and thought about where you have been, and which direction you are heading in? Through some pain and suffering I have found that there is no better time than now!

Work hard and reflect.

Dan 3/27/12

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March 18, 2012

What does winning mean to you?

Winning…

Charlie Sheen got a lot of attention for his Twitter post last year that stated “Winning.” People gave him a lot of crap and disrespected him for it, and that’s fine. But I think Charlie has the right attitude here because if you’re not winning, you’re losing. Now losing isn’t all that bad either but we’ll get to that a little later. Let me tell some stories first.

I run hard most mornings for 20 minutes with our golf team and I’m about the 3rd or 4th best runner. A couple weeks ago I was feeling pretty good and I finished ahead of everyone for the 20 minutes. Winning. Even though this is just a workout for our guys, it’s competitive and it helps our team be more competitive when we are competing at a tournament.

After the run and throughout that day I felt awesome! I couldn’t really tell why but I just had an extra pep in my step and got a lot done that day. My head was up, my shoulders were back, and I was confident. It wasn’t until later that day that I realized why my day had went so well. I had won at something.

Back in the day

It’s July 7th, 2007 and I had just won my first Amateur golf tournament outside from junior golf. I had a feeling that I hadn’t felt in awhile after winning. My confidence had returned and I felt like I could accomplish anything. Now in golf it’s rare that we get this feeling because you are going to lose a heck of a lot more than you are going to win. Even Tiger Woods has only won probably 20% of his total events as a professional, which is ridiculously good. I was interviewed after the round and had to give a short winner’s speech… great feelings.

The power of winning at something – It’s a high, much like finishing a long race or doing something that is out of the ordinary for you. Something you know you’ve worked hard for and proven to yourself that it can be done!

My good friend sent me a text a couple weeks ago that said “Use any tactic possible to win at what you do today such as mischief, tomfoolery, deception, fear, hooliganism, magic, black magic, sleight of hand and sourcery, wizardry, and witchcraft! hahaha. Okay it was meant to be funny and stupid, but the message is the same. Win.

I’m also a firm believer that we all define wins differently for ourselves. Accomplishing a goal or landing a new job that you are passionate about could be considered wins. Finishing college – win. Buying a new car – win. Spending quality times with friends and family – win. It’s whatever you do to become more successful.

What about a loss?

Losing isn’t fun, but it’s also how we learn to win. We learn from our mistakes to then go out and win at sports, in our lives, pursuing our dreams and living out our calling. I can think of many times throughout my life where I didn’t want to lose, whether in sports, in my career, in my health, or personal relationships. But I feel like it was just part of my path to become more successful and win later on in my life. I think we should all take losses this same way. Instead of viewing them as negatives “I suck,” “I will never be good at anything,” “I will never get out of this miserable job;” think of them as steps to become more successful.

Charlie Sheen may not be very admirable at times, but he is winning. He is winning at his game of life, at least for now. What does winning look like for you? More freedom? Moving somewhere else? A chance to take back your life and live how you want to live? We are almost 1/4 the way through 2012 and the clock isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Start winning at your game of life.

How do you define winning?

Dan 3/18/12

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March 8, 2012

The Trajectory of your life

Up Up and Away

“My life is about never settling”

That quote has been uttered quite a bit over the last couple years by a famous credit card company. It’s motivational, inspirational, and gives people hope. I think it’s a great quote and a great marketing tool.

I think the trajectory of your life should be somewhat similar to the quote. The trajectory of your life is the sum of your experiences and what you accomplish. Traditionally life over the past century has involved a heavy dose of learning between ages 5-22, un-fulfilling work between ages 22-55, and then 15 years of inactivity known as retirement before dying at age 70.

1. Education

2. Work

3. Retirement

Is this sounding like an ideal trajectory for you? If so, cool… have fun! I’m going to lay out some ideas below that I have or am hoping happen in my trajectory of life.

1. Never stop learning

Although I will most likely never be going back to school, that doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop learning, reading, and exploring. In fact, it’s a hell of a lot more fun to study things that you are generally interested in which you can do when you’re out of school. School forces you to study certain subjects to get your degree. I’m thinking school needs an overhaul and I just read a sweet manifesto from Seth Godin about this topic.

2. Turn a passion into profit

Now I’m starting to get a hold of this as I write this blog and with the new job I took 2 months ago. No, you don’t have to start your own business to do this, but I’m definitely a fan of starting your own business. I’m a huge fan of loving what you do to make money. If your work doesn’t give you energy and excitement, you’ve likely ascended to the life of a walking zombie. If you find yourself dreading your alarm going off every morning and anxiously waiting for each weekend, it might be time to start thinking about a change in what you’re doing! I was here not long ago, it sucks! There is nothing better than waking up on a Monday morning and being excited to go do what you do.

