How to be successful at a young age

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be successful at a young age?

The Zuckerburgs the Biebers the Swifts….how do they do it?

Many of us millennials feel desperate for success right after college – and then feel deeply depressed when we feel like we’ve failed after only a few years and wonder why we aren’t wunderkinds yet.

The truth is, success takes a lot of time and a strategic plan. But the good news is, you may not have to wait as long as you think.

I recently read a great book I wanted to share with you that can help: Secrets of the Young & Successful by Jennifer Kushell & Scott M. Kaufman.

I recognized many of the strategies in the book that I’ve implemented and continue to implement in my own life, and I really enjoyed the straight-forward and fun way Jennifer writes (I love when she writes in the hard-to-do second person).

I also think you'll love the activities in the beginning of the book that help you get to know yourself and better figure out what the heck you’d like to do when you grow up. Even though I've figured out a lot in the past few years, I still opened up a word document and did some of the activities; they helped me clarify a lot of things and rev up a lot of excitement for where they can go. 

So what is one of the biggest secrets to being successful when you’re young?

Start young. Or rather…start NOW (for all you young at heart ;))

Malcolm Gladwell (in his fantastic book Outliers) explains that it takes about 10,000 hours (approx. 10 years) to be great at something.

I often use this theory to play the “10,000 hours game” I made up. When I see a big celebrity, athlete, or professional winning the top awards and hitting their stride in their industry I do a quick Google search and count backwards to see when they started working on their craft. It’s shockingly accurate that most of began about 10 years prior.

You can be very successful at a young age, but will require 10,000 hours, focus, dedication, and the diligence to learn everything you can about what it is you want to do….right now.

Are you up for the challenge?

This book is a great start.

As a reminder, I only recommend books I've read and think are truly wonderful. This is not an advertisement but a genuine resource I think can help you in your journey towards success in college and beyond :)