If you’re a younger person, you might have been told once that life isn’t a race. This is true, but of course, it’s easy to feel the opposite when you’re young and eager to get your career on the right track.

I was in the same boat, and that’s why I’m here to share with you things that I wish I heard as an 18-year-old, which I believe can help you ease the pressure of starting your career early.

1. Worry Less, Do More

There’s a trap many young people fall into, and it’s one I’ve fallen into myself. It’s the trap of worrying about what your passion is.

When I was 18, I often stopped myself from trying things because I was so worried that they weren’t “right.” It was so easy to get caught up in questions like “Who am I, really?” or “What is my purpose?” I’m sure these are questions you’ve dealt with as well.

Maybe you’re like me, and you’re good at many things, but don’t know which one of them you want to pursue. And that’s okay. Dabble, make mistakes, gain new knowledge, immerse yourself in new experiences. The aim is to try your hand at the things that interest you – this is the first step to discovering what you’re truly good at and if your excitement can be turned into sustained enthusiasm. Learning your strengths and recognising the things that stimulate you will lead you closer to finding your passion.

Don’t get me wrong – planning your life is important, and so is finding your purpose. At the same time, don’t let your need to find your passion weigh you down or hold you back from experimenting and exploring your varied interests in life.

2. People Leave

I didn’t particularly enjoy high school, especially the people in it. That’s why when I entered university, I made sure to try turning over a new leaf and making more friends. Fortunately, the first few people I met were a good bunch that was also trying their best to survive freshman year.

This story, however, didn’t end how I wanted it to. Those friends and I didn’t last for very long. It wasn’t anything big and dramatic; we just faded away and became different people. It bothered me for a while until I got older and realised people will always leave.

This, however, doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Ultimately, your growth is about you alone. And the people who matter are the people who will invest in it. Some of my closest business partners are the ones who chose to stay and the ones whom I’m proud to share my success with.

And on that note…

3. You Won’t Please Everyone, So Stop Trying To

Every great success story begins with doubters. One good example here is the story of Ronald Wayne, one of Apple’s earliest partners, who held a 10% stake in the company. Wayne left the tech giant after a week because he didn’t see the company being successful. But look where Apple is now. Today, his 10% stake in Apple would be worth more than $95 billion.

Nothing’s killed more dreams than how others value them. Remember, not everyone will understand your vision, but that’s why you need to live life for yourself.

4. Ask For Help

With all this said, while you are living life for yourself, you also can’t do everything by yourself. I wish I could tell my 18-year-old self that this isn’t possible. That 18-year-old kid who thought he could juggle schoolwork, side hustles, relationships, family and extracurricular activities? He needed help and couldn’t admit it.

Looking back, I could’ve had so much more time to do things if I had just allowed people to help me. If I had asked someone to teach me, maybe there were more exams I could’ve passed. If I had outsourced and taken up my friends on their offers to help me, perhaps I could’ve started my businesses on better foundations.

While there isn’t any sense in regretting that now, those regrets have taught me that I need to ask for help when I can’t carry things alone. There’s nothing weak about it because help only gives you more strength to carry more things.

5. How You Do Anything Is How You Do Everything

This was a little past my 18 years, but at my first job, I was always unhappy because I was preoccupied with the idea of starting my own company. When my friends asked why I always seemed upset, I told them it was because I didn’t love what I was doing.

One of my friends gave me a reality check when he said, “If you can’t work properly in someone else’s company, how do you expect to work well on your own?”

That’s something I still value today. Whatever job I’m doing, I do it believing it is worth doing. To succeed, you always need to put effort into everything you need to do – no matter how frustrating or tedious it is, remember that it will take you closer to where you need to be. And if it’s a job worth doing, it’s worth doing well.

To your success,

Mario

[Visit www.mariosingh.com now to enjoy a FREE e-book of my latest “37 Essential Principles for Massive Success” when you subscribe!]