Maybe your not sure how you could turn your passion into profit. Well that’s where learning (see #1 above) can help. Teach yourself to do it. Read some books or blogs on your topic of interest and reach out to the author’s. Bloggers are usually more than happy to help or offer advice for free.

3. Retire now

Usually retirement is saved for the end of your life and doing things that you really want to do. Traveling, playing more golf, cards, and bowling. I’d like to do these things now and I don’t see any reason to wait! Do things that you want to do now rather than waiting for retirement. Unsure how to do this? Start with a mini-retirement which I did almost 1 year ago. All this talk about retirement and I honestly don’t see myself ever officially retiring! I plan on working until I die because if I love what I do there is no reason to stop doing it unless I am physically unable.

Back to the trajectory…

I was hitting golf balls the other day and it occurred to me that all successful shots require a slightly different trajectory, and different ball flight, depending on all of these different variables (wind, slope of land, pin position etc…)

I got to thinking that in our lives, not everyone is going to be on the same trajectory. But somehow our culture and systematic way of doing things has turned most people into the same trajectory. It looks like:

Ages 5-22 – Education

Ages 22-55 – Work on something you hate

Ages 55 – death – Start doing things that you have always wanted to do

I would like to see us flip and revise this model. It’s not healthy, and it’s unnatural. Here is what I suggest:

Ages 5-death – We are in a constant state of learning more, dedicating our lives to projects both large and small that we are interested in, while taking plenty of time for ourselves to enjoy all that life has to offer!

What is the trajectory that your life is taking? Any new interesting projects coming up? Are you living where you want to and how you want to?

I’ve got a couple things coming up.. one dealing with unplugging, and the other following up on a discussion that I led a couple weeks ago… more about these at a later date!

Dan 3/8/12

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February 28, 2012

Are you waiting for the right opportunity?

Fresh out of college I knew I had time on my hands. Nothing really pressuring me in any direction for my life and career. I could do what I wanted to do… for once in my life I was not bound by having to turn in a midterm paper or study for an upcoming exam… At least that’s how I thought.

In reality I had a lot to be looking at. I thought the best way for everything was just wait for things to happen for me. Whether that was in my career, my relationships, or my health. I had a college degree. I had been an athlete in college which should give me a head-start on a lot of other people my age. What I didn’t think about was taking action and getting things done myself!

I’m convinced that the main reason I felt this was because throughout 15+ years of school I (we) are taught to follow directions, and if we do follow directions (get good grades, don’t get sent to detention) then everything will work out well. I think you’ll agree with me when I say that following directions and getting good grades isn’t going to guarantee you anything these days. That’s not how the 21st century works.

So while I waited for the right opportunity to come my way, I missed out on some pretty productive years in my life (23-25) without much to show for it except for a few different jobs and my own apartment. Somehow once the quarter century crisis hit I realized that no one is going to show me the path to success except for myself.

Taking Action

Action really isn’t as hard as it’s cracked up to be. It takes a little bit of thought, and some DOING. Now DOING seems tough with all the directions we’ve taken all of our lives… you’ve been DOING things, just not things for yourself. So now you get to do something for yourself, and not worry about the grade or outcome attached to it.

I’ll be very surprised if the absolute opportunity of your life shows up on your doorstep one day. It hasn’t for me. That’s when we start taking action. I’m convinced that if me, you, or anyone wants something bad enough… you will make it happen. It comes down to..how bad do you want it??

Start Something Great

Nobody is going to pave your path to success after college, so it’s up to you! It doesn’t hurt to get some help along the way from family, friends, or a teacher, but I think that they really don’t understand what drives you. Self-accountability at it’s finest.

If you’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to travel, coach basketball, sing, etc… I’ll be the first to tell you that the opportunity will most likely only come if you take some action on getting there.

I’ve thought a lot about where my life is heading, and it’s not feasible to predict the future, but I know from now on that if I’m not working on things that I care about, my life feels empty. Work on passionate projects. The well known author Dan Miller says, “The best way to predict your future is to create it!”

Think about your life in 1 year, in 3 years, or 5 years. Will you be happy if you are in the same position you are now? Now is the time to start taking action and not waiting for the right opportunities to come our way!

Dan 2/28/12

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February 21, 2012

Interviewing like a Pro

Congratulations! Your resume stuck out of the hundreds that are usually received for an open position and you’ve actually received a call for an interview after you applied for a job. Now I think there are certain tricks you can use to make your resume stand out portraying you as the best candidate, but you’re past the initial screening and company X wants to speak with you in person! Immediately different questions start racing through your head…

What do I wear to this interview?

What if they don’t like me?

What if I can’t name 3 strengths in my interview?

