Are you in your twenties and dreaming of success? Well, successful people have something in common with the rest of us; they didn’t know everything in their 20’s. With the help of a more experienced and older mentor, you can achieve great success and unlock your potential if you ask (and answer honestly) critical questions about where you are and what you want out of life.
When you are in your 20’s…
1. Am I viewing my life from a panoramic point of view?
This is because your mind has matured and you are ready to face the world.
2. Am I self-motivated?
Before you get to the real world, you only have your lecturers in college to keep you motivated until graduation. Unfortunately, in real life, there are only two forms of motivation: internal and external. Your lecturers are now replaced by a boss and the only real form of motivation is the one you have to find within yourself. You have to learn very early on that no one but yourself can ignite or light the glow within you. The key to self-motivation is to become aware in its purest shape that we are born alone, and die alone, and therefore you and you alone, must decide how desperately you want something and what you are willing to do to get it.
It’s paramount we align our goals to realistic working expectations, we tend to hit more benchmarks as we progress towards those very same goals, enhancing our confidence along the way and re-enforcing our belief in ourselves.
3. Do I end up with few friends because I am swamped executing productive tasks?
This is astounding but true. And it’s a sign of development. I remember vividly I used to hang out with lots of friends during my earlier school days. We consumed hours and hours at the school café. One day I made a decision that I would have to sacrifice those hours doing something productive and within no time, development was evident in my life.
4. Am I making accurate choices that will essentially affect my life positively?
At this point nothing comes in handy like following your instincts. I fancy how Steve Jobs puts it, “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” Period!!!
5. Am I trying out new things?
College years are indeed self-mastering years. It’s time were you discover your talents and gifts. After discovering them you sharpen on these skills and become a master. That is where I challenge my fellow mates to try out diverse things. Find something you love among the many things you do and perfect it.
6. Why did I fail?
Don’t be afraid to fail. You only fail if you don’t learn something from the experience. Treat every failure as an opportunity to grow. It’s only normal. We all want to feel good about ourselves. Failure, criticism and rejection are not pleasant experiences. They lower our self-esteem and make us feel bad about ourselves, so we often avoid doing things we think might lead to failure, criticism or rejection.
However, if you want to create the life and career success you want and deserve, you have to have the courage to do things that might result in failure, criticism or rejection.
7. Am I having a good time here on earth?
Go out with your friends and have fun! Although you are an adult you’re not too old to have a good time lest you end up having midlife crisis and not settling down when you are of age.Laugh! Laughter is the best medicine; never underestimate the power of a good laugh.It’s about working hard and playing hard.
8. Am I listening more than am speaking?
Learn to listen; as Robin Sharma once said, “listen twice as much as you speak, that is why you have two ears”. Listening helps you understand the needs and expectations of others. This will strengthen you relationships with others. Your 20’s are a time to learn as much. It’s a time where you aim to be Solomon and one of the ways to achieve this is to speak less.
9. Do I have a mentor?
Seek a mentor. It is always good to have someone who is much older than you and has gone through life experiences, to guide you towards greatness.
10. Am I optimistic?
When you have a whole life a head of you, nothing is so beautiful like being optimistic. For example, I am optimistic that all my dreams will become a reality. I was born to be an inspiration to my generation and I know this will come to fruition. One day I know I will win a Nobel peace prize for positive contribution to the human race. Ambitious? Maybe. But the point is to have a positive outlook of your life.