What if they don’t offer me enough money? (Really? Please worry about this after they offer you the job)

Undoubtedly you knew you were the best candidate for the job when you applied… as did about the 50 other people who also applied so you’ve already separated yourself from the crowd to get an interview; probably by using your network, having a resume that stood out, following up with the company, or perhaps your qualifications matched. Now we need to stand out again to actually get the job offer amongst the candidates who are interviewing. Here are some of my tips that have worked for me from both sides – that is being interviewed, and also interviewing others.

1. First impressions matter.. A LOT – When I was interviewing others I usually had made a hiring decision by the time I sat down with them at my desk to start asking questions. The time spent walking from the front of the office to my desk was enough time for me to tell if the person was going to be a good fit. I was looking for confidence, some eagerness, and someone who looked the part. Dressing correctly does matter. You want to be professional no matter what, even if you are interviewing for a part time job at a restaurant I still think you should dress business casual. I would also be more concerned of a first impression than if someone could give me 3 strengths, or tell me where they wanted to be in 5 years.

Photo curtesy of bpsusf on Flickr

2. Smile - Smiling portrays confidence. Nobody wants joe blow sitting around the office that doesn’t smile. A couple years ago a co-worker of mine came over to my desk and asked me why I never smiled. I really didn’t have a good answer for her and she changed my attitude that instant. I started smiling more and started being myself. I was a lot happier with myself and able to be more productive while enjoying my work more. Smiling is one of those small things that takes you a long ways in interviews and can separate you from the competition.

3. Create a conversation: Tell Stories - People like stories! You are most likely going to be asked questions like “explain a time at a previous job where you didn’t get along with a co-worker and how was the issue resolved.” Now I’m pretty sure nobody has ever really told the truth during this question, and I’m pretty sure nobody has ever made a hiring decision based on the answer to this question… but yet it is still asked because people think it is relevant! This is a great time to tell a story of how you solved a problem. Maybe the issue wasn’t with another co-worker, but your boss needed you to solve a problem and you took charge and did it.

4. Leadership and Problem Solving – Seth Godin wrote in his book Linchpin that what our world really needs are leaders and people who can solve interesting problems. This needs to be you. Any smart company should be less concerned with “where you plan to be in 5 years,” and more concerned with the results you can produce for the company. Portray yourself as a leader both on your resume and in the interview. Even if you don’t tend to lead very often, still be a leader.

A company will want to hire you because you can provide a service for them that will effectively solve a problem. That’s why any company is in business, because they are solving a problem for others. Know yourself and know how you can provide solutions to the company you are interviewing with.

5. Interview the Company – At the end of the interview, the person or persons who are interviewing you are going to ask if you have any questions. I definitely think you need to have some questions, and not just general questions, job and company specific questions. If nothing else, ask for a tour of the building. You are interviewing the company just like they are interviewing you, trying to figure out if this is going to work. If the company understands that you are trying to see how well you would fit in, they know they are in competition for your services which is exactly what you want. You could even ask to meet someone in the department that you will be working in! Be curious and interesting in what is going on.

If you do all of these I can almost guarantee you will be portraying yourself as the best candidate. Really know yourself and what skills and abilities you bring to the table that are better than anyone else. Be confident, dress like your the CEO, and walk with a purpose. These will give you the best shot at getting the job, and if nothing else give you great interviewing experience.

Dan 2/21/12

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February 13, 2012

Preparing yourself for Success

It’s this past Friday evening February 10th, and our team has just been defeated in a golf match in Bradenton, FL. We had lost to a team which was not as talented as ours and we hadn’t played to our potential. Our team sits down together and there is only one thing that comes to mind of why we didn’t do our best… PREPARATION.

We prepared well, but we didn’t prepare excellent. This got me thinking about my own life and what I am preparing myself for. Am I preparing myself for success in areas of my life? Am I setting the tone to be mediocre and not give everything I have? Am I doing the same things over and over and expecting different results?

To be successful doesn’t just happen overnight. I wish it did, that would be easy. We could all just put in a long 24 hours of effort and all the sudden be successful! Nope, not happening. It takes some time, and it takes excellent effort.

I think back to times in my life when I knew I could have done more… Could have tried harder, could have went the extra mile to really make something great, but I stopped short. Why? I was content with the work I had produced even though I knew in the back of my head that it could have been excellent with a bit more effort.

To be the best, or “Go Pro,” as I like to call it, it takes effort and it takes preparation. If you are not planning for success, what are you planning for? Or are you not planning on anything? To me if I don’t have some sort of plan, I get lost. There is nothing to work towards, no direction… this is how I feel if I’m ever on an extended vacation which doesn’t happen too often. The first few days are great, it’s fun to be just sitting around with really nothing to do, but as the week wears on I get antsy to be working on something worthwhile again. I know it’s a good vacation if I’m well rested and ready to get back to work.

Can we try too hard?

Yes, but this often happens after success has already happened. Preparing for and expecting positive outcomes is one of the quickest ways to become more confident in ourselves. Sometimes once we have reached a goal, we want more and more and push ourselves too hard, but I find this to be the minority. We usually cut ourselves short of success.

So what can we do to get ready for the most successful year of our lives?

1. Have a YOU day. Take a day off work if you have to, or just make it a Sunday to yourself and start planning out what your upcoming success looks like. This is fun! It’s fun to dream and have desires that you are reaching toward. The great thing is that there are no limits to what you can write down. Maybe it’s in health, career, or socially. Write down what success looks like to you and start planning to make it happen! Also make this day all about YOU. Do some things that you have been wanting to do but have just never thought you had the time.

2. Do something out of the ordinary. take a trip, stay up way late, or get up really early. Get out of your comfort zone and enjoy the ride! It’s kind of a rush to be doing something that you know a lot of your peers are not doing.

3. Make a commitment to be excellent at something. Whether it is in your job, working out, or learning something new. Commit yourself and don’t stop until you feel good about what you have done. I’m beginning to learn that half-assing a bunch of things is just not worth the time and effort… whether that is on here writing, or in my golf coaching. Trying to do a lot of things at once leads to being mediocre at a bunch of things instead of excelling at a select few. Prioritize and act.

Ask yourself – what can I do today to help me become more successful tomorrow? If you do this everyday you will start moving forward. If you get a little bit better everyday you will be preparing for success if your future!

Dan 2/13/12

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February 4, 2012

What is your degree worth?

It looks good on a resume…

I’m honored to have a B.B.A. in Marketing. I proudly display it in my office at work. Did you know it’s a fact that 80% of people are not working in the field that they studied by age 30? Did you know that by age 24 you will never put your grades on a resume again?

Why is this?

Quite simply, things change. The reason 80% of people aren’t working in their field of study by age 30 is that what they wanted at age 18 or 20 is not the same as what they wanted when they are 25 or 30. As we get older, we become a little wiser, and we figure ourselves out.

Grades on resumes don’t mean anything after you are working your first job after college. In fact, unless you got over a 3.0 in college, I would never put them on a resume, period. Resumes usually get about a 10 second look. Anyone that has the ability to make a hiring decision will be more interested in who you are as a person and if you are a good fit…not some numbers on a resume.

A lot of times young adults will go to college and a counselor will tell them “Hey you scored really high in math and science on your tests. Have you thought about becoming an engineer? It pays really well after college.” So the 18 year old says, “Okay, I’ll become an engineer.” And that works out fine for them. They do really well in school and become an engineer after college. The problem is that this person never really liked math or science, they were just good at them. They never really enjoyed solving tough equations. So 1 or 2 years out of college they decide that engineering isn’t what they want to do the rest of their lives. Now they are presented with some options.

Option 1: Stay in engineering, stay miserable in your job

Option 2: Go back to college to study something else

(The above two are what most everyone does)

Option 3: Find something that they are truly passionate about, coffee, cell phones, granite counter tops etc.. and find work in that field.

But now I’m not using my degree…

Nope. Things change, remember.. 80% of people aren’t using their degree by age 30. Option 3 from above is your best bet! The reasons are simple. First, you don’t want to stay miserable in your job for the next 20 or 30 years. That’s a lot of life to give up on a career that gives you no meaning or purpose.

Option 2 makes sense if you are going back to college to specialize in a field (IE Doctor, Architect, Dietician) If you are going back because you think an M.B.A. will solve your problems, I don’t like your chances. Going back to school to get an M.B.A. right now is becoming clouded… everyone has one! You likely just need more time to figure out what you want to do… and that’s fine!

Option 3 allows you to get out of the miserable work that you hate so much and it doesn’t cost the $30,000 that you don’t have right out of college.

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Do what you want while your young

Steve Jobs said that if you are uncertain about what you want to do after college, serve coffee or bartend until you figure out what you want to do. This is great advice. I know when I first graduated college I really wanted to prove that my degree was worth something to my parents. It seemed right to want to try and find full time work that required a college degree. But I really had no idea what I wanted to do.

Do what you want while your young, then figure out what it is that you want to do! You’ll know a lot more about yourself at 25 than you do at 22. I know this seems counter-intuitive because we go to college so we can find full time work that pays a decent salary, but there is really no price you can pay for just doing what you want to do each day!

In the long run by the time you are 45 or 50 years old, are those couple years after college going to make or break you? Probably not. If you are unsure what you want to do, take some time and figure yourself out. It will be well worth it in the long run!

Dan 2/4/12

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